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Winter Asparagus Soup

Source of Recipe

From "Cold Weather Cooking" by Sarah Leah Chase


Recipe Introduction

"Although available winter produce is improving beyond the limp and boring stage of the pre-radicchio age, the exotica traveling from warmer corners of the globe often has lost its essence by the time it arrives at markets stateside. Truthfully no one is more cheered than I by the notion of year-round asparagus, but I often find the spears that depart Mexico in December lack the youthful complexion and silkiness of seasonal spring asparagus. Yet these woody stalks make a much better candidate for this rich soup than those plucked in May."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
â—¦ 1 medium onion, minced
â—¦ 2 leeks (white and tender green parts), rinsed well, trimmed, and minced
â—¦ 3 cloves garlic, minced
â—¦ 2 carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice
â—¦ 1 tablespoon dried tarragon leaves
â—¦ Pinch of cayenne pepper
â—¦ ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
â—¦ 1 ½ pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
â—¦ 1 cup dry white wine
â—¦ 5 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade
â—¦ 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
â—¦ 1 cup heavy or whipping cream
â—¦ Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste


Recipe

Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, leeks, garlic, and carrots; cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are quite soft, about 20 minutes.

Stir in the tarragon, cayenne, parsley, and asparagus; cook 2 minutes more. Add the wine and chicken broth. Bring the soup to a boil, then simmer uncovered until all the vegetables are very tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Stir in the dill and remove from the heat.

Add the cream to the soup and process it in batches in a blender until very smooth. Season the soup to taste with salt and white pepper. Serve at once or refrigerate and reheat over medium-low heat when ready to serve.

Makes 6 servings