Hungarian Asparagus Soup
By: Helen Pitlick
Published: Saturday, December 5, 2009 - 10:11pm

Ingredients




1 medium turnip
1 medium carrot
1 medium onion
1 pound fresh, firm asparagus
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
6 cups water or stock
1 tablespoon vegetable seasoning salt
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
sea salt to taste
freshly-ground white pepper

Preparation

1 Wash and cut the turnip and carrot into large pieces. Chop the onion. Wash the asparagus, cut off the tender tips, and reserve; cut the stems into several pieces. 2 In a large stockpot, place the chopped turnip, carrot, onion, bay leaf, marjoram, water or stock and vegetable seasoning salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are quite tender. 3 Puree the soup in batches in a blender until creamy; strain to remove asparagus strings, if any; and return to pot. 4 In a small skillet, heat the olive oil, add the flour and cook, stirring continuously for 4-5 minutes, or until the mixture gives off a nutty fragrance. Ladle a bit of soup into the skillet, and stir it around until the roux has been incorporated. Pour the mixture back into the soup, scraping up the last bits with a rubber spatula. Simmer the soup for 10 minutes longer. 5 Taste and adjust the seasonings. Add the asparagus tips and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes more. Serve immediately, making sure each serving contains several of the asparagus tips.

About


From The Natural Gourmet by Annemarie Colbin.