Potato, Fennel and Leek Soup with Asparagus

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A wonderful blend of flavors using basic ingredients to make this delicious and creamy soup for springtime { Potato, Fennel and Leek Soup with Asparagus}.  The anise flavor from the fennel adds just the right amount of sweetness.  To top it off, I decided to garnish the soup with cooked asparagus for color, texture and because it’s in season.

This recipe is a slight variation of Lynn Morris’ Potato, Fennel and Leek Soup.  To see her other recipe for Potato Salad,  click here.

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 To round out the meal, serve it with grilled cheese sandwich {or a crusty piece of bread}.

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Potato, Fennel and Leek Soup with Asparagus

{print recipe, here}

makes 3-3½ quarts

Ingredients

6  tablespoons unsalted butter
1   large fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped
1   leek, white and pale green only, halved lengthwise, sliced thin
1   large yellow onion, chopped
3   pounds of potatoes, peeled and chopped into small pieces
5   cups chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
3-4   cups cooked asparagus, cut into bite size pieces for garnish
salt and pepper to taste

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1.  Heat a large heavy pot over medium-high heat.  Add fennel, leek, onion, and 2 tablespoons butter.  Cook without browning the vegetables, just until tender, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

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2.  Bring the heat up to high and add chicken broth/stock and potatoes, bring to broil.  Reduce heat, and let it simmer until potatoes are soft, 12-15 minutes.

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3.  Turn the heat off.  Working in batches, purée soup in a blender until smooth.

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4.  Return soup mixture to the pot, add cream and the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter.

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5.  Bring the soup to a simmer over medium heat, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

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How to Blanch Asparagus

1½   lbs asparagus
1      tablespoon salt
4-6  cups water

1.  Trim off the tough-fibrous ends of the asparagus and discard them.

2.  Wash, rinse and cut asparagus into bite size pieces {about 1-inch long each}.

3.  Bring a saucepan of water {4-6 cups} to a boil.  Add salt, drop the cut asparagus pieces into the boiling water, cook for approximately 2-3 minutes {depending on thickness} until they turn bright green and crisp-tender.

4.  Drain cooked asparagus in a colander and transfer immediately into the ice water bath {see above pic} to stop the cooking, 2-3 minutes.

5.  Drain asparagus, store in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

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Serve creamy soup in a bowl, garnish with asparagus pieces and a little sprinkling of black pepper.

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Soup and sandwich for lunch or at any other time of day.

{print Potato, Fennel and Leek Soup with Asparagus recipe, here}

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A little peek into my garden this week… There are a few asparagus stems starting to emerge from the ground. Fun to see in the Spring.

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Posted by Kay