The best asparagus soup recipe to serve hot or chilled

It is Spring and Spring fruit and veggies are showing up in the grocery store.  Lately, asparagus have been available.  Usually the stalks get trimmed and thrown away, but for some reason when I saw the amount of this delicious vegetable that was going to end up in the trash, I decided to use them.  The first thing that came to mind was a delicious asparagus soup. 

Asparagus soup is a great way to use stringy stalks since the stalks are cooked then pureed.  It is a delightful soup that is delicious both hot and chilled.

 

Sorry, I don't have photos of making this soup, but next time I make it, I will update this post with the details.  The recipe contains enough details for you to make it without problems.

Creamy Asparagus Soup

Makes about 8 cups 

• 6 cups  Chicken broth
• 1 ½ lbs Asparagus                  
• 2 tbsp  Butter
• 1 med  Onion, diced
• 2 tbsp  All-purpose Flour
• ½ cup  Half and half
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 

1. Add chicken broth to a 4-6 qt stockpot and bring to a boil.  Turn down heat. 

2. Meanwhile wash and trim asparagus.  You will use everything but the tips.  (If you only have the woody ends, that's fine, too.  The soup will still be wonderful.  You may want a few whole asparagus for decoration.)  Cut the stalks in about 2” pieces.   Place all the stalks in the chicken broth.  Cook for about 20 minutes or until the asparagus is soft.  

3. While the asparagus are cooking, dice onion.  Place butter in small frying pan and sauté onions until translucent.  Sprinkle the flour over the onions and cook for a minute or two.  The flour should be completely absorbed into the butter/onion mixture.  If it is not, add a little more butter and cook until well incorporated.  Using a whisk, incorporate some of the chicken/asparagus broth to thin out the onion/flour mixture. 

4. You will want to puree the asparagus and onions.  There are several ways to do this:  1) Blender; 2) immersion blender or 3) Vitamix. 

5. If using a blender or Vitamix, remove the asparagus solids from the pan and put in the blender or vitamix.  If there is room, include the onion/flour mixture to remove all lumps.  Whirl until completely smooth.  Be careful not to load the machine more than about ⅓ to ½ full or the hot mixture can explode.  Also hold the lid down using a towel for protection.  Do this in batches until everything is pureed.  Put it back in the pan.  

6. If using an immersion blender, blend right in the pot until the mixture is completely pureed.   

7. Whichever method you use, continue cooking until everything is well combined and begins to boil.  This will thicken the soup.  Add the half and half, then salt and pepper to taste. 

8. Garnish the soup with a few of the asparagus tips that have been cooked.  This is good hot or chilled.   

If you make this soup out of season, it can be quite expensive to make, but in the Spring, asparagus are very affordable.

 

The best eggplant parmesan recipe that is so easy to make

 

 

I made a pact to make at least one meatless meal a week.  Sometimes I do well on this...other times, not so much.  With Lent upon us, there will definitely be more meatless dishes being served.

One of my favorite dishes is eggplant parmesan.  I often order it at restaurants and am equally often disappointed in the dish that I am served.

Since it is easy to make, I'd like to share my version so that you can make it at home yourself.  I also make a very simple sauce that I use on both chicken parm and eggplant parm.  See the recipe after the eggplant parm recipe.

 

Eggplant Parmesan

Serves 4

• 2 Medium sized eggplant
• 2 tbsp Kosher salt
• 1 cup All purpose flour (more if needed)
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 cup Bread crumbs (more if needed)
• Kosher salt, black pepper and garlic powder
• Vegetable oil
• Cooking spray
• Spaghetti or marinara sauce (see my favorite simple recipe at the end of this blog)
• Parmesan cheese
• Fresh basil

1. Peel eggplant and slice into ½ inch thick slices. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Place in a colander over a plate and set aside for about 15 minutes to let the liquid drain. Rinse very well to remove the saltiness and drain well.  Dry off the eggplant slices.  I like to lay drained eggplant slices on paper towels and lightly press out the excess liquid.

2. To prepare for breading: Place the flour on one plate. Mix together the eggs and water in a bowl large enough to lay an eggplant slice flat. Place the bread crumbs in another plate.

3. Add oil to frying pan so that it is about ½” deep. Heat the oil to about 350°. Do not overheat. You may need to add additional oil as you continue frying the eggplant.

4. Dredge a slice of eggplant in the flour. Shake off the excess flour. Dip the eggplant into the egg mixture letting the extra egg drip off. Finally, cover the eggplant with bread crumbs, shaking off the excess crumbs. Make as many as will fit into your frying pan. If you have time, you can place the breaded eggplant in the refrigerator for an hour or so.  This will help the breading set.  If not...start frying.

 

5.  Place the eggplant in the oil and fry until the first side browns. Turn over and let the second side brown. Do not overcook or the eggplant will become soggy. Place fried eggplant on paper towels to absorb any extra oil. Repeat until all the eggplant pieces are fried.

6. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray. Place a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Shingle the eggplant rounds into the baking pan. Ladle some of the sauce over the eggplant and sprinkle with some grated parmesan cheese. Place in the oven until the cheese melts. Optionally, use the microwave to heat the sauce and melt the cheese over the eggplant.

7. Place on a plate, sprinkle with more cheese, if desired. Tear some fresh basil over the top and serve.

 

If you have more eggplant than you are going to serve, it freezes well.  I just bread and cook it, then place in a plastic ziptop bag.

 

   You can always use bottled spaghetti or marinara sauce, but I absolutely love the simple red sauce that I make to go with my eggplant or chicken parm.  It's easy, made with ingredients I almost always have on hand, and I can control what ingredients are used.  

 

 

Basic Red Sauce for Chicken and Eggplant Parmesan

Makes about 6 cups 

·       2 tsp Extra virgin olive oil

·       1 large Onion, chopped fine

·       3 cloves Garlic, minced OR

·       1 tsp Garlic powder

·       3, 15-oz cans Crushed tomatoes

·       ¾ tsp Kosher salt

·       Heaping ¼ tsp Freshly ground black pepper

·       2 ½ tsp Dried Italian seasoning

·       ¼ to ½ cup Water, as needed

·       ¼ cup Grated parmesan cheese

·       ¼ tsp Baking soda (optional) 

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan.  Add onions and sauté until translucent.  Add garlic and sauté another 30 seconds or so. 

2. Carefully add the crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.  Stir well.  Bring pan to a boil then bring down to a simmer.  Simmer until flavors meld….about 20 minutes.  If mixture becomes too thick, add a little water.  

3. Add parmesan then simmer another 5 minutes.  Right before serving, taste it one more time.  If it is a too acidic, add in baking soda until the flavor is less acidic. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today's Kitchen Tip: What if you don't like eggplant because it's bitter?

If you like to eat eggplant but find it is bitter, you may want to try a Chinese eggplant.  It has a thinner skin, less seeds and is less bitter than a 'regular' globe  eggplant.  It also has a more delicate flavor.

While you can substitute a Chinese eggplant for a globe eggplant, just know that since it has a more delicate flavor, you probably will not want to use it in a dish where all the other flavors are very strong.  If the other ingredients in your dish have a strong flavor, you might lose the delicate flavor of the Chinese eggplant.

Do you want to make your tofu taste good?

If you think that tofu tastes like....well, tofu, think again.  Tofu works like a canvas for other flavors.

When working with firm and extra firm tofu, you will need to press out the water first, so that your tofu can absorb the flavors you want.  To do so, drain the tofu, wrap in a cotton towel and place something heavy (such as a can) over the tofu.  I usually put the can on a plate so that the tofu doesn't break.  Press the water out for about 30 minutes or more.

When done, place the tofu into your marinade.  You may want to slice or cube the tofu first, but it's not required.  Do not use an oil based marinade as the tofu has trouble absorbing flavors.

Prepare the tofu as you normally would. 

We have lots of handy hints for tofu, so watch this space for more ideas.

Looking for something different to do with plain jane veggies?

Preparing vegetables the same way all the time can get pretty boring.  If you want something a little different, try roasting your veggies.  It's really easy.  Just take your favorite veggie such as broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, zucchini, etc., and place on a rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle them with a  little olive oil.  You can toss them with garlic, your favorite herbs, salt, pepper, and anything else you like.

Place them into a 350F degree oven and roast until they start to brown.  Turn over and roast the other side.  This can go quickly...especially when using zucchini and asparagus, so be sure to watch closely.

Sometimes I will sprinkle the veggies with a little parmesan cheese and some lemon zest just to change things up.

Oh yes, this also works on your grill, too.

You will not believe how delicious your veggies will be when made this way.

Roast your own chiles

Hatch chiles ready to be roasted

Living in Phoenix, I tend to make a lot of dishes using chiles.  You can buy several types in cans, but they are often not that flavorful and truth be told, a teeny tiny can can be $1 or more.  What I like to do is buy them at the grocery store or favorite Mexican market.  I wash them, then either throw them under the broiler until the skin blisters or put them on the grill.  Once they are blistered, I put them in a bowl, cover with plastic.  As they steam, the skin separates and becomes very easy to remove.

So what do I do with them?  I freeze them so I always have roasted chiles available when I need them.



Roasted chiles with blistered skin

Don't forget to use gloves if you are sensitive, and for heaven sakes, don't touch your eyes before washing your hands really well with soap.  Hmmm, these might be separate tips.  Oh well, today's a 3-fer.