Light and Delicious Asparagus Soup

Ingredients

• 2 small boiling potatoes
• ¼ cup fat-free sour cream
• 1 pound asparagus
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
• ¼ cup dry white wine (Optional)
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Step 1

Boil the potatoes in a small pot of water until they’re tender, about 20 minutes. Drain them, then mash lightly with the sour cream. Pop this mixture into a blender.

Step 2

Trim the asparagus by cutting it into three parts: the woody ends, the tips, and the middle pieces. Toss the woody ends into a stockpot with the vegetable broth and bring it to a boil. Let it simmer until those tough ends soften, then fish them out and discard.

Step 3

Scoop out a couple of tablespoons of the broth and mix it with the asparagus tips in a small bowl. Pour the rest of the broth into the blender with the potatoes.

Step 4

Chop the middle parts of the asparagus. Heat some olive oil in a skillet over low heat, then cook the chopped asparagus, onion, and two crushed garlic cloves gently until the asparagus is tender—this should take around 10 minutes. Add this mixture to the blender with the broth and potatoes.

Step 5

Blend everything until smooth and creamy, then pour it back into the pot. In the same skillet, cook the sliced mushrooms and one crushed garlic clove in the leftover oil over medium-low heat until the mushrooms soften, about 3 to 5 minutes. Pour in the white wine and let it cook for another minute or two before stirring this into the soup.

Step 6

Warm up the asparagus tips with the reserved broth in the microwave for a couple of minutes, then stir them into the soup. Finally, season everything with cayenne, salt, and black pepper to your taste, and you’re ready to serve.