White Asparagus Soup

​An easy to make elegant and light soup, perfect for a first course.

When wandering through the Whole Foods produce department, I spotted white asparagus—my all time favorite vegetable—and it was fresh! In the past, the asparagus sold in this country was old and not worth the effort. Leave it to Whole Foods to make me happy. So, I decided to make Spargelsuppe (asparagus soup). This is a very delicate soup that brings out the wonderful flavor of the asparagus. Germans love their asparagus and when it is in season you will find asparagus on the menu of every restaurant. It is traditionally eaten with melted butter and boiled potatoes, and sometimes hollandaise sauce is substituted for the melted butter. It is also served with different kinds of hams or schnitzel (a breaded pork chop). ​

To peel the asparagus, hold the tip and carefully peel of the woody part of the asparagus. Be careful, as the asparagus breaks easily. Unlike green asparagus, white asparagus has to be peeled. The peels and end pieces will produce a flavorful broth for the soup. ​

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Ingredients:

1 1/2 pound of white asparagus 

4 cups water 

3 Tbs butter

3 Tbs flour

2 Tbs lemon juice 

1/4 a cup whip cream 

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp freshly ground white pepper

1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

​Directions:

Peel the asparagus from the tip. Cut 1/4-inch from the bottom. Put the asparagus peels and the end pieces in 4 cups of water, bring it to a boil, add the salt and sugar, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. In the meantime, slice the asparagus diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces leaving the tips intact. Melt the butter over low heat in a heavy pot, add the flour and stir constantly for a couple of minutes, making sure the roux does not turn brown. Pour the asparagus broth through a sieve, discard the asparagus pieces and peel.  Add to the butter mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk to avoid lumps. Start with a little broth, whisk until smooth, then add the rest of the broth. Bring the soup to a boil, add the asparagus and cook until the asparagus is done, about 4 to 6 minutes. The asparagus is done if it falls apart when you squeeze it. Add the cream, lemon juice and season the soup with salt, sugar, pepper,  and freshly ground nutmeg

Guten Appetit!
© recipe by sunnycovechef