Asparagus Soup with Blue Cheese Crumbles
from Cookbook Authors Fran McCullough & Molly StevensServes 4
This buttery soup really shines when you make it with local asparagus in spring. The bright green of the soup means you haven’t overcooked it, and it still has all its delicate flavor. The blue cheese crumbles are a surprise that melts into the soup and takes it to another level. Because the source of the recipe is a cheese company, they recommend using their own very good Original Blue cheese, which can often be found nationwide. If you can’t find it, look for Maytag Blue - you don’t want a really strong blue cheese here.
INGREDIENTS:
½ cup Unsalted butter
1large Onion, sliced
1 large Leek, both green and white parts, thinly sliced
½ lb Potatoes, peeled and cubed
6 cups Low-salt chicken broth
1 ½ lbs Asparagus, chopped, woody ends snapped off first
Salt and pepper
2/3 cup (4 ounces) mild blue cheese, crumbled
PREPARATION:
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 1-2 minutes. Add the leek and continue cooking until the onion is soft.
Add the potato cubes and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender. Add the asparagus and cook until it’s just tender but still bright green, about 4-5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and puree to a smooth texture in a food processor. Return the soup to a saucepan and heat gently. Season to taste.
To serve, pour into warm bowls and top with blue cheese crumbles.
Notes from our test kitchen
-- Puree the soup right in the pot using an immersion blender and save yourself cleaning the food processor.
-- If you cook the soup too long, it will change color dramatically, to a sort of dull olive khaki, and it will taste like canned asparagus. If you have leftovers, be careful when reheating them.
Recipe from The Best American Recipes 2004-2005 (Houghton Mifflin), edited by Fran McCullough and Molly Stevens.