by Sarah Burch Asparagus and Spring. Two of my favorite things. Spring may be here, but it’s been a bit chilly lately, so when I returned from the store on a cold and frosty Spring morning, with not one but two bunches of asparagus (I tend to get a bit carried away when it comes to vegetables) I decided to chop them up and turn them into soup. The soup was delicious – light, warming and a wonderful spring-like green color. Also, super easy! Here’s the recipe, hope you enjoy it!
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan. Add 1 chopped medium onion, 1 chopped carrot and 2 cups chopped celery (about 2 stalks). Saute 3-4 minutes.. Meanwhile, trim woody ends from 2 lbs of asparagus and chop into 1 inch pieces. Add chopped asparagus to saucepan and cook another 5 minutes. Season with ¼ tsp black pepper. Add 5 cups reduced chicken stock and simmer, covered for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Puree in batches in a blender, or use one of those hand-held soup pulverizers (one of my favorite kitchen gadgets). Finally, add ½ cup coconut milk and heat through. Serves 4.
Tip: To remove woody ends from asparagus, hold the spear in one hand and bend the bottom of the stalk with your other hand until it snaps. The stalk will break at exactly the right spot. Great job for kids.