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.)

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.

FRESH ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Place asparagus and onion in a saucepan with 1/2 cup vegetable broth. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer until the vegetables are tender.
• Reserve a few asparagus tips for garnish. Place remaining vegetable mixture in an electric blender and puree until smooth.
• Melt butter in the pan that was used for simmering the asparagus and onions. Stir while sprinkling flour, salt, and pepper into the butter. Do not let the flour brown. Allow the mixture to cook only 2 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth and increase the heat. Continue stirring until the mixture comes to a boil.
• Stir the vegetable puree and milk into the saucepan. Whisk yogurt into the mixture, followed by lemon juice. Stir until heated through, then ladle into bowls. Garnish with reserved asparagus tips. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

CREAM OF FRESH ASPARAGUS SOUP II

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine asparagus, chopped onion, and 1/2 cup chicken broth. Cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer uncovered until asparagus is tender, about 12 minutes. Process the mixture in a blender to puree the vegetables. Set aside.
• In the same saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Whisk in the remaining chicken broth, and increase the heat to medium. Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture boils. Stir in the asparagus puree and the milk.
• Put the sour cream in a small bowl, and stir in a ladleful of the hot soup. Add the sour cream mixture and the lemon juice to the soup. Stir while heating the soup to serving temperature, but don't allow it to boil. Serve immediately.

ASPARAGUS WITH TARRAGON LEMON SAUCE

Steps:

• Place asparagus in a steamer basket; place in a large saucepan over 1 in. of water. Bring to a boil; cover and steam for 3-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain., Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine olive oil and flour. Gradually stir in milk until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice, tarragon and salt. Serve with asparagus.

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.

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP (CRèME D'ASPERGES)

Steps:

• Cut tips from 12 asparagus 1 1/2 inches from top and halve tips lengthwise if thick. Reserve for garnish.
• Cut stalks and all remaining asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add asparagus pieces and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add 5 cups broth and simmer, covered, until asparagus is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• While soup simmers, cook reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then drain.
• Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth, transferring to a bowl (use caution when blending hot liquids), and return to pan. Stir in crème fraîche, then add more broth to thin soup to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil and whisk in remaining tablespoon butter.
• Add lemon juice and garnish with asparagus tips.

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.