Asparagus Soup with Lemon-Herb Crème Fraîche

On 13 April we went to the Buzz for a wine dinner. Debbie made this awesome asparagus soup. I just had to post the recipe here. If you like asparagus, then you really have to try this. It is awesome and comparatively easy to do. If you want the original recipe, Click Here

Asparagus Soup with Lemon-Herb Crème Fraîche

Ingredients:
½ c Crème Fraîche
1 T Parsley, chopped
2 t Chives, chopped
1 t Tarragon, chopped
1 t Lemon Zest, finely grated
1 t Lemon juice, fresh
Sea Salt and fresh ground Pepper
2 lbs medium Asparagus, tough ends discarded, tips reserved and stalks coarsely chopped
2 T Butter, unsalted
1 med Onion, finely chopped
1 qt Chicken stock
2 c Water

Directions:
In a bowl, blend the crème fraîche with the parsley, chives, tarragon and the lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper, then cover and refrigerate. In a small saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the asparagus tips until tender; drain and transfer to a plate.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, 4 minutes. Add the stock and water and bring to a boil. Add the chopped asparagus and season with 1½ teaspoons of salt and a few grindings of pepper. Boil over moderately high heat until the asparagus are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender and pour it into a clean saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the asparagus tips and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Ladle the soup into warmed shallow bowls. Top with large dollops of the lemon-herb crème fraîche and serve.

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