Inspiration From The Community

Thank you to Roma for sending in the inspirational poem along with the recipe: Asparagus Soup with Lemon and Parmesan!

"and then the whole world

walked inside and shut their doors

and said we will stop it all. everything.

to protect our weaker ones.

our sicker ones. our older ones.

and nothing. nothing in the history of humankind

ever felt more like love than this."

-CD (Chelsie Diane)

This creamy asparagus soup is made without heavy cream.

Ingredients:

2 bunches asparagus (about 2-1/4 pounds), bottom ends trimmed

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 medium yellow onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from one lemon

1/2 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano

Handful fresh herbs, such as thyme, dill or basil (optional, for garnish)

Instructions:

1. Melt butter in large pot. Add onions and garlic. Cook until soft & translucent about 8 minutes.

2. While that's going, prep asparagus. Trim tips (used later for garnish) and cut remaining spears into 1/2 inch pieces.

3. Add chopped asparagus to pot along with chicken broth, salt, and pepper.

4. Bring to boil. Then cover and simmer for 30 minutes until vegetables are tender.

5. Puree soup with hand held blender until smooth & creamy. Alternatively, blend soup in batches in a blender.

6. Return soup to pot and stir in fresh lemon juice and grated Parmesan cheese.

7. Cook asparagus tips in salted boiling water for a few minutes until tender-crisp.

8. Best way to preserve bright green color of tips is to shock them in an ice bath, but you can also refresh the tips under cold, running water.

9. Finally, ladle the soup into bowls and top with the Asparagus tips, Parmesan cheese, fresh herbs (optional), and freshly ground black pepper.