Fresh Lemon Asparagus Soup will make you happy... worked for me.

When professional chefs make soup, there are several steps. Fancy soup is judged by how uniformly cut all the vegetables are, and is expected to be strained through a china cap. So I feel like I'm showing my amateur status by posting this as a soup*. See, I could have strained this soup into a fine light broth, but then it would lose a lot of the actual asparagus... and isn't that really the star of asparagus soup? I thought about calling it a chowder, but that didn't sing to me. Also, this soup has shallots, which are my new favorite member of the onion family. Gotta love those shallots.

So soup it is. And what a soup! Good news - there's still a lot of great asparagus available at the stores these days to make this soup, and who can say they really enjoyed spring without enjoying this soup? Not you - because here it is!




Fresh Lemon Asparagus Soup

• 1 Pound Fresh Asparagus
• 2 Medium Shallots (sliced)
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Can Cannellini Beans (drained and rinsed)
• 2 Cups Better Than Bouillon - Vegan Chicken (made per instructions on the package)
• 3 Stalks Celery (diced)
• 1 Can Artichoke Hearts
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Braggs
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Thyme Leaves
• 1/2 Cup White Wine or Apple Juice
• 2 teaspoon Lemon Zest
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
• Shredded Smoked Cheddar Sheese to sprinkle over the top

Saute Asparagus and Shallots in Olive Oil.

Pretty.

Once your Asparagus and Shallots are tender, set a few spears of Asparagus aside to garnish your soup. Then put them in a food processor or blender with as much Olive Oil as you can. Blend until smooth. Then add Cannellini Beans and blend until smooth. It should take about a minute and half.

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat Bouillon, Celery, Artichoke Hearts and White Wine on a medium heat. Once it begins to boil, add the Asparagus blend. Stir the Asparagus blend into your soup and then add Cumin, Onion Powder, Black Pepper, Braggs and Fresh Thyme. Then cover and let simmer for 5 minutes on a low heat. Stir your soup occasionally.

Then remove it from heat and stir in Lemon Zest and Lemon Juice. Serve hot with Sheese and Asparagus Tips on top.

Don't forget the to get some good bread... you'll want to clean your bowl.


* At least I still qualify for the Soup Olympics**.
** UM - SOUP OLYMPICS IS A GREAT IDEA. I might make that happen. More about that later. Seriously.