I’ve never made cream of asparagus soup before, but I knew we had some asparagus that needed used and it sounded good, so why not. When I got home I inspected the fridge to see what else we had on hand. This is how it all went down.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 3 c. Vegan Chicken Broth (I use McKay’s. One is vegan, one is not. Be sure to check)
- 1 lb Fresh Asparagus
- 1/2 c. Yellow Onion
- 1 c. Red Bell Pepper
- 1 c. Sliced Crimini Mushrooms
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 3 Tbsp. Tofutti Sour Supreme
- 2 Tbsp. Earth Balance
- 1/2 tsp. Sage
- Salt and Pepper
This can easily done in under 30 minutes if you don’t lolly-gag. Start by prepping your vegetables. Asparagus can be woody near the ends. Use your judgment, but removing the bottom inch should be good enough. Next cut the asparagus into 1/4 inch chunks, leaving the ends as a garnish if you like. (I did this. It didn’t contribute much to the texture, but it looked nice) Then dice your onion and bell pepper. This time around I used pre-cleaned and sliced criminis from Trader Joe’s but if you have whole ones, slice them now too. Add some olive oil to a large pan over medium heat. Saute for about five minutes.
While the veggies are doing their thing you want to mix your broth. (a pre-prepared broth is fine, but vegan varieties aren’t very common) Bring the water/broth to a simmer. For McKay’s, stir in 1. tsp per cup of water. While this is heating up, add salt pepper and sage to the veggie mix.
After your veggies are nice and tender, remove them from the heat and add them to your broth. Add your Earth Balance and return the entire mixture to a simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use a timer people! (If you are using the spears as a garnish, this would be the time to throw them in a pan over medium heat with some olive oil and salt.) Test a piece of the asparagus after 15 minutes. If you used quarter inch chunks, they should be al dente at this point. If your pieces are little bigger it may require the additional 5 minutes.
Once they’re all softened up, add the entire mixture to the blender. WARNING!!! Be very careful when blending hot liquids. Be sure to use the lid and start slowly. I walked my blender up to high and left it there for almost a full minute. This texture was perfect for me. Once you’ve got it where you like it, you can pour it directly into bowls or place it in whatever dish you’ll serve it from.
This is optional, but once the soup was served, I added a dollop of Sour Supreme and the sauteed spears. I would have taken a photo, but I wasn’t thinking. Next time, I promise!
The yield was around 6 cups. I suppose this could serve 2 as it did for me, or 6 if you were serving it on the side. Eat well and stay healthy!
