Asparagus soup with Chicken, potatoes, leek and celery

I had always seen this bundle of Asparagus being sold in the supermarket where I usually go to when I need special stuff which is not available elsewhere. I had never particularly paid any attention to the exotic vegetables and other produce being sold in the vegetable section as they were not very commonly found nor prepared in India.

I have never seen asparagus nor leek or celery in the local vegetable markets. I had started buying celery and leek only after I was looking around for recipes to make different soups as part of my healthy endeavours.

Asparagus, leek and celery in the nearby supermarket were all priced at 250 per kg which is way too expensive compared to the rates of the regular vegetables here in the local markets which were in the range of Rs. 30-60.

So, I had never even given a second glance to these expensive greens till I had started embarking on this new hobby of experimenting with different cuisines.

So, last Sunday, I bought this bundle of Asparagus and found some recipes on the net to prepare soup with it. Prior to this, I have never tasted asparagus so I really had no idea what to expect.

Asparagus spears being sauteed in butter

Asparagus Spears reserved for garnishing

A bunch of Asparagus stalks

But, after I prepared this wonderful soup, was I glad I made it!

So, I am sharing this soup recipe which was the outcome of a mix of a couple of recipes for asparagus soup with some modifications.

I had come across this recipe by Tarla Dalal, an Indian food writer, chef, cookbook author and host of cooking shows, and another one here by Jamie Oliver, an English Celebrity chef and decided to adapt it to my liking.

Below is the final outcome though, in my hurry and excitement, I forgot to garnish my soup. 😛

Asparagus soup with chicken, leek, celery and potatoes

I had tried out a Potato and Leek soup, prior to this, which I also liked a lot but after tasting this soup, this one wins hands down!

I used Chicken and vegetable stock for the soup which I prefer making myself.

So, here is the recipe:

Creamy Asparagus Soup with Chicken, Potatoes, Leek and Celery

Servings: 2
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INGREDIENTS:

1 cup chopped asparagus
2 stalks of leek, trimmed and chopped
2 stalks of celery, trimmed and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped (1/4 cup)
1/4 cup peeled and chopped potatoes
2 tsp butter
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup shredded boiled chicken (after used in stock)
1/2 cup low-fat milk

FOR THE GARNISH:

4 Asparagus spears

DIRECTIONS:

Saute the asparagus spears in 1 tsp butter till cooked and keep aside for garnish.
Asparagus spears being sauteed in butter

Asparagus Spears
Heat the remaining butter in a deep non-stick pan, add the onions and potatoes and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the leeks and celery and fry for sometime till soft.
Add the chicken stock, mix well and simmer till potatoes and the greens are almost cooked.
Add the asparagus, mix well and cook for a few more minutes.
Once done, let it cool a little and then you can pour it to another deep vessel and use an immersion blender to blend the mixture to a puree and then strain it.
Transfer the strained puree back to the pan and add the shredded chicken pieces, salt, pepper and milk and bring to a boil.
Simmer for a few minutes and then remove from the gas. Serve hot garnished with the sauteed spears.