Cream of Asparagus

4 Servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds asparagus, rinsed well
3 1/2 cups water or chicken broth
1/3 cup diced shallots or onion
1 rib celery, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp cornstarch or potato starch
2 1/2 Tbsp water
1 cup heavy cream, milk or plain yogurt
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Bend one stalk of asparagus until it snaps in two. Cut all the asparagus at that length. These tops are cooked first and added to the soup later. The bottoms are woody and fibrous and will only be used to flavour the broth.

Put the asparagus tips in a steamer basket or directly on the trivet. Add 1 1/2 cups of the water or broth and close the Instant Pot. Press Pressure Cook (or Manual) and use the - button to get to 0 (zero). Make sure the valve is set to Sealing. 

When it beeps that it's done, immediately flip the valve to Venting. When the pin drops, remove the asparagus and trivet, leaving the liquid in the pot. Rinse the asparagus under cold water to halt the cooking process and set them aside. 

Add the other 2 cups of water or broth, the shallots or onion, celery, garlic, lemon juice and salt. Toss in the whole asparagus bottoms.

Close the pot and make sure the valve is set to Sealing again. Push Pressure Cook (or Manual) and use the + button to get to 10 minutes. 

While it's cooking, cut the asparagus tops in thirds. Try not to eat them all - I know it’s hard. Stir the cornstarch or potato starch and water into a smooth slurry and set aside.

When the pot beeps that it's done, press Cancel, flip the valve to Venting and when the pin drops, open it up. Fish the asparagus stalks out with tongs or a slotted spoon and discard them. They're still tough and woody. 

Reserve some pretty asparagus tips for garnish and add the rest to the soup. Blend the soup with an immersion blender or carefully pour into a blender or food processor. Return the pureed soup to the pot.

Press Saute and bring it to a boil. Give the cornstarch/potato starch slurry a final stir and add about half of it to the soup. Stir until it boils and thickens. Add a little more for a thicker soup. Add the cream, milk or yogurt and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve garnished with the reserved asparagus tips, a splash of heavy cream and some croutons, if desired.