Cream of Asparagus Soup

This full-flavoured soup is equally good served hot or cold, and makes an elegant starter for a spring dinner.

  • 5 cups chicken broth
  • 1 lb (500 g) asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup chopped celery
  • 2 tbsp chopped chives
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup half-and-half cream (10% MF) or table cream (18% MF)
  • 2 tbsp dry sherry
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
     
  1. In a large pot, bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus, onion, celery and chives.
  2. Cover and bring back to a boil.
  3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.
  4. With a slotted spoon, remove 12 asparagus tips and set aside. Continue cooking the asparagus mixture until the vegetables are tender, about 2 minutes.
  5. Let cool slightly.
  6. Use an immersion blender in the pot to blend the soup until smooth.
  7. Or purée the soup in batches in a countertop blender (a blender, rather than a food processor, makes a smoother soup). Set aside.In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
  8. Remove the saucepan from the heat and gradually whisk in the milk. Return the saucepan to medium heat and cook, stirring con-stantly, until sauce comes to a boil and thickens.
  9. Add the cream, sherry and asparagus purée. Heat gently until very hot, but do not boil. Add the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot or cold, garnished with reserved asparagus tips.
  10. Makes 5 to 6 servings
     

Asparagus in Lemon-Mustard Sauce

A zesty mayonnaise-style sauce dresses this pretty salad that's a perfect accompaniment to roast lamb or ham.

  • 2 lb (1 kg) asparagus, trimmed
     

Lemon-Mustard Sauce

  • 1 hard-cooked egg, shelled and halved
  • 1 raw egg yolk*
  • 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp finely grated lemon zest
  • 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tsp well-drained capers
  • Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped pimento or sweet red pepper
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
     
  1. Cook the asparagus until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and refresh immediately under cold water to stop further cooking and to retain its colour. Place the asparagus on a serving dish and let cool but don't refrigerate.
  2. For the lemon-mustard sauce, finely chop the hard-cooked white and set aside. In a food processor or blender, process the hard-cooked yolk, raw egg yolk and mustard until smooth.
  3. With the motor running, slowly add the oil. Process until thick and creamy. Add the lemon zest and juice and pulse under well combined. Scrape the sauce into a small bowl. Add the capers and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  4. Spoon the sauce over the asparagus, leaving the tips exposed. Sprinkle with the reserved finely chopped egg white, pimento and parsley.
  5. * When using raw eggs in a recipe, choose Canada Grade-A eggs within their best-before date; these eggs have been properly handled and graded by a registered farmer.
  6. Makes 6 servings

Make-Ahead

  • Wrap the cooled asparagus in a tea towel and refrigerate. Refrigerate the sauce. Thirty minutes before serving, remove the asparagus from refrigera-tor. Just before serving, stir the sauce and spoon it over the asparagus.
     

Oven-Roasted Asparagus with Hazelnut Vinaigrette

Here is a delicious variation on simple roasted asparagus that I developed for a national magazine. My editor there said, "It's so delicious two people could happily share a portion this size." With less greedy people at the table, it could easily serve four.

  • 2 tbsp finely chopped shallots
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped toasted hazelnuts
  • 1 tbsp hazelnut or olive oil
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 lb (500 g) asparagus, freshly roasted
     
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the shallots, hazelnuts, hazelnut oil, vinegar and mustard.
  2. Transfer the hot, freshly roasted asparagus to a warm platter and spoon the dressing over the top. Toss gently to coat the asparagus with the dressing.
  3. Makes 2 to 4 servings

How to Toast Nuts

  • Spread the nuts out on a baking sheet and bake in a 350°F (180°C) oven for about 5 minutes, watching carefully. (In the summer, I use my toaster oven to toast nuts to avoid heating up the kitchen.)
  • When toasting hazelnuts, wrap the warm nuts in a clean tea towel and rub vigorously to remove their loose, brown skins before using.