You can prepare this up to where you thicken the milk. Reheat the soup while you are preparing the thickened milk. If you want this to look a little "greener", stir a bit of green food color into the sour cream or even into the soup.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh asparagus
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 4 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
- 1/2 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 quart chicken stock, homemade or substitute Swanson's chicken broth
- Generous grind of black pepper
- 2 small garlic cloves, mashed
- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
Directions
Clean asparagus; cut off tips and break off ends. Reserve ends. Blanch tips in boiling water about 2 minutes, then plunge into ice water; drain, set aside. Reserve stalks. In large skillet, saute onion in 2 tablespoons butter. Add carrots and celery; saute for 2 minutes. Add asparagus stalks; saute 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup chicken stock; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Puree mixture in blender. Heat remaining chicken stock in large pot; add asparagus ends, pepper, garlic, tarragon, and salt. Simmer for 30 minutes. Strain liquid, discarding solids. Stir pureed mixture into liquid. Melt remaining butter in a saucepan; stir in flour. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Gradually stir in milk; stir until thick and smooth. Stir in soup mixture; simmer, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add reserved asparagus tips; heat through. Top each serving with a dollop of sour cream
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Submitted 6/13/05.
Source: My Files
Submitted By: Joy Bowers
joybow@mtaonline.net
Fresh Asparagus Soup