cream asparagus soup

Vegetable broth added to stockpot and combined with chopped fresh asparagus, thinly sliced potato, chopped onion and chopped celery. Vegetables are simmered in broth until tender. Soup is pureed in food processor until smooth. Puree is returned to stockpot and combined with unbleached all-purpose flour, whole milk, sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, and dried tarragon. Soup is heated through and served hot.

Ingredients -

2-1/2 cups Vegetable Broth or Stock 1 pound Fresh Asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 Large Baking Potato, thinly sliced 1/2 Medium-Sized Onion, chopped 1/2 cup chopped Celery 2 tablespoon Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 2 cups Whole Milk 1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt 1/4 teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper 1/4 teaspoon Dried Tarragon

Preparation:

1. Bring the broth to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat. 2. Add the onion, celery, asparagus and potato then reduce the heat and cook for 25 to 30 minutes. 3. Pour the soup mixture and the flour into a food processor and purée until smooth. 4. Return the soup to the saucepan, add the remaining ingredients, and simmer until the soup begins to thicken and is heated through. 5. Serve Immediately. Soup Making Tips - Asparagus While most often cooked before being eaten, asparagus can be eaten raw. Sand and dirt can may be lurking on the spears, so it is wise to rinse the spears lightly in cold or warm water and trim off any hard portion of the base that may be inedible. Soup Making Tips - Pureeing When pureeing soup, work in small batches and be very careful with hot liquids. Never overfill your blender or food processor and risk potential danger. One idea is to puree small batches and pour them into a large bowl. When finished, rinse and wipe your stock pot clean, and return the pureed soup to the clean stock pot. Another popular method is to have a second stockpot to receive the soup after each small batch has been pureed.