Friday, May 24, 2013

FFwD: White Asparagus Soup - Crème d´asperges blanches


Today´s recipe for the French Fridays with Dorie group is Asparagus Soup or Crème d´asperges.




Asparagus season (Spargelzeit) is very short and German white asparagus (Spargel) is well worth the wait for its unbeatable flavor and freshness.




Asparagus is best when grown and picked fresh. Regardless of whether you are buying thin asparagus or big jumbo spears, you should always choose stems that are firm and lush, rather than dry and wrinkly. Avoid any stems that are discolored, scarred or turning slimy at the tips. If you are using whole spears, then make sure the buds are tight and firm. If you are making soup like Dorie Greenspan´s Asparagus Soup, though, you could also use the somewhat more affordable spears called “soup asparagus” that you will sometimes find on market stalls.




The less time it takes to get asparagus from the field to the plate, the better it will taste because the sugars in the plant start to turn to starch once it is picked. Trim the stalks and, if the lower part of the stem seems tough, break off the bottom third of the stem. White asparagus always has to be peeled completely. The cooking time varies according to the thickness of the stems, but usually ranges between 8 to 12 minutes.




For today´s recipe I choose to use white asparagus, the season will last only another three weeks or so and green asparagus is hard to find locally – we only get white asparagus in the month of May until mid-June and we use it in as many dishes as possible while it is still available. So if you find white asparagus, grab some of this elegant vegetable while you can. As already mentioned,  the fresher it is, the better, of course, which is why farm shops and roadside stalls are generally the best source.




Dorie´s recipe is easy and, apart from fresh asparagus, the ingredients required for this soup are staple items in our house. You will need two leeks, an onion, a shallot, a garlic clove, some pepper (I used delicious freshly ground "white kampot pepper" from Hennes Finest based in my hometown, beautiful Cologne * ) and some French sea salt. The asparagus trimmings simmered in your hot stock really add to the intense, yet delicate flavor of this sophisticated soup. When the soup is fully cooked, it is whizzed up in the blender. I did not strain the soup, so it had plenty of texture from the asparagus, leeks and onions.




As one very talented and much admired chef once said: “Forget the traditional three-course meal. Eating in, or out, these days is all about small plates” – and I would add “small glasses” - so I chose to serve the asparagus soup in various espresso glasses from my collections and instead of adding crème fraîche, I decided to top the mini soups with some creamy milk foam topping, fresh dill and shrimps for color and for taste.

This is a delightful White Asparagus Soup, elegant, seasonal, tasty and pretty  - what more could one want from a late spring recipe.




To see how the other members of the French Fridays with Dorie group prepared this vegetable soup, please do click here.


Sources:

White Kampot Pepper from "Hennes Finest" available at www.hennesfinest.com/de/weisser-pfeffer.html



50 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness Andrea, we visited Germany one spring just as the white asparagus was being harvested. The town we stayed in had Spargel Speise at every restaurant. They served it for in appetizers, salads, main entrees and desserts. It was totally amazing! I'll never forget the market in the center of town with tables piled high with the beautiful white asparagus. Such a wonderful, delicious memory. Your soup sounds so fun and brings back my memories.

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    1. Chris, thank you so much for the kind comment! Glad that my post about the white asparagus (soup) evoked those fabulous memories for you! At this time of year until mid-June, there seems to be no stopping the people from buying and enjoying this wonderful elegant vegetable every single day.

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  2. I forgot that white asparagus is much more prevalent in German than green. I've never actually tried white because it's not often seen here in the States. I love the way you've served your soup in the coffee glasses with the foamy top! And the shrimp and dill look like a tasty garnish. Mine was served plain, but I'm feeling inspired about when I serve the leftovers. Have a wonderful weekend, Andrea!

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    1. Betsy, thanks for the nice comment - yes, we are in the middle of a (rather late) white asparagus season right now and this soup was "perfect timing", love to cook seasonal, I guess, I have mentioned that already once or twice.

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  3. There's something fancy about foam in a dish...
    nice plating too!

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    1. Thank you for your comment - I think white asparagus is an elegant vegetable and calls for a pretty presentation.

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  4. Your soup is gorgeous! I bet it tastes as good as it looks. Great job Andrea.

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    1. Thank you, Guyla, white asparagus soup tases quite delicious and it looks nice too and adding a bit of milk foam, dill and shrimps to the mini soups complemented the taste of the soup as well.

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  5. Oh wow Andrea, this is by far the most elegant asparagus soup I've ever seen. The white colour and the foam really take it up to another level. Bravo!

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    1. Thank you, white asaparagus is such an elegant vegetable and it seemed such a nice way to present the soup in these little espresso glasses.

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  6. I love the elegant way you present these White Asparagus Soup. So pretty. And those foam on top....just like those from a 5 stars restaurant. :) The Fresh Dill and shrimps just bring it all together! Have a great weekend and thanks for sharing.

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    1. Thank you Amy, fresh dill and shrimp go very nicely with this type of creamy soup - the flavors harmonize very nicely with that of white asparagus.

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  7. Your white asparagus soup, with its beautiful garnishes, would be perfectly in place on any fine restaurant's tasting menu.

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    1. Teresa, thank for the nice comment - I was just looking for a different way to present my soup and these glasses have been part of my treasured espresso glass collection for a while and it was time to use them for something else than serving my beloved espresso macchiato.

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  8. I was just lamenting how we couldn't find any good asparagus at the market. It seems to have already gone out of season here! Oh well, I'll just have to drool over your photos :-) This soup looks so heavenly. I can imagine how it tastes...and I wish I had a bowl now! I just shared some maternity pics on my blog. I hope you get a chance to see them! Thank you for sharing, sweet friend!

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    1. Monet, thanks you so much for your sweet comment - asaparagus is revered around here and I will try to buy as much as I can while the season lasts - I will most certainly drop by your blog to take a long look at your maternity pics.

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  9. Your white soup looks very fancy. I have never seen white asparagus.

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    1. Thank youf or the nice comment - white asparagus is considered to be the "queen of vegetables" in this country and it is much revered and absolutely delicious.

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  10. Oh, how beautiful, my friend. I love the idea of small plates...perfect.

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    1. Thank you, Liz, small glasses are perfect and so are small cups and plates and I do love to serve small portions.

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  11. I love the way you presented the asparagus soup in the little glasses. Your toppings are delightful and really finish it off beautifully. We all enjoyed
    this recipe and I will certainly be making it again soon. Have a wonderful weekend.

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    1. Thank you, Nana, the toppings were nice with this elegant white asparagus soup and serving a bit of soup in small glasses was certainly fun.

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  12. This would be an impressive appetizer, A.
    I'm putting it on the menu!

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    1. Thank you, Colette - this soup would be is a delightful first course to any meal.

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  13. White or green, asparagus is a favourite of mine. Your soup looks delicious, and what a perfect way to celebrate spring!

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    1. Beth, while we can find green asparagus here, most people prefer the white one, it does taste different - I love both kinds equally as much but while I prefer to use green asparagus for salads, tartes and stir-fries, I definitely prefer the delicate taste of the white asparagus for my soups.

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  14. I could never get in the white asparagus train, probably because I hardly see them here, and I hate the ones in jars. But I will give them a try next spring. Beautiful soup Andrea!

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    1. Well, Paula, obviously you never had the pleasure of tasting fresh white asparagus. As the foodie that we all know you are, you are aware, of course, that you would never dare judge the taste of fresh corn, young peas, green beans, etc. based on what the lovely Green Giant or the fabulous Bonduelle are able to offer to you.

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  15. What an elegant starter, Andrea! I'm having friends over at the weekend, and I'm wondering if I can adapt the recipe to green asparagus as this is all I have to work with. Your presentation - as usual - is so delicious!

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    1. Hester, thank you for the nice comment! This recipe can be prepared with green or white asparagus. The other members of the FFwD group all used green asparagus and I used white because that is the asparagus that is in season around here right now until mid-June. Both varieties of this lovely vegetable taste great in this elegant soup.

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  16. This is so beautifully presented. I love the taste of asparagus, but usually the supermarkets here only stock the green ones.

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    1. Trishie, thanks so mcu - it seems that the white asparagus is predominantly available around here but both varieties are absolutely wonderful tasting and certainly much revered.

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  17. Oh my, how fancy! I love your presentation. The shrimp and dill look like they would be delicious with this. Mine was kind of the opposite: green asparagus (which stayed green because I didn't pre-cook it), served hot alongside some homey corn muffins. I guess it's nice that the recipe is so adaptable. I'm sure your was fabulous. I don't see white asparagus here, so it would be great to find some and try it sometime!

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    1. Candy, thank you very much for your kind comment - I am sure that your corn muffins were nice alongside this asparagus soup.

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  18. I certainly didn't know that white asparagus must always be peeled,... do you know why that is?? Well your soups look amazing and the shrimp and dill are wonderful touches! And I'm a fan of bubbly foams so that pretty much is fantastic in my book!

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    1. Alice, thank you very much for your kind words - and I do know why you have to peel white asparagus - because the peel can be quite tough, even woodsy, and somewhat bitter.

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  19. The small glasses are the perfect presentation for this beautiful soup.

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    1. Thank you, Cher, just trying to be different and to show off my collection of espresso glasses.

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  20. Looks so wonderful. My brother-in-law is German and he raves about the white asparagus. We get it sometimes but not very often.

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    1. Diane, white asparagus is hard to beat and Germans are quite fond of it!

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  21. What a beautiful meal--I love the addition of the shrimp. Your photography continues to amaze me!!

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    1. Cindy, thank you for the lovely comment and your continued support! So glad that you enjoy my blog and the pictures too!

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  22. What can I say! This looks awesome!!!
    You did an amazing job, I love how the white asparagus looks :)

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    1. Sanya, thank you so much for the wonderful comment - white asparagus does have a tendency to look rather elegant but it also tastes terrific.

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  23. I adore asparagus. We don't often see white asparagus where I live, but I'll hunt it down to make this soup. It looks incredible, and I love your presentation. You are so creative!

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    1. Kristin, white asparagus is fancy and elegant and delicous and it has a very short seson - yesterday I wrapped some in a few slices of Prosciutto and grilled it - pretty delicious too.

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  24. I remember being jealous of your white asparagus last year too! I still haven't found any to try. It definitely makes a beautiful soup, although I'm not sure that I'd have the patience to peel it. I like your topping ideas. The shrimp go perfectly.

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    1. Jora, yes, I think that was my first post for the FFwD group, asparagus salad with crab meat, I rememeber trying to get good pictures of the giant asparagus fields because white asparagus grwos "underground" and those long rows of earth piled on top of the plants look quite interesting.

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  25. Another outstanding and educational Post, Andrea. I know I've learned all those little tidbits about asparagus at one time or another but this was a great review, reminder, and all together. I have purchased white asparagus two or three times in the States. But, honestly, by the time it gets to the grocery stores (the only place I've ever seen it), it is old. That's why I think there isn't more a demand for it in the States. I was so looking forward to being in France during white asparagus season. The only asparagus that I peel is white asparagus. I think this makes an sophisticated presentation and yours is trés chic. Élégant. Love the fact that you used clear and petite glasses and dill/milk foam. I think I remember your going to "making coffee"/barista instruction class a year or so ago. Anyway, lovely Post.

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    1. Mary, thank you for the nice comment - yes, I did take Barista classes last year and I still love those espresso glasses, they looked perfect for serving soup as an appetizer, different than always using cups or canning jars. White asparagus tastes only good when fresh, no compromise, or it will turn bitter and no one really like that in a vegetable.

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