Sunnys Grilled Asparagus Soup With Chile Cheese Ciabatta Toast Recipes

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and saute 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add asparagus and saute another 4 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for 30 minutes, until asparagus is very tender. *Carefully transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to saucepan, stir in sour cream and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to serving bowls. Dust with paprika and serve.
• *When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring until tender, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add the asparagus and sauté 4 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the asparagus is very tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool at least 5 minutes.
• Working in batches if necessary, carefully transfer the soup to a blender, filling it no more than halfway. Keep the lid slightly ajar and puree on high speed until smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan, stir in the sour cream and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowls, dust with the paprika and serve.

Steps:

• Goat cheese: Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Using a fork, in a small bowl, combine the goat cheese and basil until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Using a 1/2-ounce cookie scoop or a round tablespoon measure sprayed with vegetable oil cooking spray, scoop the goat cheese into balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Soup: In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring constantly until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the broth, asparagus and basil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the asparagus is tender, about 15 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat.
• To serve: Ladle the soup into shallow bowls and garnish with the herbed goat cheese.
• Cook's Note: The soup can also be pureed by ladling, in batches, into a food processor or blender and blended until smooth.

Steps:

• In a small pan, over medium heat, add the vinegar, zest and juice of the lemon and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and let the mixture reduce until it becomes syrupy, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, warm a grill pan over medium-high heat. Wash and trim the ends of the asparagus. Toss the asparagus lightly with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill asparagus 5 minutes, then flip and grill until slightly blackened on both sides, about 4 minutes more. Transfer the asparagus to a serving platter, drizzle with balsamic syrup and serve.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add asparagus and heat through. Add the cheese, thyme and nutmeg. Cook until cheese is melted, stirring frequently (do not boil). Garnish with croutons and additional cheese if desired.