Mariner's Cream of Asparagus Soup

My Honey and I really like asparagus. We like it whether it's right from the garden, or fresh frozen, or even from a can, but we like it best fresh. The problem is, if you buy it fresh (or even frozen, in most cases) you get really long spears, of which only a short section, near the top, is tender enough to cook and eat as spears. The rest of the stalk may still be edible, and even tasty, but is very fibrous and thus much less pleasant to eat.

My Honey still suffers flashbacks to the early days of our marriage, when we had so little money, we didn't throw out anything that might be edible, unless it was old enough to make you sick if you ate it.

The net result of these two facts, is that we end up with a freezer full of the tough parts of asparagus spears. What usually happens, after they've been there a few years, is that I sneak them into the garbage can, when she isn't looking. This time though, I decided to try something different, driven mostly by the facts that:

• I need the freezer space;
• The stuff isn't that old; and
• She knows it's there, and would miss it the next time she rummaged through the freezer.

The "something different" is Cream of Asparagus Soup. I reviewed all the recipés I could find, searching for the perfect (read, simple) one, and couldn't find anything that met my needs exactly. As a result I took a bit of this and a bit of that, and then tweaked it, and added something nobody else suggested, and came up with my own version. It turned out pretty good. So here's Mariner's Cream of Asparagus Soup, for those of you who might want to try it:

Ingredients:

asparagus 1 lb (approximate), diced
celery about 6 inches of stalk finely diced
green onion 1/2 cup chopped
Bell pepper (ripe is best) 1/4 cup finely diced
thyme 1 tsp ground
salt 3/4 tsp
black pepper to taste
chicken broth 1 can (14 oz)
whole milk 1 cup
heavy cream 3/4 cup
butter 1 or 2 tbs

Directions:

I use a two quart (2 qt.) saucepan (Mom used to call this a "boiler") for the entire procedure.

A note about the asparagus:

If you are using (as I did) the tougher parts of the stalks  you will need to dice them very finely!  I use an antique vegetable slicer that is capable of making slices as thin as a commercial potato chip.  There are several brands of these devices (mandolins) on the market now.  If you use one, set the thickness as small as you can stand, and be very careful!  Blood and human flesh do not go well with this recipé!

Melt the butter in the saucepan, and saute' the onion, celery, and peppers over medium-high heat. It isn't necessary to brown them, unless you just want to. When the onion and celery are tender, add thyme and then the chicken broth, then bring it to a slow boil, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Add the asparagus to the broth, and let it return to a boil. Slowly stir in the milk, and let it return to a boil again. Add salt and pepper, then slowly stir in the cream. Reduce heat to a slow simmer for 20 minutes, then turn heat down to low. The soup can sit on low heat for about another 20 to 30 minutes before serving. Makes about four (4) servings.

Granted that making it this way takes a lot more energy than just opening a can of prepared soup, but we think it tastes better. Enjoy!

Mariner