Adapted from White Asparagus and Green Garlic Soup
Makes Eight 2-cup servings
Note: all ingredients used are organic, and the stock suggestion assumes this as I suggest you put in a whole onion, carrots and celery, skin ends and all.. if not using organic, do peel things to get the chemicals off. All items used were rinsed to remove organic pesticides. Also.. this can be an expensive dish, or inexpensive.. I'd suggest a visit to a farmer's market because these ingredients are in season now. This soup cost about $10 to make because all the growers arw selling organic spring veggies so inexpensively.
* 2 lbs green asparagus
* 4 medium sized green garlic stalks, washed thoroughly and roughly chopped out as far as is fresh on the stems
* 3 smaller or 1 giant leek, washed and thinly sliced, out through the fresh part of the green
* 4 ounces whole butter
* 2 T olive oil
* 1 cup white wine
* 6 cups clear chicken stock (i made my own with a whole chicken carcass, green garlic ends from several bunches, 1 whole onion cut up with skin and ends, 2 carrots, 2 ribs celery, pepper corns, bay leaves and 5 Q water.. then simmer for 4 hours, and pull out 6 cups for this soup, minus the fat which I skimmed off -- or your can just buy broth at the store, either chicken or veggie)
* 2 cups heavy cream
* Finely chopped chives, about a 1/4 cup
* Salt and pepper to taste
* Optional: lemon oil
Sautè green garlic in butter and oil. Add leeks and continue cooking, until translucent. Be careful not to brown ingredients. Season lightly with salt and pepper (and remember that adding stock later, if it has salt, means you should add less now). Chop asparagus into 1/2 inch lengths, reserving about 12 tips for garnish. Meanwhile, add white wine to the leeks and garlic and reduce liquid significantly. Then add asparagus and saute for a couple of minutes. Then add stock. Simmer until all ingredients are tender, about 30 minutes. Add heavy cream, simmer for 10 more minutes. Purée soup (in batches if necessary). Return to saucepan.
You can leave the soup at this point, for a while on the stove to sit before dinner or all day in the fridge if you want to make it ahead of time. When ready to serve, heat the soup back to a light simmer, stirring frequently, and add asparagus tips sliced in half the long way. Check seasoning, add salt if necessary. When asparagus tips are tender, pour soup into bowl and garnish with chopped chives and a few dots of lemon oil.
