White asparagus is hard to find fresh in the US, so I substituted green asparagus, which has a similar flavor profile. The lemon and fresh dill bring out the wonderful asparagus aroma and make this starter soup something special.
Makes 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. asparagus, white or green (or both)
- 1 quart vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 tsp. butter
- 3/4 lb. potatoes, about 3 small (use new potatoes if you can find them)
- 1/2 cup cream
- 4 oz. smoked salmon
- 1-2 T. fresh dill, chopped
- 1-2 tsp. lemon juice
- Fresh ground pepper
- Salt (optional)
Preparation:
You must prepare white asparagus differently than green asparagus. Here is a short overview:
Green asparagus: Cut the ends off about halfway up and chop the bottom, tough half into small pieces. Reserve the heads and chop the rest into 1 inch lengths. Keep separate from the bottom pieces.
White asparagus: Peel and save the peelings. Cut the ends off about 1 inch from bottom. Reserve heads and cut rest of asparagus into 1 inch pieces. See also longer article on preparing white asparagus. Also, in Germany you may find broken, white asparagus to buy which can be used for this soup and is a little cheaper than whole asparagus. It will take more time to peel, though.
Put the peelings and the chopped ends from the lower half of the asparagus into the broth with the butter and let it steep for 1/2 hour. Strain the broth and discard the asparagus peelings.
Cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch chunks, add to the strained broth and cook until very soft, about 20 minutes. Puree the potato broth mixture, strain through a sieve if necessary, and add the cream. Simmer, but do not boil hard.
Add remaining asparagus pieces and simmer for 12 minutes, or until asparagus is soft. Stir often.
Add the smoked salmon, chopped small, reserving 1/4 for garnish. Stir in the chopped dill.
Season to taste with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Garnish with reserved salmon.
Serve immediately.
Note: You may cut some time off this recipe by not boiling the peels and tough ends of asparagus in the broth, but it does add some aroma.
