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Silky White & Green Asparagus Soup

by Marcel Biró & Shannon Kring Biró

We love watching people eat this soup, because without exception they are surprised at the subtle flavor differences in the two types of asparagus.  Some eat one color completely and then start the other, some alternate between the two, and others stir it up to really give their taste buds a workout.  If more than one person at the table has ordered it, a debate over which color is better invariably pops up.  No matter how they eat it or which type of asparagus they favor, the bowls always come back empty.  Try this luxurious soup and we think you’ll quickly learn why.

Serves 6

White Asparagus
2 pounds white asparagus
4 cups water
Juice of ½ lemon
¼ cup white wine
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup unsalted butter
3 cups whole milk, cold
1 cup heavy cream, cold
Sea salt
Freshly ground white pepper

Green Asparagus
Juice of ½ lemon
¼ cup white wine
2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk, cold
1 cup heavy cream, cold
2 pounds green asparagus
Sea salt
Freshly ground white pepper

Dish
Chopped parsley for garnish

For the White Asparagus

  1. Peel the white asparagus, reserving the peels.  In a large stockpot, combine 4 cups water, the juice, wine, sugar, and 1 tablespoon of the butter, and bring to a boil.  Add the asparagus.  Cook until softened, about 13 minutes.  Turn off the heat and remove the asparagus from the water, reserving the liquid.  Place the asparagus in an ice bath to stop the cooking process.  We use only the white asparagus cooking liquid only in this recipe, so you can eat it sautéed in butter or atop a salad—such as our fantastic Sautéed White Asparagus in Parmesan Tuile with Spring Greens & Aïoli.
  2. Place the asparagus peels in the reserved asparagus liquid and allow to infuse for 10 minutes.  Pass the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, keeping the infused asparagus water.  Discard the peels.
  3. In a sauté pan, add the remaining butter and heat until melted but not colored.  Add the flour, mixing until all the butter is absorbed by the flour.  Whisk in the milk, cream, and 2 cups of the asparagus liquid and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat and cook until the flour flavor has been cooked out, about 15 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the Green Asparagus

  1. In a large stockpot, combine 4 cups water, the juice, wine, sugar, and 1 tablespoon of the butter and bring to a boil.  Add the asparagus and cook until softened, 5 to 8 minutes.  Turn off the heat and remove the asparagus from the water, reserving the liquid.  Place the asparagus in an ice bath to stop the cooking process.  Drain before using.
  2. In a sauté pan, add the remaining butter and cook until melted but not colored.  Add the flour, mixing until all the butter is absorbed by the flour.  Whisk in the milk, cream, 1 cup of the reserved cooking liquid, and the cooked green asparagus.  Bring to a simmer.  Reduce the heat and cook until the flour flavor has been cooked out, about 15 minutes.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
  3. Pour the cooled soup into a food processor or blender.   Process until smooth, and then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Presentation
In a shallow bowl, pour in the white asparagus soup.  Using a ladle, carefully pour the green asparagus soup into one side of the bowl so that the soup looks half white, half green.  You may wish to create a swirl in the soups by inserting a fork into the green asparagus and gently pulling the green soup through the white soup in a circular motion.  Garnish with parsley and serve immediately, as asparagus soup forms a “skin” when it cools.

Quick Tip: Working with White Asparagus
Because it grows underground, white asparagus is woodier than green and thus requires a bit more preparation:

  1. If your asparagus has dirt on it, wash but do not soak it.
  2. Peel the asparagus.  There are two ways of doing this.  If you’re afraid of snapping the asparagus spears, you can lay them on a cutting board and peel them in long strips from the tip to the base, rotating the spears as you work.  Or you can do it the way we do.  Hold the asparagus in your hand so that the tip is in your fingers and the stalk rests on your hand and wrist.  Peel from the tip to the base, rotating the spears as you work.  We use an asparagus peeler, as it gives us more control and preserves more of the asparagus than a regular vegetable peeler.
  3. Remove the ends from the asparagus spears.  You can cut the spears to uniform lengths, or you can let the asparagus tell you where it would like to be cut.  The end will break at the point where it is the driest, and therefore oldest and woodiest.  You can simply snap it off and discard.
  4. Your cleaned asparagus can be kept refrigerated for up to 3 days in a wet paper towel, which will keep it moist and white. 

 

Wine Pairings
2003 Robert Sinskey Vineyards
Pinot Blanc of Los Carneros
Napa, California

2003 Robert Sinskey Vineyards
Vin Gris of Pinot Noir Los Carneros
Napa, California

 

 

© Marcel Biró and Shannon Kring Biró. Adapted for Sally’s Place from  Biró: European-Inspired Cuisine cookbook (Gibbs Smith 2005). All rights reserved.

Photo credit Marty Snortum.



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