A healthy eating idea.
Suitable for Vegetarians
In the UK we've just reached asparagus season (May). To celebrate we picked a load of fresh asparagus at our local pick your own farm.
After a few delicious dinners of griddled asparagus I decided that we needed to try it another way and found that this pea and asparagus soup makes a delightful Spring dish.
Makes around 4 generous portions
1 tablespoon of olive oil 2 large onions, finely chopped 4 sticks of celery, thinly sliced 2 large handfuls of asparagus 4 oz fresh or frozen peas 1.5 litres fresh chicken or vegetable stock Salt and pepper to taste Ciabatta bread and a slosh of extra virgin olive oil for serving
Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan and add the onions and celery. Sweat the onions and celery over a low to medium heat for around 10 minutes until softened.
Whilst these are cooking prepare the asparagus by cutting off and retaining the tips, then cutting the stem into inch long pieces.
Add the pieces of asparagus stems to the pan and cook for a minute, then add the stock. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer gently with the lid on for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes of gentle simmering add the peas and cook for a further 5 minutes. Then blend this mixture into a smooth soup and add seasoning to taste. To finish off your aparagus and pea soup, add the asparagus tips and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
Serve in large bowls with a couple of toasted slices of ciabatta drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and seasoned with freshly ground black pepper.
We hope you enjoy this healthy low fat recipe.