My memory is terrible. Little fragments here or there. Mostly because I don’t spend time tying to remember. So here’s a little fragment for you: I’m definitely under six years old. We’re still living in Germany, and I have a little garden trowel in my hand. Carefully and delicately, I’m using the back side of the trowel to ensure the mound of earth has no cracks. I’m pretty sure I’m not doing anything but playing (in reality); in my mind, I’m tending to the white asparagus crop.
I grew up around white asparagus. Served as a side, served as as soup. Shared plots of land were dedicated to growing this beautiful vegetable. Which explains why I go totally gaga whenever a bunch pops up at the local grocery store. Sure, we’re far away from the normal growing season, but I can’t help myself.
Look at it.
Beautiful. And haunting. And slightly creepy. And totally mesmerizing. Yes, I know: it’s just asparagus.
Here’s the rub: you can make white asparagus soup from scratch. Saute some onion, add a bit of white wine, thicken with cream or potatoes. Season with salt and white pepper. You could use whole, delicious foods to help you make a delicious soup. Please go with this route. I implore you.
Or, you could be like me, and giddily drive 30+ minutes to the one Germany bakery and shopette in town. There, you breath in the scents of fresh baked bread, oogle the various condiments and sundries, purchase four laugenbroetchen, and pick up a packet of Knorr Spragelcreme Suppe mix. If you were truly me, you’d also hit yourself aside the head a few times on your drive back, specifically for not buying that delicious looking zwetschgenkuchen.
Food blog fail, right? So here’s an experimental recipe I would use to make Spargel Suppe from scratch. Let me know how it goes and what tweaks you would make. Then, next time, instead of being silly and buying a pre-made mix, I’ll just make it from scratch.
Spargel Creme Suppe
- 1 bunch white asparagus, peeled. Tips removed and set aside
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 or 2 small to medium yukon gold potatoes, diced
- 1 cup white wine, such as a Reisling
- 3 cups of water or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup of cream
- Salt, pepper to taste
- Fenugreek powder (yes, seriously, try it)
In a large stock pot, sauté onions with butter or olive oil (maybe 1/2 tablespoon). Once the onions have started to brown, add in the wine and the diced potatoes. Add the stems of the white asparagus. Add 3 cups of water or vegetable broth, cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Salt and pepper to taste. I suggest adding a 1/2 teaspoon of fenugreek powder at this stage as well. Using an immersion or stick blender, blend the soup together. If the soup is too thick, add more water and or the cream at this stage. Add the asparagus tips and simmer for about 5 minutes, until tender. Serve in shallow bowls with a parsley sprinkle.
kitchen notes and other sundries 