Fresh asparagus soup

I'm going to go ahead and address the elephant in the room right at the beginning: asparagus makes your pee smell. There, I said it. Let's also address the fact that sometimes you can just look at asparagus and it makes your pee smell. Asparagus is that good.

Ah hem, moving on. Another thing great about asparagus is that it is a good source of folate (in addition to other good stuff), which is awesome, because our bodies can't produce it. Thanks, asparagus!

My mom sent me this recipe for asparagus soup that she came across and it has all sorts of ingredients that I like to cook with (ginger, for example). And with perfect timing, since asparagus is beginning to flood the farmers markets here! So I quickly picked up a bunch and ran home, as I had all of the other ingredients on hand (as my smart mama knew I would :-)).

This asparagus soup has a bit of a thai twist to it. It is super light and down right decadent at the same time. Rich from the coconut milk, bright from the ginger, and then all that asparagusy goodness.... YUM. I made a big batch, and then ate this soup for a week. I got my grub on, but didn't pig out. In the words of Ice Cube, today was a good day.

I should also mention that this soup was SOUPER filling (get it? You can add that to your list of funny things I have said). But for reals, it was. This is also a great "learning to love" recipe for any asparagus haters you may know.

Thai Asparagus Soup

Adapted from Eating Well

Materials:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 cups red potatoes, diced
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Methods:

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large sauce pan.
2. Add the onion and a shake of salt, and sauté for about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the curry powder, ginger, lemon zest, and potatoes and sauté for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the broth, coconut milk, and asparagus.
5. Bring to a simmer, cover partially, and cook for about 15 minutes. 
6. Add the lemon juice and transfer the soup, in batches, to a blender and blend until nice and creamy.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Enjoy!