Ah, Spargelzeit – my favourite time of the year! I have always been fond of Germany’s passion for all things seasonal and the fact that you can only find some produce when in season. Every year I am happy to see asparagus in the supermarkets and at local markets not just because it offically puts an end to the long, cold winter but it is the start of spring and the weather is warming up.
It is the white asparagus that they go crazy for over here in Germany. And what better way to kick off this spring seasonal treat than with a German classic – asparagus soup! I was in the Prater restaurant the other day and bowls of the white asparagus soup were in huge demand.
I have many favourite asparagus recipes that include asparagus wrapped in ham with a hollandaise sauce but I always start the season off with cooking up a big bowl of the soup! I add some cream to give this a smooth texture and add plenty of fresh parsley. Serve with some crusty fresh bread and enjoy!
- 500g white asparagus
- 1 onion (peeled and finely chopped)
- 50g butter
- 800ml hot vegetable stock
- 70ml single cream
- Dash of white wine
- Small bunch fresh parsley
- Black pepper
- Heat the butter in a large/ deep saucepan and add the onions. Cook on a gentle heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Peel the asparagus and chop into smaller pieces. Keep the tips to one side for later.
- Add the chopped asparagus to the pan. Pour in the stock and leave to gently boil for around 25 minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat and blitz the asparagus in a blender until smooth. Transfer back to the pan and on a low heat stir in the cream, white wine and black pepper. Add the tips of the asparagus to the pan and bring to a gentle boil for around 5 minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat. Stir in fresh parsley and serve up.
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