Creme of Asparagus Soup

Soups on! Now that I've shared Chris' and my trio of appetizers it's time for the second course in The Dinner Party: Creme of Asparagus Soup!

This soup was super yummy, totally vegetarian, and we made it a week in advance and froze it until the day before where we moved it to the fridge to allow it to defrost.  It was great! Bri said it was confusing because it looked liked split pea soup, which he dislikes, but then tasted great! It was an awesome way to get more veggies in and people said they liked eating this soup better than plain asparagus.

But first, as I've been sharing these recipes, my week has continued fairly normally.  Yesterday, I was reminded of why I love exercise so much.  I had a great day at camp. Everyone was having a good time, kids were having fun, and counselors were awesome.  It was the second day of the second session and we have a ton of new campers, all fantastic.  But then, it was time for the kids to get picked up.  There are two camps, about 100 kids, who all get picked up at the same time in the same place.  Yes, it's slightly hectic and being the second day, a ton of parents haven't figured out the whole routine yet.  We had people parking in places they shouldn't and people walking between cars that were trying to move and it was a little bit of a mess.  The other site director and I have been talking to parents trying to explain why it's hectic and everyone has been understanding.  Except this one lady, who decided it was as well idea to scream at the other site director, in front of her child, that we were doing a terrible job and that it was completely unacceptable.  She suggested having a different pick-up spot (there isn't one) and moving faster (um...would you like me to throw children in the cars?).  The other site director stayed calm and attempted to explain why things were slightly crazy, but she wouldn't listen.  Anyways, it was frustrating to me to watching this 40-something year old woman scream at college kids who take care of her child all day.  I understand people get upset, but it is frustrating when people don't even attempt to listen to why something might not be working completely okay.

The other site director and I were super annoyed, and headed straight to the gym to work out and chat.  It was awesomely therapeutic and that is when I had an, "Oh, how I love exercise," moment.  I continued to make myself feel better by cooking my family a delish dinner (more on that later) and baking a TON of cookies for a pampered chef party.  Exercise and cooking...isn't it fantastic?  I ended the night feeling much better and my parents continued to reassure me that that lady was one of the few and that if that was the only camp complaint we got, we were doing pretty well.

So many cookies...

Creme of Asparagus Soup

Ingredients:
2 lbs. green asparagus
1 large onion, chopped
3 tbsp unsalted butter
5-6 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup creme fraiche
1/4 tsp fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
shredded gruyere and chopped basil, to serve

Directions:
1. Trim the asparagus and then cut into 1/2 inch pieces.  If you want, reserve 12 tips for garnish.
2. Cook the onion in 2 tbsp of butter in a large stock pot over medium-low heat.  Stir until softened.  Add the asparagus and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, stirring for 5 minutes.  Add 5 cups of broth and let simmer, covered, until the asparagus is tender, about 15-20 minutes.
3. Puree the asparagus mixture in a blender until smooth.  You will have to do this in a few small batches.  Transfer the blended mixture to a large bowl and stir in the creme fraiche.  Add more broth if needed to thin the mixture and achieve a desired consistency.  season with salt and pepper.  Return to the large pot and bring to a boil.  Whisk in the remaining butter and add the lemon juice.  Place in containers to freeze, or serve if ready.
To serve: garnish with the asparagus tips, a little basil, and some fresh, shredded gruyere cheese.
Enjoy :)