When you see asparagus in the markets you know spring has arrived! Here in southern California we may not realize it as much as folks who have lived through months of snow and bitter cold but, like golden daffodils, the way asparagus suddenly pokes its head from still-thawing soil, it too is a harbinger of spring. And after a long winter of hearty soups, a creamy delicate soup with bright flavors of fresh asparagus is refreshing.
I’m sharing three ways to enjoy this wonderfully delicate vegetable in the next few days; the first is a Creamy Asparagus Soup. Adapted from Clean Food by Terry Walters, this soup was surprisingly creamy without a bit of cream – the creaminess is achieved through the addition of rolled oats! I’m loving this cookbook, the book’s cover includes a recommendation from Mario Batali: “Clean Food is the most exciting book based on fresh produce and simple recipes I have used in years”.
Creamy Asparagus Soup
This non-dairy soup has the richness of a cream soup without all the fat and guilt, and is super easy to make. Yield: 6 Servings
2 bunches of asparagus, (about 6 cups chopped)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 shallots, finely chopped
½ cup rolled oats*
1 quart rice milk or soy milk
½ teaspoon dried dill
sea salt and white pepper
chopped fresh parsley for garnish
*Some oats are gluten free, not all. Check your product label.
Remove tough ends of asparagus by bending each piece until it snaps. Discard ends, wash remaining asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces and set aside.
pieces and set aside.
In a large pot over medium heat, sauté garlic and shallots in olive oil until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add asparagus, oats, milk and dill. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until asparagus is soft – about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
Purée soup using a handheld blender. Add water if thinner soup is desired. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Can be made 3-4 hours in advance, chilled to allow the flavors to blend, then reheat, garnish and serve.
Enjoy 🙂
If you’re asparagus binging, you might also like :
Asparagus and Potato Frittata or Roasted Asparagus with Pancetta
Mahesh
March 28 at 5:04 pmI stay away from creamy soups, but this looks healthy and I might attempt to cook it.
Karin @yum and more
April 1 at 12:10 amthis soup looks delicious.
Germany’s white aspargus season (6 weeks) is just beginning but we get some green too. Will definitely try the soup.
Best regards
Karin