Name: Chef John's Cream of Asparagus Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter; 1 onion, finely diced; salt to taste; 4 cups chicken broth; 2 cups water; 2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste; freshly ground black pepper to taste; 1 pinch ground nutmeg; 0.5 cup heavy whipping cream; 0.25 cup heavy whipping cream; 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese; 1 teaspoon lemon zest; 1 pinch cayenne pepper

Step 1

To make the asparagus soup: Melt butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add minced onion and salt; cook and stir until onion is soft and golden, about 10 minutes.

Step 2

Pour chicken broth and water into the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer 15 minutes.

Step 3

Carefully add asparagus pieces into simmering broth. Cook, stirring occasionally until asparagus is just tender and still bright green, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Step 4

Use an immersion blender to blend soup until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Step 5

Turn heat to low. Season with cayenne pepper, black pepper, and nutmeg. Adjust salt to taste. Whisk 1/2 cup cream into soup.

Step 6

If you want to make a cream topping for garnishing: Place 1/4 cup cream, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Whisk until frothy and slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

Step 7

Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle a spoonful of prepared cream on top of each serving and swirl to form a random design.

Step 8

Sprinkle with a pinch of lemon zest and cayenne pepper, if desired.

Chef John's Cream of Asparagus Soup

Ingredients

Instructions