A creamy soup, served everywhere during Spargelzeit.
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Total Time35 minutesmins
Course: Soup
Cuisine: German
Keyword: Spargelsuppe, White Asparagus Soup
Servings: 6Servings
Calories: 390kcal
Author: Don Herman
Ingredients
1 1/2lbsWhite Asparagus
1½tspSalt
1½tspSugar
4½tbspButter
3tbspFlour
1/2cupWhite Wine
1cupHalf and Half Cream (or single cream)It should be about 18% fat
Salt and Pepper
Fresh chivesfinely chopped
Instructions
Wash the asparagus spears, trim off the woody 1/2", and peel from beneath the flower head down. (See here on how to peel asparagus - it's critical that you do this, otherwise the soup will have stringy "hair" throughout!)
Put all the ends and bits of peel into a pan with 6 cups of water and the salt and sugar, and bring to the boil. Simmer on a low heat for 20 minutes before draining through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Discard the bits and leave the liquid to cool.
Slice off the tips of the asparagus spears just below the head and then slice them in half lengthwise. Cut the remaining spears into 1 inch pieces. Melt 3 tbsp of the butter in a medium sauce pan large enough to take all the stock. Add add the chopped asparagus stalks (not the tips). Saute over a medium heat for two minutes, then add the flour. Stir and allow to sweat for one minute before adding the wine to deglaze the pan; then add the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Once the asparagus pieces are soft (check by poking one with a sharp knife), remove from the heat and use a stick blender to thoroughly blend them with the stock. Once smooth, pour the puree through a sieve, using a rubber spatula to push it through and scrape any liquid clinging on to its underside. Return soup to the pan. Stir in the cream, season with salt, pepper and sugar to taste and reheat gently.
Melt the remaining butter in a small saute pan and slowly cook the asparagus tips for about five minutes, until they’re golden brown around the edges. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the asparagus tips and chopped chives.