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Cetona, Province of Siena, Italy
Extra virgin olive oil producer, cook, recipe writer, pop-up restaurant caterer, insiders tours

Tuesday 15 April 2014

Seasonal Italian food - maximum taste, no waste, our very green Asparagus Soup




I love FRESH asparagus.  

I had my first this year about 10 days ago from local farmers Luciana & Martino.  I just couldn't wait to get home & snap their heads off ... so to speak.
So, how do you enjoy them..? Apart from steamed with eggs?
I do a kind of "no waste" asparagus soup (makes enough for 4):-
Take 1 bunch, wash & then snap the asparagus stalks, where it gives easily (about half way along).
In a saucepan boil 1 litre of water with a carrot, a courgette, an onion, a celery stalk, salt & pepper to make veg stock (you can eat the boiled veg with a swig of olive oil and some lemon juice), remove the veg and put to one side.
In another saucepan (a steamer if you have one) heat a sliced potato and an onion in a glug of olive oil.
Take the bottoms of the snapped asparagus stalks, peel them, chop up the white stems and add to the potato & onion once soft.
Add the sieved veg stock, season, bring to the boil. Place the asparagus stalk tops over the soup pan in the steamer, cook until tender.
Remove the asparagus tops & put to one side.
Blend the soup and push through a sieve to remove any obstinate bits before adding a swirl of natural yoghurt.... goat's if you're lucky enough to know where to get it!

Suzie's Yard is committed to our small local producers (we are one of them) and if you take part in one of our tours you will get to experience the freshness for yourselves. Read about our Suzie's Yard Insider food and wine tours ...