South River Cream Of Asparagus Soup

TO MAKE THE VEGETABLE STOCK

Step 1: Bring to a simmer 2 quarts of water, the carrot, chopped celery, and diced onion, along with the trimmings from the asparagus and leek, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf. Simmer 20 minutes or so, then strain and reserve.

Step 2: Meanwhile, remove the tips from the asparagus and split the stalks in half. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and quickly blanch the tips, then remove them using a slotted spoon (reserving the hot water) and immediately plunge them into an ice water bath. Drain, pat dry, and reserve for garnish.

Step 3: Return the water to the boil and add the cashews for one minute. Drain and rinse them.

Step 4: In a sauce pan with a lid gently sauté the sliced leek and onion with the olive oil and season with sea salt.

Step 5: While the leeks and onions are cooking, thinly slice the asparagus stalks and celery. When the onions and leek are tender, stir in the thyme leaves, followed by the asparagus stalks, celery, and the stock. Bring the mixture just to a simmer and turn off the heat. Add the cashews, miso, nutritional yeast (or parmesan), white pepper, and lemon juice.

Step 6: Working carefully, blend the soup in batches and return it to the saucepan. (If your blender does not produce a smooth result, pass the soup through a fine sieve into the pot.)

Step 7: Warm the soup through and serve garnished with the sliced almonds and reserved asparagus tips.

NOTE: Nutritional yeast is the deactivated form of the yeast known as “Saccharomyces cerevisiae”. It is an excellent source of protein and is therefore often used abundantly among the vegan/vegetarian crowd. It is considered a complete protein containing 18 amino acids, it also contains a variety of minerals such as chromium, an important nutrient for maintaining balanced blood sugar levels. It adds creaminess to dishes and is used in dishes where you want it to be cheesy. For those who don't follow a vegan diet, Parmesan cheese can be substituted