Asparagus and Avocado Soup
The problem with asparagus soup is that it can be hard to keep it that bright, pretty green color. Vegetable broth turns it more of a camouflage color, but asparagus by itself is a bit of a strong taste. Enter the avocado.
Is there nothing the avocado can’t do? If there is, I haven’t found it yet. Soups, salads, main courses, desserts, the avocado can do it all.
But this soup is really about the asparagus. The avocado is more the supporting player and not the star of this show.
Asparagus can be a difficult veg though. Overcook it and it looks like something dredged up from the bottom of the black lagoon. I’m not sure if I should eat it or give it a burial at sea. Undercook it, and you start to feel like you are gnawing on a piece of bamboo, especially if the ends have not been properly trimmed.
The beauty of this recipe is that, as long as you snap off the ends where they want to be snapped off (it’s all very Zen. Just hold one end of the stalk in each hand and bend it. Where it breaks is where it needs to break), you can’t really overcook or undercook it because looks don’t matter here.
Plus, it only has eight ingredients (including water and salt) and can be made in as little time as it takes to cook the asparagus!
Ingredients:
- 2 bunches of asparagus
- 1 leek (medium/large in size) white and light green parts only
- 1 avoccado
- 3 cups water
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 6 mint leaves (fairly large ones. If using small leaves, you might want to add 1 or 2 more)
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Wash the asparagus and break off the hard ends (for some reason, I always get the bunch of asparagus where about half the stalk is broken off due to being hard). Pat them dry and drizzle with asparagus. Spread them on a lined baking sheet. Cut the end off the leek and halve lengthwise. Wash well to remove all dirt, dry and place on baking sheet as well. Drizzle with oil. Roast the asparagus and leek for 30-40 minutes till tender.
- Remove from oven and cool enough to put into blender.
- Put all ingredients into a high speed blender and puree until smooth and creamy. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Reheat on stovetop before serving.
Enjoy!
