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June 2004
Spring Asparagus Soup
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This soup can be made year round, but it's best in the spring when asparagus
is in season. You can serve it hot or cold depending on what the weather has
in store for you. A teaspoon of cream in each bowl is optional, but adds a
nice finishing touch, and looks very cool if you swirl the cream to make
marble patterns.
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Tips:
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Leeks can be full of sand, so it's important to wash them thoroughly after chopping them. Fill a large bowl
with cold water, add the chopped leeks and rub them gently with your hands to get the sand off them.
Let the leeks rest for a minute until they float to the top, carefully remove them with a slotted spoon
so as not to disturb the sand on the bottom of the bowl.
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When pureeing the soup, don't fill your blender more than 2/3 of its capacity to avoid overflow during
blending. When pureeing in batches, keep the proportions of asparagus and liquid the same in each batch.
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To make sure you'll end up with the right consistency, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid to thin
the soup if necessary. Taste the soup before removing it from the blender. If it's too thick, add
some of the reserved liquid, and puree some more.
Serves 4 as a first course
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Ingredients
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Directions
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1 large leek
1/2 Tbsp butter
1/2 Tbsp oil
salt to taste
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Chop the white and pale green parts of the leak and wash well.
Heat a large heavy pot over moderate heat. When the pot is hot, add butter
and oil, and wait for butter to melt. Add the leeks, season with salt,
turn down the heat to medium-low. Cook stirring occasionally until leaks
are soft and golden, 6-8 minutes.
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4 cups water
zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
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Add water, lemon zest and juice to the pot. Season with salt. Cover, turn up the heat, and bring
to a boil.
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1 1/2 Lb asparagus
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Remove hard ends from asparagus. When the liquid in the pot is boiling, add
asparagus, cover, and cook on high heat until asparagus can be pierced with
a fork, but is not mushy, about 4 minutes. Do not overcook.
Remove asparagus to a bowl using tongs. Reserve cooking liquid and let cool.
Rinse the asparagus with cold water to stop the cooking process and to keep
asparagus bright green.
Cut 1 inch off the tips of asparagus and reserve for another use
(saute the tips for a great side dish). Cut asparagus stems into 1 inch pieces.
Puree asparagus and cooking liquid in a blender until completely smooth.
Return the soup to the pot. Taste and correct seasoning.
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1 tsp cream per bowl of soup
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To serve:
To serve warm, heat the soup over medium heat stirring occasionally until hot.
To serve chilled, refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Pour hot or chilled soup into bowls. Pour 1 tsp cream in a thin stream
into each bowl, and swirl with a fork.
Note: the soup will keep in the fridge for 3 days.
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