Spring Asparagus Soup with Fresh Crab {Naptime Everyday}
What’s Going on Today: Easter wrap-up, waiting for the rain to subside.
Naptime Goals: Make Asparagus Soup, write thank you note to the Easter bunny for doing such good work.
Tonight’s Menu: Asparagus Soup, soft fresh bread, white wine.
Kitchen Tool of the Week: Cuisinart Hand Blender, the ideal tool for blending soups, smoothies and whatever else you want. Need one? Buy one here at my Amazon store!
I could eat fresh asparagus roasted with olive oil and Parmesan every day of the year. But, the other night when I pulled a bunch of fresh stalks out of the bag and showed them to my husband he looked less than enthusiastic when I announced yet another serving of my favorite dish. I can’t blame him really, when asparagus is in season I serve it at least twice a week, usually prepared the same way. To give him a break I decided to try something new and make an asparagus soup and serve it with fresh crab meat. The latter part of the recipe being influenced by the crab kick we’ve been on recently.
The beautiful thing about soups is that they can so easily be prepared during naptime. This one was no different. I cooked up the soup, blitzed it with my hand mixer and let it cool on the stovetop, and then in the fridge, until dinner. Right before we ate I warmed up the crab meet in a small pan and added it to the soup I had rewarmed in the pot. I think the soup would also be delicious served cold, it is my plan to try it this way in a couple of weeks when it is warm enough to eat dinner outside.
Since we prefer to keep our soups on the lighter side I chose to drizzle a teaspoon of cream into the soup just before serving. I’ve read several recipes where creme fraiche or mascarpone are blended right into the soup, but we steer clear of those belly busting recipes. Without the cream the flavor of the fresh asparagus really shines through. Paired with the light crab meat it makes for a hearty, yet light meal that is perfect for spring weather and the promise of warmer days ahead.
Recipe
Spring Asparagus Soup with Fresh Crab
Ingredients
| 1 | pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces |
| 1 | medium yellow onion, roughly chopped |
| 1 | tablespoon unsalted butter |
| 3 | cups low-sodium chicken stock |
| 1 | teaspoon kosher salt |
| 1 | teaspoon freshly ground black pepper |
| 2 | teaspoons heavy cream |
| 1 | cup fresh crab meat, picked through for shells |
Instructions
1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the roughly chopped onion and saute until soft and translucent. About 5 minutes. Then, add the cut asparagus and saute for an additional 5 minutes, or until the asparagus begins to soften.
2. Pour in the chicken stock, salt and pepper and bring it to a simmer, then cover the pot and allow it to cook for about 20 minutes, until the asparagus is very tender. Then, use a hand blender, or ladle the soup into a blender, and puree the mixture until it is completely smooth.
3. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and add the crab meat into the middle. Then drizzle 1 teaspoon of cream into the soup, if desired, and serve.
Naptime Notes
Naptime Recipe Serving ideas
For a spicier soup try adding a pinch of red pepper flakes when you add the broth! This soup would also be perfectly delicious without the crab meat, or served with lobster instead. It will freeze well without the crab meat and can be eaten chilled or at room temperature!
Naptime Stopwatch
30 minutes to prepare
Naptime Reviews
This was a huge hit amongst the adults. I stirred a few drop into my daughter’s pasta and she was lukewarm on it. Still working on asparagus!
Looks amazing, alas it’s fall here in Argentina and no asparagus to be found!
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