ASPARAGUS SOUP
It’s about that time that a plethora of fresh produce will be at our fingertips. Although spring is upon us, cold weather is still in the air—for many of us—and has me craving warm, comfort food. To fit the bill for this transition of seasons, I’ve incorporated fresh asparagus into a cozy soup.
If you’re not super comfortable in the kitchen, soups can be intimidating, but hear me when I say:this one is pretty straightforward to pull together. It’s simply a matter of sautéing chopped vegetables and blending a bunch of ingredients into a beautifully green purée before serving. I reserve a few asparagus tips and toast some pine nuts to add a little crunch to the top of each cup of soup.
YOU WILL NEED
3 tablespoons avocado oil or ghee
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 pounds fresh asparagus, roughly chopped and rough ends removed
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
2 cup unsweetened, non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pine nuts, toasted
TO MAKE
Add the avocado oil to a large pot set over medium heat. Stir in the shallots and garlic and let cook for about 1 minute. Stir in the asparagus and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook until the asparagus are fork tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove several asparagus tips and set aside.
Add the milk, vinegar, black pepper, nutmeg and remaining teaspoon of salt to the pot of asparagus. Stir and bring to a simmer.
Turn off the heat and purée the soup with an immersion blender, or carefully pour the soup into a high-powered blender and process until smooth. If using a stand blender, pour the soup back into the pot. Bring the soup to a simmer for another minute or two.
Serve right away with the reserved asparagus tips and pine nuts sprinkled on top.
Enjoy!
