Asparagus Soup

Ah, asparagus.

I actually really like asparagus, but my kids hate it.  When Spud was little, he mispronounced it as “ick-sparagus” and since he still hates it, he hasn’t fixed the mispronunciation! Haha!

This does not stop me from serving sauteed asparagus.  I’ve tried a couple different variations, to no avail.

This month, since it’s Lent and I’m always looking for new meatless options, I decided to make an asparagus soup.  Meatless meals always make my meat & potatoes boys act like they’re dying, so I thought, why not make asparagus soup and really make everyone miserable?

I did not divulge the ingredient list before I served this one.  The boys saw the vibrant green and automatically assumed spinach (which is true).  They groaned a bit, because they don’t love spinach in soup, but they will tolerate it.

And they both ate the soup!  I was very surprised to find that the potato was the strongest flavor in the soup (I always thought asparagus was a strong flavor, but the potato totally overpowered it - in a good way).

I later found out that Dude (the oldest) saw the asparagus scraps when he was setting the table and knew what was in the soup, but did not tell his brother (he doesn’t love asparagus, but also doesn’t have the same aversion his brother does).

Overall, I call this one a win and would totally make it again.  If it wasn’t Lent, I would consider adding crumbled bacon, which I think would be fantastic here!

Sunday Funday

Asparagus

• Asparagus and Herbed Ricotta Tart from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Roasted Asparagus with Tangerine Gastrique from Palatable Pastime
• Asparagus Pesto from Sneha’s Recipe
• Quick Pickled Asparagus from Culinary Cam
• Asparagus with Lemon, Mint, and Red Peppers from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Asparagus Soup from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Prosciutto-wrapped Asparagus with Garlicky Baked Brie from Food Lust People Love

Asparagus Soup

Adapted slightly from The Endless Meal

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound asparagus, chopped in 3 pieces, woody ends discarded

1 pound potatoes, peeled and diced

4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup fresh spinach

Salt & pepper, to taste

Place the butter in a medium pot over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for a minute more.

Add the asparagus and potatoes and cook for 2 minutes.  Stir in the chicken broth and season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.  Serve.

Serves 4