*I found this prepared post deep in my drafts. It may not be spring and there is certainly no white asparagus available at the moment, but I still wanted to share a simple, elegant, delicious recipe. I hope you all have had a wonderful start to your work week.
I love Italian and Indian food, both of which are very vegetarian friendly.
In the land of sausages and salami however, being a vegetarian doesn’t make traditional food very accessible.
I sometimes feel a bit guilty for refusing to eat the food that is so important to the German culture.
Luckily, there are a few traditional German dishes that I adore, in all their meat-free ways.
This simple, spring soup is one of my favorite traditional dishes, spargelcremesuppe or cream of asparagus soup.
Using the white asparagus from my CSA box, this recipe was not only traditional, but local, too.
White Asparagus Soup
Adapted from this recipe
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 Tablespoons butter
1- 1 1/2 pounds white asparagus, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces, heads reserved
2 small potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
Dry white wine, to taste
Parsley for garnish
Method
- Peel the asparagus from the head down. Remove the heads and reserve for later. Cut off and dispose the woody ends of the asparagus then cut the remaining asparagus into small pieces.
- In a large saucepan, sauté the onion in the butter until soft. Add the pieces of asparagus (minus the heads) and the potatoes, steam for 5 minutes. Add the broth and boil gently for about 30 minutes, or until the asparagus is very soft.
- Purée the soup using a hand blender.
- Bring the soup to a simmer and add the reserved asparagus heads. Cook at least 5 minutes, or until they are fork-tender. Remove from heat and add the cream.
- Taste and add salt and freshly ground pepper as needed. Stir in a splash or two of white wine or vermouth. Garnish with parsley.
Eating Abroad
