Puree Of Asparagus From Splendid Soups Recipes

Steps:

• Combine all of the ingredients for the broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Strain and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, and add the leek, onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook gently for five minutes, stirring often, until the onion and leek have softened. Add the garlic, stir together for a minute, then add the potatoes, broth, bouquet garni and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add the chopped asparagus (not the 12 spears), and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, and remove the bouquet garni.
• Puree the soup with a hand blender or, working in 1-1/2 cup batches, ladle the soup into a blender. Place a towel over the blender, and pull it down tightly to prevent splashing. Blend each batch, then (whether you pureed the soup in the pot or in a blender) put through a medium strainer, pushing it through with the bottom of your ladle or with a spatula. Return to the pot. Heat through, and add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
• Meanwhile, steam the 12 asparagus spears for four minutes, until just tender. Refresh with cold water, then slice about 3/4 inch thick.
• Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish each serving with a handful of sliced asparagus, sprinkle with tarragon and serve.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a medium bowl with salted ice water. Working in 2 batches, add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook until just tender, about 4 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the asparagus to the bowl of ice water. Drain. Reserve 7 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid.
• Thinly slice 18 of the asparagus tips on the diagonal and reserve for a garnishing the soup. Chop the remaining asparagus spears into small pieces.
• Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 12 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 2 minutes more.
• Pour in the reserved asparagus cooking liquid and bring to a boil while whisking constantly. Tie the parsley, thyme, and bay leaf together with a piece of kitchen twine and add to the soup. Lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Stir in the chopped asparagus and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
• Remove and discard the herb bundle. Working in batches, transfer the asparagus mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Using a sieve over a large bowl, strain the asparagus soup. Return the puree to the pot and reheat over medium heat.
• Whisk the heavy cream, vermouth, and salt into the soup and season with pepper. Divide among warm soup bowls, sprinkle each soup with the reserved asparagus tips, and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Cut tips from 12 asparagus 1 1/2 inches from top and halve tips lengthwise if thick. Reserve for garnish.
• Cut stalks and all remaining asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add asparagus pieces and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add 5 cups broth and simmer, covered, until asparagus is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• While soup simmers, cook reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then drain.
• Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth, transferring to a bowl (use caution when blending hot liquids), and return to pan. Stir in crème fraîche, then add more broth to thin soup to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil and whisk in remaining tablespoon butter.
• Add lemon juice and garnish with asparagus tips.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan combine the asparagus, shallot, potatoes, vegetable broth, mint and lemon zest.
• Bring them to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the potatoes are tender enough to puree, about 20 minutes.
• Puree the soup with an immersion blender, or in a food processor.
• If using a food processor, transfer the soup back to the saucepan.
• Heat the soup to warm it through.
• Season with salt and pepper and garnish each serving with a sprinkle of chives and scallion greens.

Steps:

• Bring a small saucepan filled with water to a boil over high heat. Prepare an ice-water bath; set a medium bowl in ice-water bath and set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a large shallow saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and reduce heat to low; cook, until onion is soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add asparagus; stir to coat.
• Add enough boiling water just to cover asparagus; let cook for 2 minutes. Drain asparagus mixture in a fine mesh strainer and transfer to bowl set in ice-water bath; let cool slightly.
• Transfer asparagus mixture to the jar of a blender along with spinach leaves. Add enough water just to blend; blend until smooth.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender. Add asparagus and potatoes; cook 3 minutes longer. Stir in broth, lemon zest and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes., Cool slightly. Process soup in batches in a blender until smooth. Return all to pan and heat through. Combine garnish ingredients; serve with soup.

Steps:

• 1 1/2 pounds trimmed and chopped asparagus and add 1 large peeled and cubed potato in 2 tablespoons butter to soften, about 5 minutes
• Add 5 cups stock or water; boil, cover, lower the heat and simmer until asparagus is tender, about 15 minutes
• Cool slightly, purée, strain and refrigerate
• Garnish: Lemon juice and olive oil.

Steps:

• Boil water in a 6 quart pot. Cut off and discard 2 inches of the asparagus base. Cut off the tips and reserve. Chop stalks into 1-inch segments and reserve. When the water comes to a boil, put the asparagus tips in a strainer and submerge them for 2 to 3 minutes (tender but not mushy). Take them out - don't throw out the water - and rinse them under cold water. Put the stalks in the boiling water and simmer for 5 minutes to eliminate bitterness. Rinse stalks under cold water - pour out the water. Heat butter in 4 quart pot over medium heat. Add onions and potato and stir every 2 minutes for about 10 minutes, until onions turn translucent (not brown) and potatoes soften slightly. Add the broth, the cut-up asparagus stalks, and the parsley. Simmer for 15 minutes until the asparagus and potatoes are thoroughly softeneed. Puree the soup in a food processor. Strain it thru a medium mesh strainer. Heat the soup, add the heavy cream, and season with salt and pepper. Either add tips to soup or heat them and arrange on top of soup (on a thin slice of buttered toast).