Creamed Asparagus Soup

Thanksgiving is over and the left overs are gone.  The gluttony has subsided.  I cooked for a good six hours, but the reward, in the end, was worth it: buttermilk roles, sweet potato gratin, cranberry relish, cornbread stuffing, turkey, creamed corn, all topped off with pumpkin pie, whipped cream, and a glass of port.  I also love the leftovers.  I didn't have to cook for three days and I was able to indulge in Thanksgiving dinner over and over again.  Unfortunately, in the midst of my cooking marathon, I forgot about the asparagus with shallot vinegarette.  I only just remembered as I scooted my chair out and prepared to sit at the Thanksgiving table.  By this point the feast was calling, so my little asparagus stalks had to wait.

Creamed Asparagus Soup
2 lbs asparagus
½ cup shopped shallot
2 garlic cloves chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 sprigs marjoram, tough stems removed
3 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
½ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Rinse the asparagus and snap off the tough lower stems.  The tough lower portions can be combined with celery and onion to make a great vegetable stock for this recipe.

Over medium heat in a heavy bottomed pan, warm the oil.  Add the garlic and onions and
sauté until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile bring a medium sauce pan of water to boil, add the tender asparagus tops, and simmer for 5 minutes.  Drain and set aside.

Add the onion garlic mixture, the asparagus, the marjoram, and salt to a blender or food processor.  Blend until smooth, about five minutes.  Transfer the pureed mixture back to the sauce pan.  Add the pepper, salt, remaining broth, and buttermilk.  Bring to a simmer, then serve.

Roasted Sweet Potato Soup

Soup.  I've been on a soup kick since I visited Boston back in August.  It rained and was cold the entire time, which really put me in the mood for soup.  I'm still in the mood for soup even though it was 88°F in Hattiesburg yesterday.

Once of my favorite soups is Baby Lima Soup with Chipotle Broth by Heidi Swanson on 101cookbooks.com.  101cookbooks focuses on natural, vegetarian cooking and is a excellent resource for healthy and fulfilling recipes.  The soup contains just five ingredients and is a breeze to make.  It goes great with a grilled cheese.

I came up with this Roasted Sweet Potato Soup during an attempt to use up what was in the refrigerator before heading out of town.  I feel I am most creative when forced to work with limited resources and this soup is a prime example.  Many times, cooking is all about creativity: coming up with something tasty without the late night grocery run.  Abandoned Edibles takes the idea of limited resource and tasty dinners to the extreme, and at the very least the concept should be inspirational.  Check it out.

Roasted Sweet Potato Soup


2 lbs of sweet potatoes (about 2 large potatoes)
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
5-6 cups chicken or vegetable broth

2 sprigs of sage 

¾ cup half and half

Pre-heat the oven to 400°F

Wash and peel the sweet potatoes, and cut them into 1 inch cubes.  Toss the potatoes and garlic cloves with the oil and salt.  Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes, stirring half way through.  Remove from the oven and allow the potatoes and garlic to cool slightly.  Once cool peel the garlic. 

Add the potatoes and peeled garlic to a blender, along with 3 cups of the broth, and blend.  If necessary this step may be done in batches so as not to over fill the blender.  

Once smooth transfer the soup to a heavy bottomed sauce pan.  Add the sage sprigs and the remaining broth until the desired consistency is reached.  Over medium heat bring the soup to a simmer and simmer for 30-45 minutes.  Finally add the half-and-half and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.  Remove the sage from the pot and serve.

Note:  The half-and-half can always be omitted to make a lower fat option.