Cream of Asparagus Soup

Did you know that asparagus contains folate which is a cancer fighting food? Some other cancer fighting foods that contain folate are orange juice, spinach, romaine lettuce, dried beans, peas, peanuts and brussel sprouts. Vitamin D, tea, cruciferous vegetables like kale and turnips, ginger and curry are also good food sources. 

I'm not particularly fond of asparagus; however, my husband loves it. I recently made it for him as a side to one of our dinners, but there was still quite a bit left over and with him traveling, it would go to waste. I decided to make this soup using what I had left and not only did he like it, the girls even tried it and liked it as well. I used 2% milk in this recipe, but if you prefer creamier soups, you can substitute heavy cream instead. 

      

Cream of Asparagus Soup
1 c. Cooked Asparagus, chopped
1 tbsp. Butter
1 tbsp. All-Purpose Flour
2 c. Vegetable Broth
1 c. Milk or Heavy Cream, heated
Kosher Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. Cornstarch, if needed
2 tbsp. Cold Water, if needed


Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter then add in the asparagus. 
2. Saute for 2 minutes then add in the flour, forming a roux. 
3. Stir in the vegetable broth and warmed milk, stir and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Use your immersion blender* to blend all of the ingredients together. 
5. If it isn't thick enough for your liking, mix together the cornstarch and cold water; then add it to the mixture and simmer for an additional 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 2. 

*Nutritional Information per Serving (based on using 2% milk): Calories 197, Carbs 23.5g, Fat 8.4g, Protein 7.7g, Fiber 2.3g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate.

Enjoy! 

*Tip #1: If you do not have an immersion blender, simply pour the mixture into a regular blender and puree until smooth. Just be very careful not to fill it too much to the top as it will be extremely hot and you don't want to pop the lid off of your blender.


*Tip #2: To cook the asparagus, first trim the asparagus by cutting off about 1" from the bottom. Rinse under cold water and add to a double boiler. Steam asparagus for approximately 5 minutes so that it has softened but still firm.