Asparagus soup

Suddenly, a not entirely stuffed-full schedule opens out before me, hallelujah. In honor of the occasion, and of the convenient contents of my refrigerator, I have made asparagus soup. It is so easy, aside from the pureeing, and so good. This is almost exactly the recipe from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, but it's also pretty much the rock-standard thing that is the essence of Asparagus Soup. It's tasty, and shockingly enough, also good for you. You don't need cream to make it creamy, though I'm sure a little would make a dandy garnish. Be sure to have it with bread, so you can mop up the last little algae-colored drops.

White part of one large leek, cleaned and chopped
One small onion, chopped
Two tablespoons raw white rice
A pound and a half of asparagus
Six cups broth
Olive oil
Squirt of lemon juice

Set the leek, the rice, and the onion to sauteeing in the olive oil, at the bottom of your big soup pot, over medium-high heat, for about eight minutes. Stir occasionally. Meanwhile, snap the woody ends off your asparagus, and chop what remains. After the onions have started to color, add one cup of the broth and let that stew for about ten minutes. Add the asparagus and the rest of the broth. Cook, partially covered, another 15 minutes. Let cool a little, then puree with your little wand thing, or transfer to your food processor or blender. If you are all fancy and have a food mill, then send it through that, to get rid of stray fibers. I don't bother. Add your squirt of lemon juice, or more than a squirt, if you prefer. Taste and adjust the salt. Add pepper if you like. Bring back up to steaming hot and serve.

Posted by redfox at May 22, 2003 07:36 PM (dinner reports)

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