Cream of Asparagus Soup (v)

Ingredients

• 2 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed, divided
• 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 C sweet onion
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 2 C vegetable broth broth
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground pepper
• 1½ tbs chopped fresh tarragon
• ½ C heavy cream

Directions

1. Prep Asparagus: Using a vegetable peeler, shave 5 asparagus spears lengthwise into very thin strips. Place strips in a small bowl, cover with ice water, and set aside. Cut remaining asparagus into 1" pieces.
2. Cook Base: Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook ~5 minutes, stirring often, until softened.
3. Add Asparagus: Stir in asparagus pieces and garlic. Cook ~1 minute, stirring, until asparagus is bright green and garlic is fragrant.
4. Simmer: Add broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook ~12 minutes, undisturbed, until asparagus is tender.
5. Finish Flavor: Remove from heat and stir in tarragon.
6. Blend: Transfer soup to a blender, venting the lid and covering with a towel. Blend ~1 minute until smooth. Alternatively, use an immersion blender in the pot.
7. Add Cream: Return soup to the pot, stir in cream, and warm through.
8. Serve: Ladle into 4 bowls. Garnish with a swirl of cream if desired and the reserved asparagus ribbons.

Chef's Notes

• This is a vegetarian recipe. Omit the cream to make it fully vegan.

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