Watching Chef Tal cook a vegan celery root soup on a recent episode of Oprah reminded me that you don't need heavy cream or milk to give soup a luxurious creamy texture. Cooking vegetables or beans in a broth or water and then blending at a high speed will actually do the trick.
With a hefty bunch of asparagus sitting in my refrigerator over the weekend, I decided to make a cream of asparagus soup.
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You start by sautéing onions and asparagus in vegan margarine, and then you add broth and bring it to a simmer. The next step—blending all the ingredients—is what creates the smooth texture, but I also like to add just a little unsweetened soy milk to make it extra creamy.
A touch of lemon and cayenne in the soup add tartness and spice that help balance out the strong asparagus flavor. And because of that full flavor, I must warn you that this recipe is strictly for asparagus lovers. Enjoy!
Cream of Asparagus Soup
2 lbs. green asparagus
1 large onion, diced
2 Tbsp. vegan margarine
Salt, to taste
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
5-6 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
Juice of 1/2 lemon
•Trim the hard ends off the asparagus and discard. Cut the asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces.
•In a heavy pot over medium-low heat, sauté the onion in the margarine until translucent. Add the asparagus, salt, and cayenne pepper and cook approximately 5 minutes.
•Add 5 cups of vegetable broth and simmer for approximately 15 minutes.
•Pour half the soup into a blender, add 1/8 cup soy milk, and blend until smooth. Add the remaining broth if a thinner consistency is desired. Pour into a bowl and set aside, then blend the remaining soup and soy milk.
•Pour all the soup back into the pot over low heat. Add lemon juice and additional salt or cayenne pepper, to taste.
Makes 4 servings
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