Cream of Asparagus Soup

Oct 25,2006 00:00 by naveena
Ingredients

   1/3 teaspoon    extra-virgin olive oil
   1 cup    diced yellow onion (about 1 large)
   /12 cup    chopped celery (about 1 medium rib)
   4 cups    chopped, peeled, asparagus (about 2 pounds)
   1/2 teaspoon    minced garlic
   1     bay leaf
   1 teaspoon    fresh thyme
   3 cups    diced, peeled potatoes
   4 cups    vegetable stock
   1/2 teaspoon    grated nutmeg
   1 teaspoon    sea salt
   1/4 teaspoon    freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

    1.     Heat a medium stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Add the onion, celery, and asparagus. Cook until the asparagus is bright green, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in the bay leaf, thyme and potatoes. Add enough of the stock to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are soft, 20 to 25 minutes. Add the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf.

    2.     Carefully ladle the soup into a blender and process until pureed and smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer or colander lined with cheese cloth to remove any asparagus strings. Return the strained soup to a pan over low heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt, pepper, and nutmeg, if desired. Add a little more stock or water to give the soup a more creamy consistency if it seems too thick