Cream of Asparagus Soup (Spargelsuppe)

Germans love asparagus just as much as the Dutch do, so it's no wonder that the best asparagus soup recipes I found were recipes for 'spargelsuppe', asparagus soup in German. Here’s a light, easy version you’ll be glad you made. 

Ingredients (serves 2):

400g white asparagus 

1 shallot

40g butter

1/4 cup half and half, plus some to garnish 

750mL vegetable stock
sprinkle of nutmeg (to garnish)
few leaves fresh parsley, chopped (as garnish)
salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

1. Peel the asparagus, from tips to end. Then cut into pieces. Set the tips aside.

2. Melt the butter in a soup pan, and add the shallots. Sweat these for a couple of minutes, then add the chopped asparagus and sweat for 5 minutes more.

3. Add the stock to the pan and let the mixture boil for about half an hour, until the asparagus is tender. (For extra flavour, I also added the shavings from peeling the asparagus, but you can leave them out if you want to.)

4. If you used asparagus shavings, remove them using a slotted spoon. Purée the rest of the soup using a hand blender, until you get a nice, creamy mixture. Add the half and half and reheat, but don’t boil again.

5. Season to taste with salt, freshly ground black pepper and nutmeg. Divide over two bowls, sprinkle the chopped parsley and nutmeg on top, and add a few drizzles cream. Serve hot with crusty white bread.