White Asparagus Soup with Pistachios Recipe
Email
Though prized as the more regal asparagus by the Germans and French, white asparagus tends to take a backseat to green on this side of the Atlantic. But in this simple soup, it shines at center stage.
What to buy: Pistachio oil, with its nutty, multidimensional flavor, makes a sophisticated garnish for this light-bodied soup. You can find it at some health food stores or online. If you can’t locate it, walnut oil is a good substitute.
This dish was featured as part of our Recipes for Passover photo gallery.
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, medium dice
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet (mild) curry powder
- 2 pounds white asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 medium Yukon Gold potato, peeled and large dice
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Pistachio oil, for garnish (optional)
- 1/2 cup shelled, roasted, salted pistachios, coarsely chopped
- Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Add the onion and 1 teaspoon of the salt, season with pepper, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Add the curry powder, stir to combine, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the asparagus, potato, and another teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potato just starts to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the water, broth, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the asparagus is fork tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Using a blender, purée the soup in batches until smooth, removing the small cap from the blender lid (the pour lid) and covering the space with a kitchen towel (this allows steam to escape and prevents the lid from popping off). Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. To serve, divide the soup among bowls, drizzle with pistachio oil (if using), and sprinkle with pistachios.
Beverage pairing: Salomon Hochterrassen Grüner Veltliner, Austria. A delicacy across Europe, white asparagus has a mellow flavor and takes well to a little butter and seasoning. An accompanying wine should have richness, but not so much that it overtakes the delicacy of the asparagus. Grüner Veltliner, because of its slightly herbaceous qualities, is a natural pairing here. This particular version from Salomon is perched perfectly between richness and vibrancy to accentuate the dish.
so excited to try this! i thought for sure that there would be heavy cream in here but it seems that the potatoes will add all the creaminess needed. i'm gona sub the butter for some vegan stuff. saving this one to cookmarked.com for safe keeping! :)
Yum! Sounds great! I will try it with veggie broth and Earth Balance brand Soy Garden unhydrogenated margarine instead.
My main comment is that it seems a long time to cook the Asparagus. I would love to hear from someone who has tried this one whether or not it really took 10 minutes to get the asparagus tender.
I would also suggest trimming off the tender and very pretty tops of the asparagus and holding them aside, then adding them in after pureeing the soup for the sake of beauty and to add texture and interest. The heat of the soup should cook them perfectly by the time the bowls reach the table.
Oh, one more comment, I think gentle re-heating after pureeing is in order, this sounds like a soup that would be good either cold or hot but not warm. Crusty bread on the side also seems indicated.