Spring. Cherry blossoms. Daffodils. Tulips. Yet when spring cooking time arrives, there is one green vegetable that always comes first to mind. Asparagus.

Roasted, blenched, soup, cream, with chicken, with rice, green, white, the possibilities are endless for this delicate, flavorful vegetable. If you did not cook with it yet this season, try this simple, fast and tasty cream-less cream of asparagus.

Cream-less Cream of Asparagus Soup

An easy cream-less cream of asparagus that brings the essence of spring to the table.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings 4

Ingredients

3 cups water or vegetable stock
2 bunches asparagus
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 yellow onion chopped
1 clove garlic minced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
½ cup dry white wine
Salt and Pepper to taste
Dash of Nutmeg
Zest of ½ lemon

Instructions

Prep Asparagus:

Bring the water (or stock) to a boil in a medium pot.
Blench the asparagus. Cook in the boiling water, and once the color changes to bright green, take out of the water and immediately immerse in ice water. Avoid overcooking to maintain the bright green color of the asparagus.
Cut 1½” off the top of the asparagus stems and keep for garnish.

Prep the soup:

In a different pot, melt butter over medium heat.
Add chopped onion and saute till translucent.
Add garlic and thyme and stir for a few seconds.
Add white wine, bring to a boil, and cook the wine down a bit.
Add 1½ cups of the asparagus cooking water and bring to a boil.

Combine:

Using a Vitamix or food processor puree the blenched asparagus with the hot liquid and salt, pepper, nutmeg. Add more liquid, if desired, till desired consistency is achieved.
Serve warm, room temperature or cold, garnished with the asparagus tips, lemon zest and fresh thyme. Drizzle a little thyme or basil infused olive oil for an even more artistic effect.

Notes

If you would like the soup even thicker feel free to add some peeled, chopped potatoes when adding the white wine, and boil till potatoes are soft. Continue as described above.
If using a food processor, filter the soup through a sieve to keep the woody part of the asparagus out of the finished product

To read more about asparagus try links: Wikipedia, USDA, Self Nutrition Data