Asparagus Soup

			From: Mkingston9@aol.com Subject: Asparagus Soup Date: May 10, 2004 11:57:40 AM EDT To: aroundthekitchen@aroundthekitchen.info Reply-To: aroundthekitchen@aroundthekitchen.info Sorry, ATK friends, I had sent this two different times to the wrong address (my fault for being out of the loop so long), then left town for a bit. Receipe and sentiments still stand. --------- Thank you Cathie and Tom for a great Spring season kick-off. It could not have been a more perfect day for the asparagus fest and your garden was a lovely setting. Here is the recipe for the New England style asparagus soup. ASPARAGUS AND WILD RICE SOUP WITH PECAN GARNISH From Jason White’s “Cooking in New England” (with a nod to Georgia and Minnesota) 2 lbs. asparagus 2 medium onions cut in medium dice (2 cups) 2 tbl unsalted butter 1 cup wild rice 4 cups chicken stock 1 cup heavy cream salt and ground pepper juice of ½ lemon (I used 2 small lemons-I like that flavor) Cut tips of asparagus 1 ½ inches from top and set aside for garnish. Roughly chop stalks. Sweat onions in butter in soup pot. Add half the wild rice and the chicken stock. Simmer for 30 minutes, then add the stalks. Simmer for 30 minutes more ( I simmered for only 20 minutes). SEPARATELY simmer the remaining ½ cup wild rice for about 40 minutes. Drain and set aside as a garnish. Prepare garnishes: asparagus tips, the wild rice and toasted pecans. Cut asparagus tips into ½ inch pieces and blanch. Shock in cold water. For Toasted pecans 1 tbl unsalted butter ½ cup coarsely chopped pecans 1 tsp. sugar salt Preheat oven to 350, sauté pecans, butter, sugar and salt and toss. Then toast on sheetpan in oven for 8 - 10 minutes. After soup has cooked, puree and pass though strainer. Bring soup to a boil and add asparagus, and wild rice garnishes. Add the heavy cream; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and lemon juice. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with the toasted pecans. Comments I used a whole chicken to make the stock and I don’t think it was too “chickeny” but some might want to use just chicken bones, or vegetable stock. Also I used plenty of fresh bay leaves and thyme in the stock. Somehow I managed to use too many pots to make this dish so would like to streamline that in the future. But tasted good.