Asparagus Soup

This is one of the easiest and yummiest soups around.  I love Asparagus and love to overdose on it when in season...

This is a french recipe that I tried and found so easy to make I thought I would share for all the Asparagus lovers out there.

500 gm Asparagus
400 gm potato
1 ltr chicken stock
200 ml cream
Salt and pepper

Yum!

Chop the woody ends off your asparagus and toss away, cut the tips off and set them aside.  Chop the rest into 2 cm long chunks.

Peal and chop the potatoes.

Place the asparagus, potatoes and stock into a saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until boiling then lower to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until the potato is cooked.

Remove from heat

Either with a stick blender or in a full blender blitz the soup until smooth.  The asparagus will still be a little stringy but you will strain that.

Pour through a strainer, into a nice clean pot, you may need to use a spoon to help the liquid through.

Push as much of the liquid through with a spoon as you can and you will be left with all the stringy bits you don't want in your smooth soup.  Return the strained soup to the stove and on medium heat and on a rapid simmer cook for a further 20 minutes.  At this time lower the heat, stir through the cream and cook for a further 5 minutes.   This thickens the soup a little.

In 50 gm of melted butter on low heat saute your asparagus tips.  This should only take 5 minutes.

Serve with crusty french bread and a couple of the asparagus tips in the centre for garnish.