Asparagus Soup With Lemon Cream And Tarragon Recipes

ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH LEMON AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Do not brown; reduce the heat if necessary.
• In the meantime, cut the tips off of one bunch of the asparagus and set aside (you'll use those for a garnish). Cut the remaining spears and the other bunch of asparagus into ½-inch pieces.
• Add the chopped asparagus to the pot (minus the reserved tips), along with the chicken broth, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender.
• Meanwhile, bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the reserved asparagus tips for a few minutes, or until tender-crisp. Drain the tips and then place them in a bowl of ice water to "shock" them -- this stops the cooking process and preserves their bright green color. Once the tips are cool, drain them and set aside.
• Purée the soup with an immersion blender until completely smooth. (Alternatively, use a standard blender to purée the soup in batches, then return the soup to the pot.) Bring the soup back to a simmer and stir in the lemon juice and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. To thicken the soup, allow it to simmer, uncovered, until the desired consistency is reached.
• Ladle the soup into bowls, then top each bowl with asparagus tips, Parmigiano-Reggiano, herbs (if using), and freshly ground black pepper.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: You can freeze the soup for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. (The soup will freeze best if you add the cheese when reheating.)

PAN-ROASTED ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Break off bottom part of each asparagus stalk, and discard. Coarsely chop the rest of stalks, leaving 12 or 16 of the flower ends whole. Put butter or oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. A minute later, add asparagus and tarragon, raise heat to high, and cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Remove whole flower ends; set aside.
• Add stock and some salt and pepper; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until asparagus is very tender, about 10 minutes. Cool at least a few minutes.
• Pour soup into a blender, in batches if necessary, and carefully purée. Return to pan, and, over medium-low heat, reheat gently. When soup is hot, adjust seasoning. Put 3 or 4 asparagus flower ends in each of 4 bowls; ladle in soup, and serve.

ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH LEMON CREAM AND TARRAGON

Steps:

• Heat a heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat, add olive oil and sauté shallots until transparent.
• Add asparagus (be sure to cut off bottom portion that is hard and stalky) and tarragon leaves (reserve stems for later use) and cook briefly. Season with salt and pepper.
• Deglaze pan with white wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add vegetable stock and continue to cook until asparagus is completely soft. Puree tarragon stems in a blender until completely smooth. Pour through a fine strainer and recheck seasoning.
• Whip cream until firm. Gently fold in lemon zest, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and chopped tarragon stems.
• Pour soup into 4 warm bowls and top with a dollop of cream.

ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH LEMON CREME FRAICHE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender. Add asparagus and potatoes; cook 3 minutes longer. Stir in broth, lemon zest and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes., Cool slightly. Process soup in batches in a blender until smooth. Return all to pan and heat through. Combine garnish ingredients; serve with soup.

CHEF JOHN'S CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add minced onion and salt; cook and stir until onion is soft and golden, about 10 minutes.
• Pour chicken broth and water into pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer 15 minutes.
• Place asparagus pieces in simmering broth. Cook, stirring occasionally until asparagus is just tender and still bright green, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Use an immersion blender to blend soup until smooth, about 3 minutes.
• For a finer texture, strain soup through mesh strainer. Return strained soup to pot and place on stove.
• Turn heat to low. Season with cayenne pepper, black pepper, and nutmeg. Adjust salt to taste. Whisk 1/2 cup cream into soup.
• Place 1/4 cup cream, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Whisk until frothy and slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
• Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle a spoonful of Parmigiano-Reggiano-lemon cream on top of each serving and swirl to form a random design.
• Sprinkle with a pinch of lemon zest and cayenne pepper, if desired.

CREAMY ASPARAGUS TARRAGON SOUP

Steps:

• 1. Remove the root and tough outer leaves from the leek; halve lengthwise. Soak in vinegar and water to cover for 30 minutes. Rinse. Cut into 1/4-inch dice.
• 2. Heat the oil and butter in a pot. Add the leek, onion and parsnip; cook over low heat to soften, 15 minutes.
• 3. Add the broth and tarragon; bring to a boil. Add the asparagus; cover, then simmer for 30 minutes or until very tender. Uncover and cool.
• 4. Puree the soup. (If it seems stringy, pour through a strainer.) Add the cream. The soup may be served chilled or reheated over low heat; do not boil. Serve 1 1/2 cups of soup per bowl, placing 3 melon balls in the center of each serving, surrounded by 4 mint leaves. Add a dollop of sour cream on one side of each bowl.

ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH LEMON CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus and coriander; stir 1 minute. Add vegetable broth and simmer until asparagus is tender, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly. Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Strain into same pan, pressing on solids to release liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
• Stir crème fraîche, lemon juice, and lemon peel in small bowl. Divide soup among bowls. Top with dollop of lemon crème fraîche and serve.