“Cream” of Asparagus Soup
Will I ever be not busy? It doesn’t seem like it, but I think my life should calm down in January, so hopefully then I’ll be back to posting more regularly, with my normal obnoxious photographing-every-little-step posts. In the meantime, here is a quick post featuring some soup I made for dinner tonight. It’s really just this Cream of Asparagus Soup recipe on AllRecipes, veganized, though it is also very similar to the Creamless Cream of Asparagus Soup I made earlier this year.
“Cream” of Asparagus Soup
3 Tbsp oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups vegan broth
1 bundle asparagus, chopped
1 large or 2 small potatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp soy sauce
freshly ground pepper, to taste
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven, then add the onion and celery and saute until soft and golden. Stir in the flour, stirring until completely smooth to avoid lumps. Add the vegan broth – I like to heat water to a boil in my electric kettle, then pour it into the pot and add the bouillon – and stir until smooth and thickened. Add the asparagus, potatoes, and soy sauce and bring to a boil …
… then reduce heat and simmer for half an hour or until potatoes and asparagus are soft. Season with as much freshly ground pepper as you’d like. Remove from heat and puree using an immersion blender, or let cool for a while and transfer to a blender in batches and blend …
… then return to pot and bring back up to temperature if necessary before serving.
It doesn’t look all that exciting, but looks can be deceiving – this is really tasty. Mark informed me this was “completely awesome” and had two huge servings…then later while doing the dishes lamented the fact that he ate too much. Mark added rice to his for some texture; I ate mine plain and spooned barbecued beans over my portion of rice. Either way it’s quick, easy, healthy, and delicious.
LA is beginning to seem like so long ago, but I promised you a Cats of LA photo essay, so here you go:
My gosh doesn’t this look like Brachtune?!
Oh wait, that last cat isn’t of LA….yet ..?
radioactivegan Said,
December 21, 2010 @ 1:31 am
I love your blog! Come for the delicious food, stay for the gratuitous cat photos.
Jenny Said,
December 21, 2010 @ 1:50 am
Vegan food & cats, two of my favorite things.
Is this one blind?: http://ineluctable.org/ieatfood/new_cream_of_asparagus/Radar%20looking.JPG
renae Said,
December 21, 2010 @ 10:07 am
Radioactivevegan, Thank you!!
Jenny, Yes, that’s my friend’s cat Radar and he is blind. There is some more info about him a couple of posts back – he’s really awesome.
Zoa Said,
December 21, 2010 @ 11:15 am
Renae, I adore your blog as you know, and also the step-by-steps, and of course all the cats. Happy holidays to you and Mark and the kittens, and I look forward to your future posts, whenever they may be–
renae Said,
December 22, 2010 @ 10:11 am
Zoa, Happy holidays to you too! And thank you for your very inspirational blog – whenever I’m in a cooking slump, I just go visit your blog.
Amanda Said,
December 21, 2010 @ 11:02 pm
Is that Torticia? (best cat name ever, btw) If so, she’s looking so big! Kitties just make every day better.
renae Said,
December 22, 2010 @ 10:07 am
Amanda,
Yes, that’s Torticia, in the bathroom sink. She is getting big, but she’s still much smaller than Gomez.
Kevin Said,
December 22, 2010 @ 2:23 am
I just made this, delicious! It reminds me of clam chowder, which makes me wish there were shitake mushrooms in it, I think I’ll add them next time (and there will be a next time, my girlfriend just informed me that this needs to become a staple!)
renae Said,
December 22, 2010 @ 10:09 am
Kevin, I’m so glad you liked it! Personally, I hate mushrooms, but nonetheless I can see how shiitakes would be good in it. Maybe also leave it a bit chunky?
Josiane Said,
December 22, 2010 @ 2:31 am
Your cream of asparagus sounds really good. I think I have yet to make a cream of asparagus myself; I must remedy that! I’ll remember your recipe and will give it a try in a few months (I tend to consider asparagus a seasonal, springtime treat).
renae Said,
December 22, 2010 @ 10:14 am
Josiane, ah, spring. Will it ever arrive? Winter has barely even begun. Ugh. I can be pretty terrible at cooking seasonally, although the good news is soup is generally good for out-of-season vegetables if you are willing to buy them. I actually made this because the asparagus I had was a little past its prime.