As the weather has got colder, KETTLE Chef Phil has the perfect recipe to warm you up- Asparagus and Parmesan Soup! And they go perfectly with our new KETTLE Sourdough Bites!
Happy Cooking!
Ingredients: Serves 4-6
600g Norfolk Asparagus (you may need a little more if its woody)
50g Unsalted Butter
125g Banana Shallot
125g Celery
125g Leek
2 Garlic Cloves
50g Plain Flour
1.25ltr Chicken Stock
125g Reggiano Parmigiano
200ml Double Cream
Salt & Pepper to taste
Fresh chopped parsley and aged balsamic to serve
Enjoy with a bag of KETTLE Sourdough Bites- Buy Here
Method:
- Remove woody part of the asparagus by holding the spear at either end between finger and thumb and bending it. The spear to naturally snap at the tender point.
- Chop the bottom ¾s of the asparagus into roughly 1cm slices retaining the last ¼ (the asparagus tip) to one side.
- Over a medium heat, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Chop the shallot, leek, celery and garlic, add to the pan. Cover and sweat until soft. Meanwhile in a second pan heat up the chicken stock.
- When the vegetables are soft stir in the flour and cook out to form a roux (you will get a faint smell of pastry when the flour is cooked).
- Stir the chicken stock onto the vegetable roux allow each addition to be incorporated before adding the next. Once you have added all the stock stir in the sliced asparagus and allow to simmer for 10 minutes (until the asparagus is cooked and tender), then remove from the heat.
- Grate the parmesan and add it to the hot soup and blend until smooth, season to taste.
- Return the soup the heat and add the asparagus tips, simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and allow to come back up to temperature.
- Serve the soup with a drizzle of aged balsamic and fresh chopped parsley.
Notes:
- If you don’t have aged balsamic you can substitute for a sweetened balsamic glaze/reduction.
- Parmesan tuilles make a crisp accompaniment.
