asparagus soup

Growing up, eating vegetables could be a little traumatic for me. Especially if they were brussel sprouts. Or lima beans. Lima beans ended up on the floor, or hastily stuffed into a napkin. 

I'm not kidding when I tell you that sometimes, little-girl Esther had to eat last night's unfinished vegetables for breakfast. That's the worst, when everyone is munching on cereal or pancakes and you don't get to enjoy your favorite meal of the day because of some cold unyielding mixed vegetables. 

I'm also not kidding when I tell you that I think my parents are wonderful and that I'm not holding any grudges.

But, those veggie breakfasts might have been avoided if my mom had plunked down a bowl of this soup at dinnertime. I wouldn't have even known I was eating my vegetables. I would've polished it off and probably asked for seconds.

This soup is delicious on its own, but then I topped it with chives, cheese, bacon, and homemade challah bread croutons. Because that's what I do. I take something healthy and fatten it up a bit. 

It was out of this world.

You can serve it with just chives on top for a healthier option. But if you're gonna add one extra thing, may I recommend the croutons? They were SO. good. They almost didn't make it to the soup.

My husband's words:

"Now this is how I like to eat vegetables...

...with bacon!" 

Well yeah.
 

Asparagus Soup

Slightly adapted from here

Serves 4 

1-2 tablespoons butter (depending on preference)
1 large leek, white and light green parts only, cleaned and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cups chicken broth
1 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), woody stems snapped off and discarded, spears cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup sour cream
Sea salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped chives

4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped (optional)

Cheddar cheese, shredded, for topping (optional)

Homemade croutons (optional)
 

Method

Melt butter in a medium pot over medium low heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, add asparagus and simmer gently until potatoes and asparagus are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove pot from heat ad set aside to let cool slightly.

Carefully transfer soup to blender in batches and purée until smooth. (Or use an immersion blender) Return soup to pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, whisk in sour cream and season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with chives and other toppings of choice and serve. 

For the croutons:

Preheat oven to 350.

Cut up bread (I used challah) into rectangles and place baking sheet. (lined with foil, if you like)

Melt about a tablespoon of butter and drizzle it on top, then turn and coat bread in butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for about 10 minutes, checking and turning croutons every few minutes until nice and toasty.