Creamy Asparagus Soup

It's amazing what stress can do to you, isn't it?  I've had a lot of it lately, so cooking gets put on the back burner.  It's weeks like this where I am thankful for my stash of frozen leftovers.  It sure helps with the temptation to hit a fast food drive through on the way home from work (which I resisted).  However, today I had the day off, so I was able to putter around the kitchen.  I made some stewed fruit and a fresh batch of granola this morning, and the "kids" all showed up for chicken fajitas for dinner.  In between, I was feeling a bit peckish so decided to whip this quick soup up for myself.


252.  Creamy Asparagus Soup (Jamie At Home, page 22)


JamieOliver.com recipe link

I actually had to double check my list to be sure I hadn't made this once already!  Strange, as it's so simple and full of things I love.  The only substitution I had to make was green onions for the leeks.  When would asparagus and leeks ever be in season together?  Not that anything is really in season right now anyways.  We are getting another blast of wintery weather this weekend.  Not that I'm complaining, since we've hardly had a winter at all.  Heck, last week I was able to pick a handful of parsley from my outdoor garden!  In February!  Hard to believe.

This soup takes less than 1/2 an hour to make.  It's just onion, celery, and leek sauteed in some olive oil for a few minutes.  Then add chopped asparagus (minus the tips which are saved for later) and some stock.  Simmer for 20 minutes, then puree with an immersion blender.  Season to taste, add the tips back in, and simmer until they are tender.  Jamie suggests serving with toasted ciabatta and a soft boiled egg.  However, I went with a buttermilk scone from the freezer.  A quick and healthy late lunch/early supper for me!