Asparagus Soup
Recipe by Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough
Eating Well Magazine June/July 2005
Active time: 20 minutes | Total: 30 minutes
This creamless creamy soup is great on its own—a light meal
any day of the week—but you can also spoon it over crabmeat,
cooked shrimp or tofu cubes for an even heartier dinner.
In any case, have lots of crusty whole-grain bread on hand.
1 14-oz can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup water
1 yellow-fleshed potato, such as Yukon Gold (6 oz),
peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried savory or marjoram leaves
1/8 tsp salt
12 oz asparagus, woody ends removed,
sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1. Place broth, water, potato, shallot, garlic, thyme,
savory (or marjoram) and salt in a large saucepan. Bring
to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover,
and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 8 minutes.
Add asparagus, return to a simmer, and cook, covered, until
the asparagus is tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook prosciutto in a small skillet over medium
heat, stirring, until crisp, about 5 minutes.
3. Pour the broth and vegetables into a large blender or
food processor (**see Tip); puree until smooth, scraping
down the sides if necessary. Season with pepper. Serve
topped with crisped prosciutto.
Makes 2 servings, 1 1/2 cups each
Per serving: 186 calories; 3 g fat (1 g sat, 0 g mono);
22 mg cholesterol; 25 g carbohydrate; 14 g protein; 5 g fiber;
654 mg sodium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (50% daily value), Iron (30% dv),
Vitamin A (25% dv), Folate (22% dv).
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 lean meat, 1 Carbohydrate Serving
**Kitchen tip: Hot liquids can splatter out of a blender when it’s
turned on. To avoid this, remove the center piece of the blender’s
lid. Cover the hole loosely with a folded kitchen towel and turn the
machine on. Better airflow will keep the contents from spewing all
over the kitchen.