Simple Asparagus & Leek Soup
The evenings are still quite chilly here at the farm so a bowl of warm soup is perfect this time of the year. I love the simplicity of this recipe. It calls for very few ingredients but packs a ton of fresh and vibrant flavor. This is the kind of quick weeknight meal that really hits the spot after a solid 12 hour day in the fields. We served our soup with some crusty bread and a few glasses of white wine and it was the perfect farm fresh dinner.
And hey, local folks! This coming Saturday (May 5th) Taylor and I will be at the first Hood River Farmers Market of the 2018 season. We’ll be slinging spring veggies in the Full Sail Brewery parking lot along with many other meat, cheese, veggie and craft venders. So come on down, grab your weekly groceries, pick up a pint of beer and say hi!
Cheers to the spring harvest!
Simple Asparagus & Leek Soup
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Serves: 4
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large leeks, finely chopped (white and pale green parts) about 2 cups worth
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 bunches of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces (about 2 pounds)
- 5 cups vegetable stock + additional to thin if needed
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup Creme Fraiche (or full fat plain yogurt)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Minced parsley for serving
Preparation
- Melt the butter in a heavy bottom pan over medium heat. Add the chopped leeks and cook, stirring occasionally until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and asparagus and cook for 1 minute longer.
- Add the vegetable stock and a hefty pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the asparagus is tender. About 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer the soup to a high speed blender along with the Creme Fraiche. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Return the soup to the pot, add the lemon juice and keep on low for about 5 minutes to let the flavors meld. Taste for seasonings and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
- Divide between bowls and top with fresh minced parsley.
Notes
*Use this recipe as a guide *Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary
Must be delicious! Thanks so much
I’ve made a similar soup (Silver Palate Cookbook) but always need to put the puree through a food mill AFTER blending. The vegetal matter is just too fibrous and stringy even after blending it to death. Well worth the effort though!
We don’t have any issues with the fiber from the asparagus. So I’ve never put it through a food mill. Feel free to do so if it’s an issue though!
Andrea, That soup is delicious! I tweaked the recipe a bit, and didn’t use cream or yogurt, and it still turned out fantastic!
Really delicious – I’m dairy free so had to omit the crème fraîche, therefore I added an extra 1/4 cup of veg broth. I also love your strawberry salsa!
any thoughts on serving this chilled? i’ve been wanting to make it but we’re having a freak hot spell out here in portland!
Absolutely delicious. Blended using my vitamix and it turned out so silky. Only adjustment i used half and half instead of creme fraiche and added so sriracha for heat.
Yes to straining the soup after it’s blended. I used immersion blender. Added celery stalk chopped w onions and put chopped parsley (one bunch leaves only) and 1T thyme before blending. Cream is good finish just need a little.