Recipes to Love - Creamy Asparagus Soup

This is one of my favorite soup recipes ever. It was a hit at a party I had last year, plus my father-in-law loves it. I recommend it for year around consumption and enjoyment.


Creamy Asparagus Soup

Makes 1 ½ quarts

Olive Oil or Unsalted Butter ½ cup
Onion, diced 2 cups
Celery, diced 1 cup
Flour ¼ cup
Asparagus, cut into ½ inch pieces, 2 bunches
(Reserve the tips)
Chicken Broth or Water 1 quart
Heavy Cream 1 cup
Dry White Wine 2 Tablespoon (optional)
Salt, as needed


Method:
In a 3-quart pot, heat olive oil. Add in Onion, Celery and Asparagus stems, cover pot and allow vegetable to cook over low heat until soft.
Stir in the flour, cook for 5 to 8 minutes
Gradually add in the chicken stock, whisking or stirring to work out any lumps.
Bring soup to a boil, lower heat to a simmer and allow soup to cook until smooth, usually 30 to 45 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent burning.
You can now puree and strain the soup or you can just strain through a fine sieve into another pot, pushing out as much liquid as you can from the vegetables.
Add in the Heavy Cream and White wine; Season with Salt
Garnish Soup with Asparagus tips, (cooked in salted boiling water just until tender and then quickly cooled in ice water), diced ham & Swiss cheese.