Asparagus Soup

Ingredients

• 3 Tbls olive oil
• 20 g One stick celery
• 18 g spring onion (finely chopped)
• 80 g Two leeks finely chopped
• 50 g One small red onion finely chopped
• 15 g Three garlic cloves smashed
• 220 g fresh asparagus
• 1000 ml asparagus peel stock/ broth or vegetable stock
• 1/2 tin cannellini beans
• 5 g sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 1/2 tsp salt and a few cracks of black paper (add more at the end)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• zest lemon

Instructions

1. 1

   To make the asparagus stock, use the peels from the stems and the fibrous ends bits. I will say though if you are buying them from your chosen supermarket, they will already be trimmed down. Use vegetable stock or water. Just be aware, water will not give you the intense flavours. In this case double up on the quantity of asparagus in the recipe. Another alternative is to add baby marrows as I mention below. Not everyone has time to peel asparagus these days, but if you do you won't be disappointed.

2. 2

   Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan add finely chopped red onion fry for three minutes,

3. 3

   Add the smash garlic stir for 30 seconds

4. 4

   Add the Leeks, spring onion, and celery, and stir to coat with onion mix.

5. 5

   Add 1 cup of asparagus broth or vegetable broth to the pot, stir for 1 minute

6. 6

   Add the fresh asparagus and rosemary to the pot and another ladle of asparagus stock. Bring up the temperature put the lid on and steam for two minutes switch the pot off and let the asparagus continue to steam for 5 minutes

7. 7

   Add the cannellini beans and 500ml of stock bring to temperature check the seasoning

8. 8

   Using a stick blender, blitz the soup to a smooth consistency drizzle in the olive oil to thicken as necessary. Grate in the zest and a tiny squeeze of lemon if you like as on option.