Description
Ina Garten’s cream of asparagus soup blends fresh asparagus with rich cream for a luxurious spring starter. Silky smooth textures and delicate herbal notes promise a comforting meal you’ll savor to the last spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs (907 g) asparagus, medium, cut in half crosswise (2 bunches)
- 1 Spanish onion, medium, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 6 tbsps unsalted butter
- 7 tbsps all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- 1 tbsp dry white vermouth
- 1 tbsp kosher salt (for boiling asparagus)
- 1 tsp kosher salt (for seasoning)
- 3 sprigs parsley
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
Instructions
- Preparation: Establish a large pot with salted water and create an ice bath to maintain asparagus’s emerald hue and crisp structure.
- Blanching: Immerse asparagus in boiling water for 4 minutes, then rapidly transfer to ice water to cease cooking. Drain completely and pat dry.
- Vegetable Preparation: Reserve 18 asparagus tips for garnish, slicing diagonally. Mince remaining spears into precise, uniform fragments.
- Sautéing Foundation: In a capacious pot, melt butter over medium flame. Incorporate diced onion, celery, and carrot, covering and cooking for 12 minutes until vegetables soften and become translucent.
- Roux Development: Dust flour over vegetable mixture, stirring continuously for 2 minutes to construct a thickening base and develop complex flavor profiles.
- Liquid Integration: Slowly introduce reserved asparagus cooking liquid, whisking methodically to prevent clumping and ensure a velvety smooth consistency.
- Herbal Infusion: Create a bouquet garni by bundling parsley, thyme, and bay leaf with kitchen twine. Submerge herb package into liquid, simmering for 10 minutes to extract delicate aromatic essences.
- Soup Construction: Fold chopped asparagus into the pot, bringing to a gentle boil. Remove from heat and allow brief cooling to prevent scorching.
- Refinement Process: Discard bouquet garni. Puree soup in batches using blender, achieving silken texture. Strain through fine-mesh sieve to eliminate potential fibers.
- Final Seasoning: Return soup to pot, reheating over medium temperature. Gently incorporate heavy cream, white vermouth, and remaining seasonings. Adjust with freshly ground black pepper to elevate flavor complexity.
- Presentation: Elegantly ladle soup into serving vessels, crowning each portion with reserved diagonal asparagus tips for a visually stunning culinary experience.
Notes
- Blanching Technique: Master the 4-minute blanching process to preserve asparagus’s bright green color and prevent overcooking, which can lead to mushy texture.
- Roux Mastery: Carefully cook flour with vegetables for 2 minutes to develop a deep, nutty flavor and create a smooth, thickened soup base without lumps.
- Herb Infusion Secret: Use a bouquet garni to extract maximum flavor from herbs, allowing them to steep gently without overpowering the delicate asparagus taste.
- Silky Smooth Finish: Strain the pureed soup through a fine-mesh sieve to ensure an ultra-creamy, fiber-free consistency that showcases the soup’s elegant texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg