Asparagus Cream Soup

After the sweet indulgences of a dessert and rhubarb cakes, it's time for something savory. Asparagus cream soup is a great way to use this vegetable, and it's also tasty and quick. Delicious croutons complement this delicate soup. You can make the croutons from small pieces of bread, e.g. sandwich bread, or, like I did, from pieces of day-old bread. The best ones, though, are made from slices of bread that still have the crust.

Asparagus cream soup

Directions:

Peel and chop the celery, onion, carrot and garlic, then sauté them in a pot in a little olive oil with a pinch of salt. Wash the asparagus, cut it into pieces, add it to the other vegetables and cook for about 10-15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.

Toss the pieces of bread in olive oil, sprinkle them with Parmesan and bake in the oven until crunchy and golden brown.

Add a little wine to the vegetables and cook until the liquid has reduced by half, then pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook for another 10 minutes, then add the washed spinach leaves. Blend the soup, add the cream and bring to a boil again for a moment. Season to taste and serve with the croutons and a few drops of olive oil.

Enjoy!

Source: "Jamie" 2/2011