Creamy Asparagus Soup

So I have given my marathon of Mexican food recipes a rest but took a trip back to my soup obsession. Truthfully I had not been planning on making any soup. The weather here has been pleasantly mild with ZERO rain (What no rain in Washington???), so I wasn't craving soup at all. Then I walked into the grocery store and saw a beautiful sight. Bundles of asparagus. Not the big thick ones that have been the norm, but nice thin tender ones. I was such a happy camper!! Asparagus is, hands down, my favorite vegetable, and the majority of the household feels the same. What was even better was that it was on SALE. Yessssssssssss!!! I grabbed two and finished up my shopping.

Once I got my little green bundles of joy home I started thinking about what I wanted to do with them. I didn't want to use them as a side because I was so happy to find them I didn't want them to take a back seat to anything. I thought about working them into a chicken main dish I have been working on but then it hit me....how do I let those babies shine? Put them center stage! BING the light bulb goes off in my head.....SOUP? Yes!!! I have made many soups but never an asparagus soup. I have no idea why since it IS my favorite veggie.

I was also planning on making grilled ham and Swiss cheese sandwiches to go along with this soup. Sounds yummy right? Well it WOULD have been but the kids ate all but three pieces of the ham so I had to scratch that. It turned out fine though. This soup was such a star I didn't want anything else!!

I also got to use my new immersion blender with this recipe so that was an extra bonus. Don't worry, if you don't have an immersion blender a regular blender works just as well. This picture doesn't show the green of the soup very well. I sooooo need a new camera!!!

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Creamy Asparagus Soup

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 1 onion, chopped, (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 pint fat free sour cream, room temperature
• Cayenne pepper for garnish (optional)

Melt butter in a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and saute 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add asparagus and saute another 4 minutes. Add the white wine and let it cook for about a minute then add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for 30 minutes, until asparagus is very tender. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth or *Carefully transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to the soup to the pan, stir in sour cream and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to serving bowls. Dust with cayenne pepper and serve.

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.