Cream of Asparagus Soup
Paul is in the homestretch of his masters program, and is once again home in the evenings. He has been cooking, smoking and grilling up mountains of food in celebration. I sometimes have trouble focusing on the meal he’s made, because it’s such a novelty to have our evenings together again. To warm us up on this cold spring week, Paul made a extraordinary Cream of Asparagus Soup and fresh sourdough bread. The secret, I discovered, was in the short cook time on the asparagus, and the addition of peas for color and sweetness at the end of cooking. Paul finished the soup with savory flavor boosts of parmesan and vinegar to add depth to this quick spring soup. This recipe is adapted from Cook’s Country.
Yield: Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 pounds asparagus, washed and woody ends removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 1/2 cups chicken broth (unsalted preferred, reduce added salt if using salted broth)
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen sweet peas
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
- 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Steps:
- To prepare the asparagus, remove the tips and set aside. Chop the remaining asparagus into rough 1 inch pieces and set aside.
- Add the oil to a large soup pot, over medium heat. When hot, add the asparagus tips and cook briefly, about 1 minute, until the tips are a vivid green. Toss with a pinch of salt and pepper and remove the asparagus tips (leaving as much oil behind as possible) from the pan and set aside.
- Return the pot to medium heat and add the uncooked asparagus, onion, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat, uncovered for 10 minutes, until onions are translucent.
- Add the broth, turn heat to high and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the soup for 7 minutes to cook the asparagus through. Remove from the heat.
- Stir in the peas, cream, parmesan, vinegar, and pepper. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth. Taste and adjust salt and vinegar to your preference.
- Serve the soup warm or chilled, garnished with the sautéed asparagus tips, homemade bread crumbs or fresh yogurt dill sauce. Store this soup covered and refrigerated, it will keep for 2 days.
Asparagus with Fresh Herb Sauce Gribiche
Paul and I started dating 12 years ago, and quickly found that we had some pretty distinct food preferences. At the time, I professed to hate red meat, Paul loved it. I obsessed over salty briney flavors, which caused Paul to shudder. Time has made converts of us both. In fact, one of the first things I craved on a trip back to to North America from Haiti was a perfectly grilled steak. Paul's tastes have changed as well. Half a dozen years ago, when I first started making tangy sauce gribiche, I was on my own eating it. No longer. We like to make a big pile of asparagus and slather on this winning mustardy, eggy, French sauce gribiche. For the French cooking enthusiasts out there, I will note that this is my own, non-traditional version of the classic sauce gribiche.
Sautéed Red Cabbage with Bacon
Sautéed Red Cabbage with Bacon showcases our only edible crop this year, Paul's guerrilla red cabbages. While we do enjoy a good cabbage slaw in the summer months, fall has us yearning for our classic Sautéed Red Cabbage with Bacon, a dish which balances the sweetness of caramelized onions and cabbage with tart vinegar and salty bacon. This spring, Paul surreptitiously planted a mini colony of red cabbages in our front flower garden, nestled between daylilies and daisies. With sunny spots in scarce supply, Paul was adamant that winter was coming...and we needed to ensure an ample supply of sauerkraut and cabbages for the lean months!
Sweet Pea Soup
Sometimes, we get a little absorbed in enjoying food, and forget the broader context of our speech. We had our good friends Beth and Justin over for dinner this weekend. Our spoons stopped mid-slurp, and we all did a double take when Rebecca enthusiastically proclaimed: "I love this soup, the pea-ness really shines through!"
Allow me to say it another way, this is great, quick sweet pea soup. The gentle cooking lets the subtle and sweet pea flavor star. Sweet Pea Soup is a dish I request often (usually with Rebecca's awesome Buttermilk Biscuits). There’s nothing as satisfying as a vibrant green soup to fight the rainy grays of March.
Wild Rice & Quinoa Salad with Mushrooms & Asparagus
I opened the fridge after a long weekend of travel, and found slim pickings aside from some local asparagus and mushrooms. At this point, feeling too tired to grocery shop, I needed to get creative. Raiding our pantry for grains, I made this impromptu spring wild rice and quinoa salad with sautéed asparagus and mushrooms. I added thyme, citrus, and almonds to round out this light and vibrant dinner, and felt ready to take on the week.
Rustic French Greens & Buttermilk Soup
Thanks for following along with our new adventures! We recently moved from Pittsburgh to Haiti where we are starting a 5 year volunteer assignment with a non-profit relief and development organization. We will be in transition for the next few months as we complete our in-country orientation, language study, spend time living with host families in both the countryside and capital... and lest we forget, have our first baby somewhere in there as well! Please bear with us as we will not have ready access to internet or a kitchen throughout this time. We will continue to share new recipes that we've prepared in advance, and updates on our new life in Haiti as often as we are able.
This Rustic French Greens & Buttermilk Soup is a simple, green, and earthy foil to the button-busting days of Christmas feasting. This recipe is inspired by a watercress soup Paul came across when we were on a French cooking binge, and we find that it adapts well to any hardy green you have on hand. A surprising hit with guests, this soup has a lovely mellow and subtle sweetness that is truly delicious.
