CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

 'No matter how long the winter Spring is sure to follow." Proverb

For me nothing says Spring more than asparagus and rhubarb. After a bit of a hiatus from blogging and having to host a family dinner party on Sunday, I knew that I was going to build a menu around these two ingredients.
The asparagus soup started the meal and the rhubarb pie and a  coffee were the perfect ending to a wonderful meal that was shared between my family and my son's future in-laws.

 There are many great versions of asparagus soup, but I was in particular, looking for a lighter version of a cream of asparagus soup. Came across a few that substituted the cream with yogurt, but in the end decided to go with the basic 'tried and true', version and left the cream as an individual option.

As you can see, the soup , after blending, can stand alone. It was tasty, smooth and velvety even without the addition of the cream. In the end I chose to add the cream as a garnish and swirled it around the asparagus tips. ( not shown in the photos).

The recipe is very basic and quantities will vary accordingly depending on how many people you are serving.
The basis starts with, leeks that are washed and cleaned and sliced, in this case you can use both the white and part of the green stems. Saute these with a sliced onion in some butter and olive oil.
I like to roast the cleaned and sliced  asparagus ( discard woody ends) in the oven with a coating of olive oil salt and pepper. Add everything to either a homemade chicken stock or vegetable stock . I like to include a large diced potato. Simmer until everything is soft, adjust seasoning and then blend when cool in small batches.
 The soup can be made a day ahead,  then reheated before serving. At this point the addition of cream/yogurt can be added for additional richness, garnishes can be shredded cheese, bacon bits, asparagus tips or swirls or dots of extra cream. Enjoy