Asparagus has arrived in a bit of a glut and has suddenly became very cheap. This needs plenty so a bit of a luxury at the start of the season when prices are high. A lovely lunch two days in a row and still some left in the freezer. The recipe is by Jamie Oliver and he recommends serving with toasted ciabatta and poached eggs.
If you have a stand blender you’ll be able to get this smoother, but it tastes just as nice blended with a stick blender like we did.
Creamy Asparagus Soup – serves 8
- 800g asparagus, snap off the woody ends and discard, chop the pretty tips off and set aside, roughly chop the stalks
- 2 medium white onions, peeled and chopped
- 2 sticks of celery, trimmed and chopped
- 2 leeks, trimmed and chopped
- 2 litres of good-quality chicken or veg stock
Heat a couple of tbsp of olive oil in a large pan. Gently fry the onions, celery and leeks for about 10 minutes, or until softened but not coloured. Add the chopped asparagus stalks and the stock, then simmer for 20 minutes with a lid on.
Remove from the heat and whizz with your choice of implement. Season generously, then return the pan to the heat and stir in the reserved asparagus tips. Simmer for a few minutes or until the tips have softened.
We had some crème fraîche in the fridge and served with a spoon on top but it’s also nice without.
(Original recipe from Jamie at Home by Jamie Oliver, Michael Joseph, 2007.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 
Leave a Reply