This is a terrific way to use up the great tasting stems of asparagus when the tips have been used in another dish (such as in Vegetables for Fish). The other main ingredient being home made chicken stock from chicken trimmings, this is effectively a free course.
Planning
| serves: | 4 |
| preparation time: | 5 mins |
| cooking time: | 40 mins |
Ingredients
- 2 bundles asparagus stems
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 oz butter
- 1 pt light chicken stock
- salt and pepper
Method
Sweat the onion in butter until soft and translucent. While the onion is cooking, chop the asparagus stems into lengths of about 1 cm. Add these to the onion and sweat over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent them from colouring.
Pour in the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 25 minutes. Liquidize the soup until very smooth and pour back into the pan through a sieve to remove the fibrous ends of the asparagus stems. Rub the solids through the sieve (I find a pestle particularly effective) as much as possible. If necessary, thin the soup to the required consistency with a little water. Reheat the soup to serving temperature and adjust the seasoning.
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