Springtime Asparagus Soup

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* Exported from MasterCook *

 

Springtime Asparagus Soup

 

Recipe By : Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, Deborah Madison, page 202

Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Rice Soups And Stews

Vegetables

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1 1/2 pounds asparagus

1 large leek

white part plus an inch of the green -- chopped

6 cups Quick Stock or water

(see separate recipe)

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil or butter

1 small onion -- chopped

2 tablespoons raw white rice

salt and freshly milled pepper

lemon juice -- to taste

 

Serves 4 to 6

 

Asparagus shouts " Spring! " Here's a good place to make a quick stock,

using the trimmings from the leeks and the ends of the asparagus.

 

Slice the asparagus into three parts: ends, middles, and tips. Chop the

middles and set the tips aside. Use the asparagus ends and leek roots and

greens in the stock.

 

Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the leek, onion, and rice, and saute over

medium-high heat for about 8 minutes, until the onion is slightly

colored. Add 1 cup of stock and stew for 10 to 12 minutes. Add the

chopped asparagus and the remaining stock and simmer, partially covered,

for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool briefly, then puree and pass through a food

mill to get ride of any fibers. Taste the soup for salt, add a few drops

of lemon juice to bring up the flavors, and season with pepper. Return the

pot to the stove to keep it warm.

 

Meanwhile, drop the asparagus tips in boiling salted water and cook until

tender, about 4 minutes, then add them to the finished soup.

 

VARIATIONS:

 

Asparagus Soup with Herb Cream: Whip 1/4 cup of cream until stiff and

season with a pinch of salt, a little white pepper, and 2 tablespoons of

chopped chervil or tarragon. Stir a spoonful of cream into each bowl of soup.

 

Asparagus Soup with Fresh Sage: Sauté 10 sage leaves with the leek, onion,

and rice. Fry 10 more leaves in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until they're

speckled, about 1 minute, then remove them to a paper towel. Crumble then

into the soup just before serving. If the sage is blooming, add a few of

the purple flowers to the soup -- the essence of spring.

 

Asparagus and Pea Soup with Basil: Peas come into season just as the

asparagus is finishing. Boil freshly shelled peas with the asparagus tips

and add them to the finished soup along with thinly sliced basil leaves.

 

 

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