Asparagus Soup with Lemon and Parmesan

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This asparagus soup tastes rich, yet it's made without heavy cream - just veggies, broth, and a bit of Parmesan cheese puréed to silky perfection.

Serves

6

Servings

4

Vegetarian
Soup
Comfort Food

Ingredients

  • 2 bunches asparagus bottom ends trimmed
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 medium yellow onions chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • salt
  • black pepper freshly ground
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed from one lemon
  • 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano shredded
  • fresh herbs such as thyme, dill or basil (optional, for garnish)

Preparation

  1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Do not brown; reduce the heat if necessary.
  2. In the meantime, cut the tips off of one bunch of the asparagus and set aside (you'll use those for a garnish). Cut the remaining spears and the other bunch of asparagus into ½-inch pieces.
  3. Add the chopped asparagus to the pot (minus the reserved tips), along with the chicken broth, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender.
  4. Meanwhile, bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the reserved asparagus tips for a few minutes, or until tender-crisp. Drain the tips and then place them in a bowl of ice water to 'shock' them -- this stops the cooking process and preserves their bright green color. Once the tips are cool, drain them and set aside.
  5. Purée the soup with an immersion blender until completely smooth. (Alternatively, use a standard blender to purée the soup in batches.)