Asparagus Soup

I realize that this may not sound like the most appealing thing in  the world.  I hesitated to tell Tim that we were having it for dinner because I figured he would cringe at the thought.  I am not a huge fan of pureed soups, so I was unsure of how I would like this recipe.  Basically this was a toss-up and it turned out to be a good one.  I am so glad that I tried this soup!  Last night was a perfect soup night (many nights are perfect for soup in my opinion) I am suffering from some pretty evil allergies and it was cloudy and gloomy outside.  The soup features one of my favorite spring veggies-asparagus.  I love when those big, bright green stalks show up in the market looking so vibrant and delicious.  The plain yogurt adds a wonderfully acidic balance to the flavor, and a few chopped and blanched asparagus tips make the soup seem less overwhelmingly beverage-like.  I served this with whole wheat biscuits (recipe still under construction, but coming along smoothly) in order to make Tim happy.  He actually seemed to like the soup a lot, which was a huge surprise to both of us!
I also love the color of this soup.  It is almost a pastel green once the yogurt is mixed in-way more appealing than I imagined when I read the recipe initially.

Asparagus Soup
Recipe from Simply In Season

1 Pound Asparagus
2 Cups Water
1 Small Onion, chopped
1 Medium Potato, peeled and chopped
2 Cups Broth
1 Cup Dry Milk Powder
2 Tablespoons Flour
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 C Plain Yogurt


Cut off the tips of the asparagus and blanch until just tender but still crisp-about 3 minutes.  Set aside and reserve the water.
Chop the asparagus spears and remove tough ends.  Cook asparagus with the 2 cups of water, potato, and onion until tender-about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool for a few minutes.  Pour this into your food processor or blender and puree until smooth. 
Mix broth, dry milk powder, flour, and salt and pepper.  Add this and the pureed soup into a large stock pot. You can add in your reserved blanching liquid here if you want to.  I did, but you don't have to. If you are not going to use it here, you can toss it. Cook over medium heat until thickened.  I cooked mine about 10 minutes to get it nice and thick.  Do this to whatever consistency you desire.  Throw your perfectionist tendencies out the window and do whatever you feel like, it's way more fun that way!
Grab some bowls and spoon some plain yogurt into the bottom of each one.  Ladle hot soup over the yogurt and top with reserved asparagus tips.  Serve with a hearty biscuit or home made bread.  I hope that this soup surprises you as much as it did me!