2poundsasparagusends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces (900g)
1½teaspoonssaltdivided
½cupheavy cream(120ml)
1tablespoonfresh lemon juice
¼teaspoonblack pepper
Fresh herbs to garnish (chopped dill, chopped chives)
Instructions
In a Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the broth, asparagus, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the asparagus is fork-tender and bright green, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Reserve a few asparagus tips for garnish, if desired.
Carefully purée the mixture until smooth using an immersion blender or transferring the soup to the container of a regular blender. Place over low heat.
Stir in the cream, lemon juice, pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately with a drizzle of cream and garnish with herbs and blanched asparagus tips, if desired.
Notes
Trim the asparagus. Asparagus ends are very hard and woody, so be sure to cut them off beforehand.
Garnish idea: Save about ¼ cup of raw asparagus tips to use as garnish. While the soup is cooking, bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add asparagus tips, and cook until tender and bright green, about 1 minute. Remove using a slotted spoon and place in an ice bath.
When blending the soup: If you use a regular blender instead of an immersion blender, there are two important things to do to ensure there are no accidents. Firstly, don't fill the blender container completely. Next, make sure the center piece of the blender lid is removed and place a kitchen towel on top. This will allow the steam to escape so it doesn't build up in the blender jar and pop the top off during mixing. You can also use a food processor if you don't have a blender.
A note on texture: If you prefer a bit more texture and don't want a completely creamy soup, remove some of the asparagus from the pot before blending. Then add it back once the rest is blended.