Soupruary 2nd: Cream of Asparagus

...and already a substitution. The calendar read Tofu & Herb Noodle, but the gorgeous asparagus at the grocery had another idea. It was screaming "use me!" and I couldn't ignore it. A quick visit to Epicurious.com and the rotors were rotorin'.

Location:
Adam's house, Covington?/Fort Mitchell?/Independence?, Kentucky

Attendees:
Adam, Kate, Nick, Me

Menu:

Crème d'asperges au parmesan (because it sounds fancier in French)

Pan-seared tilapia with a lemon chili composite butter

Mixed greens

Entertainment:

Chuck in 3D! Except not in 3D because we didn't have glasses. No Zachary Levi upclose and personal for us.

Nick's dog, Isabel. Dumb but almost cute. … Almost.

The Soup:

Reactions from the table included "silky," "yummy," "asparagus-y" (with the alternate version–"pee smelly-y"–generously offered by Adam), and "coma-inducing." It was smooth and rich, and definitely works better as a side or appetizer soup than as a main course. It was also very easy, which reminded me of the option of having soup as an appetizer even when it's not Soupruary and you're not at a restaurant (I'm not sure why this was such a revelation to me, but it was). Soup! It's what's for pre-dinner!

Adapted from Epicurious.com

2 pounds green asparagus (tough, woody ends snapped off)

1/2 of a yellow onion, chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Freshly-grated parmesan

Cut off the tips (about an 1.5 inches) of 12 spears and reserve for garnish. Break the rest of the asparagus into pieces of about 1.5 inches each.

In your soup pot over medium-low heat, saute the onion in the butter until soft. Add the asparagus and season with salt and pepper, then continue to saute for 5 minutes. Add your broth, cover your pot and let it simmer till the asparagus is tender, about 20 minutes.

In a separate pot of salted boiling water, boil your reserved asparagus tips for 3 minutes until just tender and drain.

Remove the soup from heat and puree using an immersion blender (or a regular blender in batches if you're brave enough to maybejustmaybe get asparagus all over your kitchen). Add the cream and lemon juice, taste for seasoning, and serve, throwing a few asparagus tips and some parmesan on each serving.