ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH MORELS AND PARMESAN

 

The British asparagus season is one of the highlights of the foodie calendar. The first spears appear at the end of April and with the season lasting just 8 weeks.

Asparagus not only tastes great but it’s also very good for you, it’s a bit of a super food low in calories and cholesterol. It’s also claimed to be an aphrodisiac which traditionally eaten with the fingers makes it also a seductive eating experience.

Simply cooked in salted boiling water for a few minutes and served warm with a little melted butter poured over the spears is one of the best ways to enjoy asparagus.

This week’s recipe gives you an alternative way to cook asparagus it’s a very simple soup to make and is served with morel mushrooms another seasonal ingredient that you can find fresh in good delicatessens or also in dry form as well.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

400g Fresh green asparagus spears

75g unsalted butter

500ml good quality chicken stock

150ml double cream

150g fresh morels

50g freshly grated parmesan cheese

Salt to season

Method:

 

  1. With a chopping knife cut away and discard the last 3-4cm of the asparagus spears
  2. Gather into small bunches and finely slice the asparagus (as if they were a bunch of chives)
  3. Bring the chicken stock to the boil
  4. Warm a large pot and melt the butter, add the asparagus and stir over a medium heat until it starts to soften  be careful not to colour the asparagus while cooking it
  5. Add the boiling chicken stock and cook for 4-5 minutes then stir in the double cream add a good pinch of salt then transfer into a liquidizer and blend until smooth.
  6. Check the seasoning
  7. Cut & discard the stems from the morels, place them in a bowl of cold water and gently wash them to remove any sand from the inside. Change the water and repeat the process. Place the morels on a towel and leave them to dry.

To Serve:

Method:

 

Warm the soup being careful not to boil it. Melt a knob of unsalted butter in a sauté pan add the morels and sauté them until they are cooked season with a little salt.

Pour the soup into bowls add the morels on top and with a little grated parmesan over them.

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