Cream Of Asparagus Soup

Cream of Asparagus Soup
1 Tablespoon oil
1 bunch asparagus, tough ends cut off, cut into 1 inch lengths
1 small white onion, medium dice
water to cover
salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
ground ginger, to taste
freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
1 can (370mL) evaporated milk (I used 2%)

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and asparagus and sweat over low heat, covered, without browning for about ten minutes until vegetables are slightly softened, but still vibrant. Add enough water to just cover the vegetables and bring to a boil. Stir in some seasonings. Simmer until vegetables are tender, but not mushy. Blend the mixture, use a blender that can hold hot liquids for a really smooth texture or a handheld immersion blender. Gradually stir in the milk while blending. For a really smooth texture, pass the blended soup through a sieve or chinois. You can make this soup as smooth as you'd like or keep some texture in it. You can also reserve a few asparagus tips for garnish. Bring the soup back to a boil, adjust seasonings, and stir in lemon juice. Once reboiled, this thick soup will burn or curdle easily so it is best to serve immediately or keep at a very low simmer. 

If you want a green soup, you have your choice of cream of broccoli or split pea, or this cream of asparagus soup, which is a combination of the two preparation techniques. It is prepared much in the same way as cream of broccoli, but is thicker and a less vibrant green like split pea soup. I just used the skills I learned from my soup course to make up this soup. Adjust the seasonings as you wish, I like the hint of ginger but you could spice things up with some cayenne, fenugreek, or whatever you wish. Use as much or as little as you wish. I used the juice of half a lemon, which adds a little taste but not too much tang. You can substitute whipping cream for the evaporated milk, which will make a heavier, richer soup, but evaporated milk imparts a similar texture with less calories and fat. This recipe makes about half a liter, enough for 4-6 small appetizer servings or 2-4 larger main course servings.