Cream of Asparagus and Leek Soup with Curry

Cream of Asparagus and Leek Soup with Curry makes a beautiful starter for an elegant late spring dinner or as part of a light lunch.

Today is Memorial Day.  If you’re a veteran or currently serving in the Armed Forces, let me start by expressing my heartfelt gratitude to you and your family for your service and sacrifice.  Freedom is not free!  Your service and sacrifice allow us to freely express ourselves here on the internet and any other way we choose.  So, THANK YOU!

Memorial Day is often called the “unofficial” start of summer and wonderful garden produce is right around the corner.

However, I’m still not over asparagus yet because it’s truly one of my favorite vegetables.  We’re also continuing to pick a few spears here and there from our backyard patch.

As mentioned in a previous post, I was “gifted” several pounds of beautiful ramps by my nephew by marriage (who is now my favorite nephew… 🙂 )  Ramps, also called wild leeks, don’t last long; they only last about a week refrigerated.  I pickled some and used the rest in this silky and flavorful Cream of Asparagus and Leek Soup with Curry.

Pureed vegetable soups are one of the easiest and most forgiving soups to make.  Your knife skills can be next to nil and your produce doesn’t have to be pretty.  You can use end-of-the-season produce and after it’s pureed you’ll still end up with a gorgeous, luxurious soup and your guests will never know.

Now, not everyone has a wonderful nephew who sends them fresh ramps, so use regular leeks if you don’t have a source for ramps.  Onion, spring onion or several bunches of scallions will also work.

If you’re not a curry fan, you can definitely leave it out and you’ll have a lovely Cream of Asparagus and Leek Soup.  Or, start with a small amount or curry and add more to taste.

This is also NOT a heavy cream soup!  There’s only a half cup added at the very end and you can use half-and-half if you’d like.

You can puree this soup in a food processor or blender, however, an immersion blender is the easiest and safest way to puree anything.  Be careful with those hot liquids!

I’ve used almost every brand of immersion blender on the market in my personal chef business and recently went back to Braun.  (Affiliate link.)  I know… how fickle can a person be?  Nothing lasts forever, but after wearing out way too many others, I decided to try Braun again.  Just bein’ real folks!

Enjoy and Happy Summer!

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Cream of Asparagus and Leek Soup with Curry

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Prep Time 15 min

Cook Time 30 min

Total Time 45 mins

Cream of Asparagus and Leek Soup with Curry makes a beautiful starter for an elegant late spring dinner or as part of a light lunch.

Ingredients

• INGREDIENTS
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 10-12 ounces ramps (or 2 large leeks), cleaned and trimmed, white and tender parts, coarsely chopped
• 2 pounds asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces, divided
• 2 medium Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1-2 tablespoons curry powder (to taste)
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4-5 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Chopped fresh chives, for garnish

Directions

1. INSTRUCTIONS
2. Reserve 12 nice asparagus tips for garnish. Prepare an ice bath. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook 5-10 seconds just to blanch it. Transfer to the ice bath to cool. Pat dry and set aside.
3. Heat butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add the ramps/leeks. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 6-7 minutes or until softened. Add the asparagus and potato and saute briefly or until the asparagus turns bright green.
4. Add the curry powder and garlic and stir until the garlic is fragrant.
5. Add 4 cups of the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, cover slightly then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 20 minutes or until asparagus and potatoes are very tender. Add the cream.
6. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Add additional chicken broth if the soup is too thick.
7. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
8. Transfer to bowls and garnish with the reserved asparagus tips and chopped fresh chives.

by Carol | From A Chef's Kitchen

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