It's the last Wishful Dish of the season, and I'm looking forward to fall! When it gets chilly outside, I love to warm up with a delicious bowl of soup. The best part is you can control your ingredients and the amount of sodium when you make it yourself. So, for the Friday Night Meal this week, we have new crab and shrimp cakes from The Great Gourmet. Asparagus and seafood go so beautifully together, and recently I enjoyed a crab cake at a party that was paired with an asparagus soup. It was a wonderful combination! Now, if you are not so sure about asparagus, rest assured that this soup is subtle and creamy, with a pop of freshness from the lemon juice. My suggestion is to get a very affordable immersion blender, because it makes preparing all soups at home so much easier. I hope you enjoy it!
Asparagus Soup
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds of asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
6 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 pint sour cream, room temperature
1/4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Directions:
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, and sauté for about 4 minutes. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute more. Add asparagus and sauté for another 4 minutes. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, until the asparagus is very tender. If you have an immersion blender, add the sour cream and lemon juice and blend in the saucepan until smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, very carefully transfer the mixture into a blender (in batches, if necessary), and purée it until it's smooth. Since the liquid will be hot, let it cool for a couple of minutes before blending, and make sure the pitcher is only filled about halfway for each batch. It's creamy, delicious, and satisfying!
Tip: I always love to cook in a way to get the kids involved. This is a perfect opportunity to have the kids help with the asparagus. The woody ends need to be removed, and every stalk is different. After rinsing them clean, just have the kids take each piece, and gently break the end off. It will naturally break in the right spot for each piece, and we don't need any knives for that part!
For the blending, you can use your Vitamix, Ninja, or another blender. But for soups, I truly love the immersion blender, because it makes them effortless. You will find that you reach for it over and over again!
I also have something brand new from Cheryl's that will get its only presentation at the Featured Price in my show. It's all Special Offers for the season finale, so please join me on Monday at 5pm!
-Sharon