Cream of Asparagus Soup

I have a friend who doesn’t like cooking, she likes to enjoy good food but never thinks of preparing anything herself. When I asked her the reason, she said, “Oh I am quite horrible at it, tried a couple of times it didn’t work.” In situations like this I always get very interested to know what went wrong and do you know the answer? Readymade food. Yes, she refuses to cook because everything is already available in the market in fresh, packed and processed form. 

Life has become really easy these days with the exploding market of convenient food options. Craving for a salad? No need to buy a head of lettuce, you can just pick up a readymade salad from a grocery shop. Why grill a burger when it is already available at a nice restaurant? Why buy spices, utensils and cooking gadgets when anything you want to eat can be found readymade. Let me tell you, if you are reading this article you want to make some changes in your life. I believe there is an inherent foodie and cook in all of us and sooner or later there will come a time in your life when you will actually feel the urge to pick up the spatula and cook something yourself. We have been cooking since the pre-historic times and it’s in our DNA to cook food. You may be too busy to dedicate proper time to cook but once you set your mind to it nothing is impossible. Yes, you may say I am just not one of those people who like cooking, you may not enjoy cooking and may not want to do it everyday. Here you have to understand that cooking means something different to everyone — many people look at it as a source of comfort, for my mom it’s for her family and health; my friends love to cook to entertain; Debarshi cooks to make memories. I find cooking delightful and de-stressing. It fulfills my urge to learn and try something new every day. The moment I step into the kitchen I feel excited. Ideas rush into my mind. What do I want to cook today? Do I have all the ingredients? Which gadget can I use. Should I try a new recipe? Right now you may be miles away from this step but I firmly believe that by trying a few easy and quick recipes you will soon enter into that stage where you will not only enjoy cooking but also work with the leftovers and raw ingredients which are otherwise just sitting in your fridge. Of course even I don’t like cooking everyday. There are days when I just want to sit with a glass of wine and enjoy my favorite TV shows or just want to go out and enjoy a nice meal in a good restaurant. Remember you don’t have to cook everyday but you should know how to do it to avoid any waste. Also, when you are not eating out everyday you can actually choose to go to places where you can have something new.

With this message in mind let me share a delicious soup recipe with you. I learnt this soup only a couple weeks ago when Debarshi and I went for our 5th anniversary celebration. It was an Asparagus soup and what impressed me was the creamy buttery texture and appetizing flavor. Now I am not a huge fan of asparagus and I don’t like having it everyday but Debarshi loves it and we usually get a big pack of it from Costco. Of course it is only a matter of days when it starts going bad. This soup is a life saver! You can make a big batch and store it in your fridge for 2-3 days (in a covered container) and enjoy it whenever you want. It is especially a good option for us because we are on keto diet and this soup has no extra carbs in it but is loaded with all the healthy fats we need. This delicious, creamy soup is made with heavy cream which not only packs in a ton of flavor but also brings a rich consistency in the soup. 

Debarshi loves this Creamy Asparagus Soup, he says it’s pure comfort in a bowl. The preparation is pretty simple too. This recipe has just five ingredients (of course I am not counting the Salt and Black Pepper) and gets ready in 20-25 minutes. You can prepare it on a low heat while cooking your main course and serve it hot. If you want it to cook fast, just chop the asparagus into smaller pieces and don’t forget to trim the ends. Use a good sharp knife because it greatly reduces your efforts and does work more efficiently. You can choose to garnish with Parmesan cheese/ Butter or Heavy cream or a combination of these. 

Well, I wanted to see if this simple recipe can encourage my friend to try cooking because she loves asparagus. I invited her over for a bowl of soup and cooked it right in front of her. Needless to say she was pretty impressed with the quality of flavor created in such a short time. She took the recipe from me and texted me today that she has prepared this soup a couple of times now and is absolutely in love with it. She even said that she is ready to experiment with some more easy recipes which means, I have successfully turned her into a believer. 

Needless to say that by preparing a meal ourselves we can not only manage our budget more efficiently but also create memories, something to share with our friends and family like I created by sharing this recipe with my friend. 

What do you say? Ready to pick up your spatula and create something wonderful? Well, you will need the recipe first so here we go:

Ingredients (Serves 2):

• Butter - 2 tablespoons, unsalted sweet cream
• Salt – to taste (about ¼ teaspoon)
• Garlic - 2 medium cloves, minced
• Chicken Broth - 1 cup, low-sodium
• Heavy Cream - ½ cup 
• Black Pepper – coarsely grounded, ¼ teaspoon
• Asparagus - 6-9, ends trimmed, cut into 1 inch pieces

To garnish:

• Parmesan Cheese – grated, 1-2 teaspoons
• Heavy Cream – 1-2 tablespoons
• Butter – 1-2 tablespoons

Directions:

• Heat a pot over medium heat.
• Add the Butter in it.
• When the Butter melts, add the Garlic. 
• Cook for a minute till it gets fragrant then add the Asparagus. 
• Season with Salt and Black Pepper and mix and cook until golden for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
• Add the Broth and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook until the Asparagus is very tender but still green, about 10-15 minutes. 
• Remove the soup from the heat. If you are using a hand blender, cool for 10-15 minutes. For Nutri bullet you may want to wait for at least 20 minutes otherwise the steam may lock the blade. Purée the soup in a couple of batches until it looks smooth.
• Add the Heavy Cream with the Black Pepper and taste to adjust the seasonings.
• At this point you can do either of these steps: Return the soup to the wok, warm it up and serve immediately. Or, cool the soup completely, transfer it in an airtight container and refrigerate. Before consuming, simply heat it up in the microwave and add a dollop of butter.
• Before serving don’t forget to garnish with a combination or either of Parmesan Cheese / Heavy Cream or Butter. Enjoy!

Tips:

• Remember hot soup will create steam which will lock your Nutri Bullet’s blade so give it ample time to cool down. You do not want to rush this step.
• Use the extractor blade of your Nutri Bullet.

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