Springtime Soup with asparagus, fennel and greens
Seasonal produce is helping me celebrate springtime even though it feels like we are still in hibernation mode. I revisited this soup since I have tons of asparagus from my CSA box and harvested a bunch of fennel from my garden. I first developed this recipe in culinary school to highlight my favorite springtime flavors and locally foraged ingredients. It is an easy and quick dish that feels really fancy and healthy. It's loaded with vitamins, minerals and immune boosting phytonutrients.
Indian lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) is a wonderful native treat but with the shelter in place order, I haven’t been out to the woods to harvest any wild foods this season. I didn’t have spinach either so I used swiss chard. You could also use kale, arugula or really any greens. Just keep in mind the bitterness factor - you may need to add a bit of honey and more lemon to balance it out. The ideal green is bright, fresh, bold in flavor and works well when cooked.
If you want your soup to be really bright green, you can blanch the asparagus by cooking in boiling water for 2 minutes and then submerging in an ice bath. Follow the rest of the instructions and add the asparagus when you get to the puree stage.
When I first made this dish, I served it with wild nettle pesto and a walnut cream sauce. It would also be delicious with coconut cream, yogurt and/or sourdough bread.
Adapt and get creative with whatever produce you have available! Happy cooking!
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Springtime Soup with Asparagus, Fennel and Greens
Gluten free, soy free, nut free, vegan
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 bunch asparagus (~1lb), slice into 1 inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onions, medium dice
2 cloves garlic, peeled, small dice
1 medium fennel bulb, medium dice
1 large handfuls indian lettuce or spinach (about 2 loosely filled cups)
2.5 cups stock, plus more for thinning soup (can be poultry or vegetable stock)
1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus more to taste
2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
Instructions:
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add onion and cook until translucent. Then add garlic and cook another minute until fragrant.
2. Add fennel, salt and pepper to pan and sauté for about 5 minutes or until soft. Then add asparagus.
3. Add stock to veggie mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook for another 3-5 minutes until asparagus is soft.
4. Add in indian lettuce (or other greens) and cook until wilted. Remove from heat once greens are just barely cooked.
6. Puree soup in a high-powered blender until smooth and creamy
7. Add in lemon juice and blend to mix.
8. Taste and adjust with more salt, pepper and lemon juice. Can also add a splash more of olive oil.
