Sinful Crabby Asaparagus Soup
It's been too long since I posted a soup recipe - I'm still completely infatuated with anything brothy, flavorful and comforting. I guess you could say that in addition to my dearests, pets, and tunes, soup soothes my former soul.
Today I offer a perfect spring dish, chock full of seasonal asparagus. To reduce the fat content of the traditional version of this dish, I added potatoes to thicken it, instead of cream. The potatoes add lush body, and fiber and nutrients, in place of the heavy stuff - and I guess, now that I think of it, this could be vegan, if you use veggie stock and omit the crab.
I do sometimes add a scant dollop of creme fraiche but the sweet, jumbo lump crab on top {in addition to the asparagus tips} as a garnish makes this satisfying without the added cream calories. This makes a great main course, when paired with some artisanal bread, cheese, wine, and maybe a side salad.
Or you could just indulge yourself by balancing the good with the bad -- eat this healthy soup, followed by a big, decadent dessert. I enjoy that kind of trade-off because it shows that even the most reserved person has to give in to a sinful side occasionally. Like Maryann Forrester, I adore when others give in fully to hedonistic temptations.
Seemingly Sinful Crabby Asparagus Soup
1 bunch fresh asparagus, woody ends trimmed off
1/2 c. sweet white onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, smashed and minced fine
1 Russet or baking potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 c. low sodium vegetable stock (or chicken broth)
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
salt
pepper
1/2 c. jumbo lump crabmeat (fresh or canned)
Wash asparagus well and trim off the beautiful tips. Reserve these in a bowl. Cut the remaining spears into one-inch pieces.
Heat a 3-quart stockpot over medium heat. When it is warm, add the olive oil. When this is hot, add the onions and saute until they begin to soften. Stir in the garlic and continue to cook, stirring frequently to prevent the garlic from browning.
When these ingredients are soft, add the butter, potato chunks and asparagus pieces; stir well to combine. Saute this mixture until these are slightly tender, about 5 minutes.
Pour in the stock or broth; stir well. Cover, and allow to simmer until the potatoes are very soft, about 10 to 15 minutes.
At this point, uncover, stir and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste, stirring well to distribute the seasonings.
Using an immersion stick blender, food processor or traditional blender, puree the soup - in batches, if necessary - until it is chunky-smooth and to your liking. This can be an oatmeal-like consistency or even chunkier, but don't overdo it & make it broth, unless you're on a liquid diet, like some of my friends!
Set this aside, covered, in a warm place.
Place the asparagus tips in a microwave safe bowl with a tablespoon of water. Cover and mircowave - to steam - for between 2 and 4 minutes (your microwave will determine how long). You can also boil the tips in water on top of the stove. The tips should be tender but not mushy. Drain well.
Ladle the soup into individual bowls. Top each with a sprinkling of the steamed tips and crabmeat.
Consume immediately and with enthusiasm! ;)
