A roasted asparagus soup with tons of flavor!
I think this recipe is a “make under” in its simplicity.
This soup uses no cream at all, but most people wouldn’t guess. In fact, it has only two ingredients and water, and you can even make it without the onion, a one-ingredient soup that doesn’t skimp on taste! It is extremely flavorful and rich tasting. You use every inch of your vegetables in this; nothing goes to waste!
The only catch is that you must use local asparagus, in season, that day’s picking if possible. Everything is better local, but the degree of better is absolutely amazing.
This will please everyone in the family with dietary requirements as there is no dairy, no gluten, no starchy carbs, no nuts, no soy, no meat, and not very much fat.
This is quick, easy, and delicious!
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and place your roasting pan or cooking sheet in to heat up along with the oven.
Rinse and dry:
* Two bunches of local asparagus
Remove only the toughest ends of the largest spears.
Slice in half from pole to pole:
*One medium sweet onion
Place the onion peels in a small saucepan, along with those woody ends of asparagus and three cups of water. Bring to a simmer. This is not essential, you can use just water, but why not use these trimmings to extract a little more flavor?
Brush the heated pan with olive oil and add the onion. Roast for 8 minutes.
Rub the asparagus with a little olive oil. When the timer goes off for the onions, turn them over, add the asparagus to the pan, and set your timer for another 8 minutes.
If your asparagus is really large, add another minute; if really small, check at six; or, if a mix, place the largest spears in first and add the smaller ones a few minutes later. Once cooked, set aside to cool. In the meantime, strain the quick asparagus stock you just made.
Reserve a few of the prettiest tips to use for garnish, if you like. Roughly chop the rest of the spears and place in the food process and pulse. With the motor running, drizzle in the stock until you reach the desired consistency. You might not need it all, and you might need to add a little water until you get it where you want it, it is all up to your own preference, and how big the bunches of asparagus were! Taste and add salt and pepper to your own liking.
You can also do this in smaller batches in the blender, or use a hand immersion blender.
To serve, garnish with the asparagus tips, and perhaps a beautiful little pansy fresh from the garden!*
*It is important that you use only organically grown edible flowers. Anything you put on the plate should be edible, and flowers are no exception. Flowers from the mega-stores have been grown with pesticides and herbicides and other chemicals and should not be eaten. If pansies are not growing in your own yard, visit your nearest organic farm stand and pick up a six-pack! Use what you want for the dish, and plant the rest.
