Cold Asparagus Soup With Lump Crabmeat
There's nothing better than fresh spring asparagus coupled with sweet crabmeat. The combination makes this an elegant lunch or brunch soup to die for!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds asparagus
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 cup minced yellow onions
- 1 cup minced leeks (white parts only)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/4 cup bleached all-purpose flour
- 1 cup heavy cream (optional)
- 1 pound lump or jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
- 1/2 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
- 2 ounces sevruga caviar (optional)
- 1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
Directions
Trim the tough woody ends from the asparagus and discard. Cut the asparagus into 2-inch pieces.
Bring 2 quarts water and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Add the asparagus and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, leeks, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and the white pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the leeks are wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, then the flour, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir to cook the flour, without browning, about 2 minutes. Add the asparagus and the reserved cooking liquid. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, until the asparagus is very tender, about 10 minutes.
Purée the soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a food processor or blender. Strain the soup through a wire sieve into a large bowl. Discard the solids. Whisk in the cream. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 and up to 8 hours.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each serving with a heaping 2 tablespoons of crabmeat, a dollop of sour cream, a small spoonful of caviar, if using, and a sprinkling of chives.
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