The recipe for this simple and really quick asparagus cream soup with roux, herbal salt and almonds topping was the result of a rainy day, with lust for cream soup was no cream at home… (directly to the recipe)
… It was green asparagus in the fridge and a rainy day. That’s why I had a taste for a cream soup, but was too lazy to go shopping for cream, sour cream or the like. The smoked almonds went into the pot because a pack of it has stood next to the stove.
For a white roux, I’ve just had the right things at home and therefore I made the soup more or less “old school”, like grandma would do it. (But she would also add cream or sour cream)
What is a roux?
Roux is used in cooking to bind sauces and soups. A white roux is used for lighter soups and sauces. Darker roux like blond or brown roux is cooked longer and used for darker dishes or sauces with a stronger flavour.
How to make white roux:
Melt butter in a saucepan, careful not to let it brown. Add about the same amount of wheat flour to the butter and mix with a whisk until it is a smooth, uniform mixture. Cook for 1-2 minutes on low to medium heat, while steadily mixing with a whisk. The roux should not get brown. Mix the roux with a cold liquid like milk or soup.
On this pic you can see how the white roux looked like, once the milk was mixed in:
You may also like the following of my recipes:
Zucchini cream soup with croutons
5 favorite salads at the Viennese Heuriger
Beef Salad with green asparagus and fruity dressing
Here comes the recipe for the asparagus cream soup
- Wash asparagus and cut off the tips. Put aside, these are added to the soup later. Roughly cut the rest of the asparagus into pieces.
- Put asparagus in a saucepan with water and cook for about 5 minutes. (Use hot water from a water heater to speed it up)
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan. Add the flour and stir with a whisk on medium heat for about 1-2 minutes until it is a smooth mixture. Add cold milk and stir until a thick sauce is formed. Remove from stove.
- Purée asparagus and water with a blender. Pour the roux into the soup and stir well with the whisk (or blender). Season with herbal salt as desired.
- Serve with raw asparagus tips and smoked almonds.