Cream of Asparagus Soup (Crème D'asperges)

To continue on with the soup series and with asparagus in season, I had to make this recipe. I found it from Epicurious and is it good. It's a very rich soup with a velvety texture. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

* 2 pounds green asparagus
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 5 to 6 cups chicken broth
* 1/2 cup crème fraîche or heavy cream
* 1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste


Cut tips from 12 asparagus 1 1/2 inches from top. Reserve for garnish.

Cut stalks and all remaining asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces (don't forget to trim the woody ends).

Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add asparagus pieces and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add 5 cups broth and simmer, covered, until asparagus is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

While soup simmers, cook reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then drain.

Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth, transferring to a bowl (use caution when blending hot liquids), and return to pan (Scott's Note: I used a stick blender and Puréed the soup right in the pan). Stir in crème fraîche or heavy cream, then add more broth to thin soup to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil and whisk in remaining tablespoon butter.

Add lemon juice and garnish with asparagus tips (I added the lemon juice in the serving bowl at the end to brighten the soup up - just a couple of drops will do).

French Onion Soup

Since I've been on a bit of a soup kick lately, I decided to repost the French Onion Soup recipe I posted two years ago. It's a simple, but time consuming recipe

better have three free hours!

Ingredients:

6 Yellow Onions (about 4 lbs. Don't use Vidalia Walla Wallas as they will be too sweet)
4 TB butter
2 Cups Water (plus more to deglaze)
1/2 Cup Dry White Sherry
4 Cups Chicken Broth
2 Cups Beef Broth
6 Thyme Sprigs tied together with twine
1 bay leaf

And for serving:

1 Loaf Crusty French Bread
1 Hunk Gruyere Cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large dutch oven, add butter. Peel and half onions and then slice into thin to medium thin slices and add to the dutch oven. Place dutch oven covered in the oven on the lowest rack and cook for 1 hour. Remove dutch oven and stir onions and scrape any fond off the bottom of the pot. The onions should have reduced to half their size. Leave the lid slightly open and place dutch oven back in the oven and cook for 1 1/2 hours, stirring the onions after the first hour.

remove pot from the oven and place over a medium high burner and reduce any of the liquids that are in the pan. scrape any fond on the sides and bottom of the pot. Once the liquid has reduced and the bottom of the pot starts to turn brown, add 1/4 cup of water and deglaze the pan. Reduce the water and then deglaze again. Repeat this process one more time with the water and then add the sherry and deglaze again. Once the sherry has reduced, add the broths, water thyme and bay leaf and simmer for 1/2 hour. While this is happening, slice bread in 1/2 inch pieces and put on a cookie sheet in the 450 degree oven for 10 minutes.

After the soup has simmered for 1/2 hour, remove thyme and bay leaf. Ladle soup into oven proof bowls. place bread on top of soup and grate cheese on top. place in the oven and cook until cheese is brown and bubbly. Remove from oven and allow to cool before serving.