Cream of asparagus soup is a great way to use up any woody ends of asparagus spears or any late season asparagus that's a bit too tough to use in side dishes or salads.

It works well with green or white asparagus, so use whatever you can get hold of.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• About 500g asparagus spears
• 1 onion
• 1 knob butter
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 150ml double cream
• 1 clove garlic
• Handful fresh herbs (e.g. chives or parsley), chopped
• 750ml vegetable stock
• Juice of ½ lemon

Method

1. Wash the asparagus spears thoroughly, to make sure any grit has been removed from the flower head at the top.
   
   
2. Peel the onion and chop roughly. Peel and crush the garlic.
   
   
3. Melt the butter in a large pan with the olive oil (this stops the butter burning). Add the onion and garlic and saute gently for 5 minutes.
   
   
4. Chop the asparagus spears into 2 inch chunks and add to the pan. Continue to saute for a further 5 minutes.
   
   
5. Add the stock. Cover the pan and simmer gently for 5-10 minutes, until the asparagus is soft.
   
   
6. Liquidise until smooth. You can sieve the soup, if you want a smoother texture.
   
   
7. Add the lemon juice and the herbs and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Then add the cream and reheat gently before serving.

Time From Cupboard-To-Table

Notes & Variations on Cream Of Asparagus Soup

Experiment with your favourite herbs.

For a thicker soup, add a large potato, chopped into 1cm dice, at the same time as the onions.

Veg Box Recipes Newsletter

This asparagus & parmesan recipe is quick, easy and delicious. The simple ingredients complement each other to make a great asparagus starter or even a light lunch.

Or you can simply serve it as a side dish.

It works best with fresh, in-season asparagus, as this is most tender and has a great flavour.

Out of the UK season, most asparagus is flown in from abroad, so check the country of origin, if air miles are an issue for you.