Here is a fresh and easy asparagus soup that makes delicious use of our seasonal asparagus. The base is just onions, a little garlic, lots of chopped asparagus, broth (either chicken or veg), and chopped fresh parsley. We blanch the pretty asparagus tips separately so we can add them at the end as a pretty garnish to the puréed soup. You can blanch the tips while the soup is cooking, so there’s no added time. We are stirring in cream (I like to use sour cream), but if you are traveling light, you can skip it. A little cream stirred in at the end helps give the soup a creamy texture. What really gives the soup that special something is the addition of a little vermouth at the end. Sometimes it’s hard to find in the market, but if you have some, use it! Make sure to use heavy cream or full-fat sour cream, or the soup may curdle. Cooking light? Skip the cream all together. The vermouth really makes this soup shine. If you don’t have any, try adding a 1/4 cup of white wine to the pot after you sauté the onions and garlic. Let it bubble up and reduce by half before adding the asparagus. Otherwise skip. Add the garlic (or green garlic) and cook a minute more. Drain. Rinse with cool water to stop the cooking. Set aside. For a creamy texture, if you want, press the puréed soup through a sieve or food mill. Garnish with asparagus tips.
