Description
No waste recipe: use all the asparagus spears and the entire leek in this Whole Asparagus Leek Soup.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound asparagus spears
- 1 leek
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2/3 cup white wine
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup kefir or buttermilk
- Juice and zest from 1/2 of a lemon
- 1/2 cup shaved Asiago cheese
Instructions
- Bend each asparagus spear until it breaks. Finely chopped the woody ends and then chop the spears (keep separate.)
- Cut leek in half lengthwise. Clean thoroughly with water (to remove sandy grit.) Finally chopped the tough, dark green ends and then slice the tender, light green and white ends (keep separate.)
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the chopped woody stems and the chopped, dark green leeks. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the remaining asparagus and leeks, cover with lid and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Mix in flour, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper, cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in wine and vegetable broth, bring to a boil.
- Lower to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off heat.
- With an immersion blender, puree the soup. (If using a regular blender, pour pureed soup back into pot.)
- Slowly mix in kefir or buttermilk, turn heat back to low and warm for 5 minutes.
- Before serving, mix in lemon zest and juice. Served with shaved cheese on top.