Asparagus vichyssoise soup

Name: Asparagus vichyssoise soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: French recipes
Ingredients: 400ml milk; 2 medium leeks, trimmed and finely sliced; Trimmings and bases of a bunch of asparagus, roughly chopped (about 200g); 2 medium floury potatoes, peeled and diced; 1 level tsp salt; Crème fraîche and olive oil (optional)

Easy
May 2004

Easy
May 2004

Test kitchen approved

Serves 4
Ready in about 1 hour

A classic vichyssoise is usually made from potatoes and leeks but we’ve added asparagus for springtime twist. Usually served cold but you can eat it warm, too.

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Ingredients

400ml milk
2 medium leeks, trimmed and finely sliced
Trimmings and bases of a bunch of asparagus, roughly chopped (about 200g)
2 medium floury potatoes, peeled and diced
1 level tsp salt
Crème fraîche and olive oil (optional)

Method

Heat half the milk in a pan big enough for the soup (about 2.5 litres). When it looks like it might boil, add the leek and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the asparagus trimmings and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and the salt and stir thoroughly. (Don’t worry if the milk looks like it has curdled or even reduced too much.) Stir the potatoes for about 5 minutes before covering with 500ml water. Simmer gently until the potatoes are tender – about 30 minutes.
Add the remaining milk. Now blend the soup and pass it through a sieve to remove any stringy bits from the asparagus trimmings. The soup will seem very thick so let it down with a little more water if you wish. Check the seasoning. The soup will benefit from a dollop of crème fraîche or a drizzle of olive oil.

delicious. tips

This dish is very economical, despite the fact that it tastes expensive. All you need are the woody, stemmy bits at the bottom of the asparagus, so cook another asparagus recipe and keep your trimmings for this one.

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