Best Luna Park Asparagus Soup Recipes

THREE LITTLE ASPARAGUS SOUPS FOR SPRING

Steps:

• Peel 4 asparagus stalks and slice the remainder crosswise into 1-inch pieces. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the sliced asparagus and 2 of the peeled stalks. Saute 5 minutes or until soft.
• Add chicken broth, bring to a boil and add half-and-half. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the 2 stalks. Continue to simmer for 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
• Pour the soup through a coarse sieve set over a large bowl, pressing the asparagus through with the back of a large spoon. Scrape the pulp into the soup, whisk and refrigerate 1/3 of it.
• Cut the 2 cooked asparagus stalks into 1/4-inch dice. Set aside. Slice the 2 raw asparagus stalks into 1 1/2- by- 1/8-inch julienne. Set aside.
• For a risotto quenelle garnish, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and saute the onion until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the rice and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the water, 1/3 cup at a time, adding more as water is absorbed, cooking risotto about 10 minutes in all. Add the diced asparagus and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until rice is al dente. Spread risotto on a plate to cool.
• Place the flour, egg and bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Shape the rice into quenelles (small footballs) with 2 teaspoons, lightly roll in the flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs.
• Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a small pot to 375 degrees and fry the risotto quenelles until brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
• To serve, remove the cold soup from the refrigerator and remove any solidified butter to larger portion of soup. Heat the unrefrigerated soup till hot and pour into 12 small bowls, adding the reserved asparagus strands to 6 and the quenelles to 6. Pour the cold soup into 6 small bowls, adding the chopped raw salmon to each. Serve each diner with 3 different soups.

ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH RICOTTA CROSTINI

Steps:

• Cut asparagus stalks into thirds, separating tips, middles and ends. In a medium pot, bring 2 cups salted water to a boil. Add tips and cook until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool. Drain and reserve for garnish.
• Separate dark green leek tops from bottoms. Thinly slice the white leek bottoms and set aside.
• In a saucepan, combine leek tops, stock, asparagus bottoms and bay leaf. Simmer for 10 to 20 minutes; strain, discarding the solids and saving the stock.
• Return empty pot to medium-low heat. Add oil, white leek slices and rice. Cook, stirring frequently, until leeks are golden, about 5 minutes. Pour in 1 cup of the stock. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add remaining stock and asparagus middles. Simmer, covered, over low heat, until asparagus is completely tender, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Press soup through a food mill (or purée in a blender, then strain through a coarse mesh sieve; nothing too fine, you want a little texture here). Return soup to pot. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Cover to keep warm.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread slices on a baking sheet and toast, turning halfway through, until bread is golden and dry to the touch, about 10 minutes.
• While bread toasts, season ricotta with tarragon, salt and pepper. Rub hot crostini with the cut side of the halved garlic cloves and slather with ricotta. Ladle soup into warm bowls and garnish with the asparagus tips. Serve with crostini.

LUNA PARK ASPARAGUS SOUP RECIPE

Steps:

• Saute onion and potato in butter in large saucepan over medium heat until onion is soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Add asparagus and saute until bright green in color, 3 to 4 minutes. Add enough water to reach level of 1/2- to 1-inch above asparagus. Bring to boil and simmer 20 minutes. Transfer potato-asparagus mixture to blender and puree in batches until smooth. Divide spinach and puree in batches with potato-asparagus puree until blended and smooth. Strain soup through sieve. Return to saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 to 10 minutes. Add salt, pepper and vinegar to taste. Garnish with Fried Asparagus and parsley. For the Fried Asparagus: Dredge asparagus in flour, dip in beaten egg and roll in bread crumbs. Heat enough oil to cover asparagus in skillet over medium heat. Add asparagus and fry until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove with spatula and drain on paper towel. Cut spears on bias into thirds. This recipe yields 6 servings. Each serving, with Fried Asparagus: 361 calories; 210 mg sodium; 62 mg cholesterol; 23 grams fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 24 grams protein; 1.81 grams fiber.

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Cut tips from 12 asparagus
• 1 1/2 inches from top and halve tips lengthwise if thick. Reserve for garnish.
• Cut stalks and all remaining asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add asparagus pieces and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add 5 cups broth and simmer, covered, until asparagus is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• While soup simmers, cook reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then drain.
• Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth, transferring to a bowl (use caution when blending hot liquids), and return to pan. Stir in crème fraîche, then add more broth to thin soup to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil and whisk in remaining tablespoon butter.
• Add lemon juice and garnish with asparagus tips.
• Cooks' note:.
• • Soup keeps, covered and chilled, 2 days. If making ahead, add last tablespoon butter and lemon juice after reheating.

PAN-ROASTED ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Break off bottom part of each asparagus stalk, and discard. Coarsely chop the rest of stalks, leaving 12 or 16 of the flower ends whole. Put butter or oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. A minute later, add asparagus and tarragon, raise heat to high, and cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Remove whole flower ends; set aside.
• Add stock and some salt and pepper; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until asparagus is very tender, about 10 minutes. Cool at least a few minutes.
• Pour soup into a blender, in batches if necessary, and carefully purée. Return to pan, and, over medium-low heat, reheat gently. When soup is hot, adjust seasoning. Put 3 or 4 asparagus flower ends in each of 4 bowls; ladle in soup, and serve.

COLD WHITE ASPARAGUS AND YUZU SOUP WITH CRAB SALAD AND BAY LEAF SALT

Steps:

• At least 1 day before serving, make stock: Melt butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Add remaining ingredients and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes; reduce heat as needed to prevent browning. Add 1 1/2 quarts (6 cups) water and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes. Turn off heat and let cool, then refrigerate, covered, overnight. Then strain, discarding vegetables and spices.
• To make soup, heat olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add asparagus and leek and cook 10 minutes, covered, stirring often and reducing heat as needed to prevent browning. Add garlic stock and lemon grass, bring to a simmer, and cook 30 minutes.
• Remove lemon grass, add milk and vanilla scrapings, and blend in a blender or with an immersion blender for two minutes at high speed. Add yuzu juice and salt and pepper to taste. Strain and refrigerate until very cold. Taste before serving; adjust seasonings if needed.
• To serve, divide crab salad among six chilled bowls. At the table, pour cold asparagus soup around salad. Sprinkle with bay leaf salt.