Asparagus and Cilantro Soup

Soup is painfully difficult to photograph.

Spring is in full gear and my Husband and I have been taking advantage of the bounty. This soup from The Real Food Daily Cookbook is a fantastic use of asparagus. It’s creamy, incredibly flavorful and especially good on a rainy spring day.

Asparagus and Cilantro Soup
From The Real Food Daily Cookbook
Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
• 1 small russet potato, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil (I used 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (I used 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 6 cups vegetable stock or water
• 2 pounds asparagus, trimmed, tips reserved and stalks cut into 1″ pieces
• 1 Tablespoon tamari (I used soy sauce)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat the olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic, and saute for 8 minutes or until the onion is translucent.

2. Stir in the potato, basil, oregano and cumin. Add the stock and bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes or until the potato is almost tender.

3. Add the asparagus stalks and simmer for 5 minutes until the asparagus is tender and the potato is very tender.

3. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup in the pot until smooth. Alternatively, working in batches, puree in a regular blender until smooth. Stir in the tamari, salt and white pepper. Return the soup to a boil then stir in the cilantro.

5. Meanwhile, cook the asparagus tips in a saucepan of boiling water for 1 minute or until crisp-tender. Drain, then cut the asparagus tips in half lengthwise.

6. Serve garnished with the asparagus tips and a side of biscuits (my own addition!)