Name: Creamy asparagus soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 platters
Ingredients: 700 g white asparagus; 1 l water; 40 g butter; 30 g plain flour; 1000 ml vegetable broth; 200 ml whipping cream; 1 pc egg; 1 pinch nutmeg; 1 to taste salt; 1 pinch white pepper

Step by step process

Preparing the asparagus

1
Peel the white asparagus with a peeler from the tips downward and cut off the woody ends. Good ingredients are the base of a fine asparagus soup. Do not throw away the peels or trimmings, save them for the broth.
2
Put the peels and ends into a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes so the water soaks up the aroma of the asparagus, then strain through a sieve and set the aromatic liquid aside.
3
Cut the peeled spears into 2 cm pieces. Set the tips aside, you will add them whole at the end as a garnish.

Cooking the soup

4
Melt the butter in a pot, sprinkle it with flour and, stirring constantly with a whisk, let the light roux foam up only briefly. It must not brown, otherwise the soup will lose its delicate color.
5
Whisking constantly, pour in the hot vegetable broth and the reserved asparagus stock so that no lumps form. Add the cut pieces of asparagus and cook for 12 minutes until soft.
6
Blend the softened soup with an immersion blender until smooth. If you want a completely velvety texture, pass it through a fine sieve back into the pot.
TIP:
Partially blend the soup with an immersion blender or mash it to make it creamy but not completely smooth. This trick softens and moistens the texture of the soup and other thick sauces.

Finishing and serving

7
In a bowl, beat the egg yolk with the cream. Pour a ladle of the hot soup into it, stir, and only then pour the mixture back into the pot. Do not boil the soup any more, just warm it through so the yolk does not curdle.
TIP:
Heat the eggs over low heat and stir only until they start to thicken but remain soft. Remove the pan from the heat a little early. The residual heat will finish cooking them without drying them out.
8
Season with salt, white pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Divide among plates, garnish with the reserved asparagus tips and serve with fresh bread.