Asparagus Soup Delights

Soups are the best way to shed weight and gain nutrition and the Asparagus is one vegetable which just make any dish extra tasty which is also very rich in Vitamin A, C and B6. Here are a few healthy and tasty soup recipes for you.

Asparagus Cream Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of fresh asparagus ends, cut into 1/2 pieces.
• 4 cups chicken broth/vegetable broth cubes
• 1 large red onion 
• 1 small minced garlic clove
• 1 cup milk/heavy cream
• 3 to 4 tablespoons butter/margarine/olive oil
• 3 to 4 tablespoons flour
• 2.5 cup water 
• 1 tsp salt and pepper

Method:

Take a heavy bottom pan, add oil or butter or margarine and then sauté the onions till it turn slightly golden. Add the asparagus and flour making a roux and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Do not brown.

Add the chicken or vegetable broth. Add cream and season with salt and pepper and then cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes till the asparagus becomes tender.

Allow it to cool down and then blend it into a smooth paste .

Then add the milk and heat it a bit so that it just begins to boil. Remove from the stove and serve hot with a roasted bun or bread.  

Pumpkin, Leek & Asparagus Soup (Vegetarian)

Ingredients:

•  bunch of tender asparagus
• One leek stalk, chopped into rings
• Vegetable stalk
• 1 cup of chopped pumpkin
• Chopped onion
• Chopped garlic
• Salt, pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil/ butter
• Single cream
• Mint leaves

Method:

Slightly heat the olive oil or butter in a soup pot and add the minced garlic and onion to it. Toss it for some time and then add the chopped leek.

Now chop the asparagus and keep aside their tender spears. Throw in the chopped asparagus (not the spears) and the chopped pumpkin into the soup pot.

Sauté the vegetables for a while and then add in the vegetable stalk. Cover and cook till the vegetables are soft. Let it cool and then blend it.

Now heat it again with some more of the vegetable stalk and throw in the asparagus spears.

Simmer for 5 minutes. Add butter, salt, pepper and garnish with mint leaves and single cream. Serve hot with soup sticks.

Asparagus, Leek & Chicken Soup

Ingredients (for 4):

• 200gm fresh asparagus stalk, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 3 medium leeks (white part only), chopped
• 4 cups chicken white stock/ chicken broth
• 1/2 cup Cream / milk or fat free condensed milk
• 2 cups diced peeled potatoes
• 50gm onion 
• 50gm celery 
• 3 tablespoons butter/stick margarine
• 50g flour 
• 150gm tin of asparagus 
• 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
• 1 tsp Salt, white pepper

Directions:

In a large saucepan, sauté the leeks in butter or margarine. Add broth, asparagus, potatoes and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Gently sweat the sliced onions & celery without colouring in the butter. Remove from the heat. In a blender, mix in the flour and process the ingredients until smooth.

Return to a clean pan, reboil on low heat and cook out without colouring for a few minutes and let it cool.

Gradually add the hot stock to the boil. Add the well-washed trimmings or the tin of asparagus, milk and season with salt.

Simmer over low heat for 30-40 minutes until heated through. Sprinkle with cream, parsley. Serve with paratha, roti or sandwich bread topped with herb cream cheese, chicken, tomato, and fresh basil or parsley.

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