Cream of Asparagus Soup

My youngest got his wisdom teeth pulled  so I have been making lots of soup for him.  Rich and creamy soups and some light broth ones.  This recipe is for a rich and creamy soup.   I had some asparagus on hand so I  got to work.  Asparagus are cooked in chicken broth (you can use vegetable broth) with some onions, garlic and seasonings.   Once the asparagus are tender, puree the soup.  You can use a stand blender or an immersion blender.  Add some milk and cream, heat through and your soup is done.    It is thick and has a mild asparagus flavor- not too over powering.  A nice soup for  lunch or dinner.

Cream of Asparagus Soup
From Taste of Home Adapted Slightly by From My Southwest Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 5 cups)
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
2-1/2 cups whole milk, divided
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
2 tablespoons white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Minced fresh chives, optional

Directions
1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir 4-6 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add asparagus and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 8-10 minutes or until asparagus is tender. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
 2. Transfer to a blender; cover and process until smooth.
3. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons flour and 1/4 cup milk until smooth; set aside. In same saucepan, heat butter over medium heat. Stir in seasonings and remaining flour until smooth; cook and stir 45-60 seconds or until light golden brown. Gradually whisk in cream, remaining milk and reserved flour mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in wine, lemon juice and asparagus mixture; heat through. If desired, top each serving with chives.

Serves 6-8

Asparagus Frittata

I found the best recipe for an Asparagus Frittata on the Simply Recipes website.  It is so easy and absolutely amazing in flavor.  The only change I made was using onion powder instead of sliced scallions.  The family isn't that found of onions.

Not only is this recipe great, I love the fact it is cooked in one pan.  Yeah - hardly any clean up.  Great for busy nights or when you had a long day and you are just low on energy.

This Frittata is great for dinner - just serve it with a salad, or a nice brunch dish.

Asparagus Frittata
From Simply Recipes

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound thin spear asparagus, tough ends snapped off, spears cut diagonally into 1-inch lengths
6 large eggs
3/4 cup cottage cheese
1 Tbsp minced fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese
Directions:
1. Heat butter into a 10-inch oven-proof frying pan over medium heat.
Add asparagus and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
2. Beat the eggs and cottage cheese together, stir in the chives and tarragon.
Pour the egg mixture into the pan and cook until almost set, but still runny on top. While cooking, pre-heat oven broiler.
3. Sprinkle Gruyere cheese over the eggs and put in oven to broil until cheese is melted and browned, and the center is set, about 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Remove pan from oven with oven mitts and slide frittata onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

Serves 4

Cream of Asparagus Soup

This past week, Becky had her wisdom teeth pulled.  All four of them.  I started making and feeding her rich delicious creamy soup.  One of her favorites was a recipe I found for Cream of Asparagus soup.  The rest of the family enjoyed it too.

Cream of Asparagus soup is a creamy flavorful soup made with asparagus, onions, seasoning, chicken broth, and cream.  The asparagus and chopped onions are cooked together in the chicken broth.  Once the veggies are tender, I let the soup cool before I pureed it.  Once the soup is pureed, I poured it back into the pot and stirred in the cream and heated through.  I seasoned it with a little more salt and pepper before serving.

This soup is very easy  and  quick to make.  Perfect for those days when you need something quick and nourishing to eat.

Cream of Asparagus Soup
From Epicurious


Ingredients
2 pounds green asparagus
1 large onion, chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 to 6 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup crème fraîche or heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste

Preparation
1. Cut tips from 12 asparagus
1 1/2 inches from top and halve tips lengthwise if thick. Reserve for garnish.
2. Cut stalks and all remaining asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces.
3. 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.
4. While soup simmers, cook reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then drain.
5. 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.
6. Add lemon juice and garnish with asparagus tips.


Makes 4 servings

Fettuccine Alfredo With Asparagus

Fettuccine Alfredo is  a dish enjoyed by everyone at my house.  I like it because it is quick and easy.  The family enjoys the flavor.  Pasta noodles coated in a rich cheesy sauce. I decided to change the recipe a bit and add some fresh asparagus.  I was at the store and found some fresh asparagus which were nice and fresh.

As I stated earlier, this dish is quick and easy.  I started by cooking the pasta according to the package directions.  During the last 4 minutes of cooking, I added my asparagus to the pasta pot.  As my pasta  was cooking, I made the sauce.  A stick of butter with some heavy cream was heated in a saucepan over low heat.  I seasoned the mixture with some salt, white pepper, and a little nutmeg.

Once the pasta and asparagus were cooked, I drained them and tossed them in a large bowl with the sauce and part of the cheese.  Once it was tossed, I added the remaining cheese and tossed again.

The result was a satisfying meal that everyone loved.

Fettuccine Alfredo With Asparagus


Ingredients:
3/4 pound fettuccine noodles
1 pound fresh asparagus, cleaned, trimmed, and cut into1-inch pieces
1 stick butter
1 cup heavy cream
Salt to taste
White pepper to taste
Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese - divided

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions.  During the last 4-5 minutes of cooking add the asparagus.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat.  Add the cream and warm through.    Season with salt, white pepper, and nutmeg.
3. Place 1 cup  of the Parmesan cheese in a large bowl.  Pour the warm cream mixture on top.
4. Drain the pasta and asparagus and pour over the top of the cheese and cream.  Toss to coat the pasta well.
5. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and toss to combine.  Serve.

Makes 6 servings