Spring Asparagus and Potato Soup

My daughter and I reached a watershed moment in our relationship about a month ago. Instead of her asking me for cooking advice, she actually shared a couple of very nice recipes with me. Kinda of silly I know, but there you are. Anyway, one of the recipes was for asparagus and potato soup. She makes hers from asparagus she cuts from the patch she and my son-in-law planted. I had to make due with a purchased bunch of spears.

If you grew up in the country you probably knew someone who either maintained a patch or two of asparagus or else they trampled the ditch banks in search of wild spears to cut. We had a neighbor who did both and we looked forward to the gift of asparagus on a regular basis throughout the Spring. This soup reminds me of being shown how to look for the tips popping through ground and how to make note of the fronds later in the season for future harvest.

I’m not an asparagus stalker, it’s too easy to purchase from a market. However, my sister sometimes goes searching with a friend of hers.

This is an easy soup to make. It’s basically broth flavored with onion and asparagus with a chopped potato to give it a little body. I liked that there is a minimal amount of potato so the soup remains a soup instead of crossing the line into a chowder. You’re free to use any type of broth you like. We used a chicken base for ours since I was out of vegetable broth. You might prefer to keep it vegan. Either way, a squeeze of lemon at the end adds a boost of flavor.

Trim your asparagus by grasping the individual spears by the tip and the cut end and bending them. They will break at the woody part, which isn’t used for the soup. Cut the stalks into one inch pieces and keep the tips separate. You’ll add them near the end so they don’t get overcooked.

Spring Asparagus and Potato Soup

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Servings: 0

Author: LydiaF

Ingredients

• 1 pound of asparagus spears trimmed and cut into one inch pieces, tips reserved
• 1 large potato peels and cut into small cubes (the potato should be about 2 fists in size)
• 1 medium onion peeled and cut into wedges
• 1 quart 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• olive oil or butter for saute optional
• salt pepper and garlic powder to taste
• zest and juice of a small lemon
• freshly grated parmesan cheese optional but recommended in the original recipe

Instructions

• Saute or steam/saute the onions in the bottom of a 2 or 3 quart saucepan
• When softened, add the chopped asparagus spears, potatoes and broth.
• Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the potatoes and asparagus are cooked through,
• Carefully use a stick blender to puree the vegetables to form a smooth broth.
• Add the lemon juice and adjust the seasonings to taste.
• Add the tips to the soup and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Keep back a couple tips to use for garnish as shown in the photos.
• To serve, ladle the soup into large bowls and float a cut tip in the center of the soup. Garnish as desired.

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We had our asparagus and potato soup for two lunches. The first day with sandwiches and the second with a simple salad. It was delicious both days.