When a weekend afternoon is cold, wet, windy and dark all I want to do is make soup. And sleep.
I find it peaceful standing at the cutting board, chopping a pile of vegetables and choosing which spices to add to my broth.
And then there’s the way the kitchen smells once you start sauteing the vegetables… Within seconds I’m surrounded by three dogs and a cat, hoping they’ll get a taste of whatever is cooking.
I always have in the back of my mind that one of these weekends I want to devote a day to soup making. I’d love time to prepare, can and freeze about 90 jars of soups, stews and chili to have on hand. It’s good to be prepared.
And It’s such a small thing to do, but makes such a big difference. If you’re like me, you’re commuting back home after a long day at work, but you still have ten million things to take care of once you get home. Ten million things that are way more important than cooking dinner. Like feeding animals, doing barn chores, and trying to actually catch thirty minutes to sit down and breath.
Dinner (or lunch at work) is pretty easy if soup is already made. Just grab a jar and heat it up. I’ve found, for me anyway, that a pint jar is the perfect size for lunch. If its a lighter-style soup, I can always throw in pasta or rice. Or make it even heartier served alongside bread, fruit, cheese or salad. If I have time… ~A
Asparagus & Potato Soup
Ingredients
2 cups diced peeled potatoes
1/2 pound fresh asparagus, chopped (set aside some of the asparagus tips)
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves of minced garlic
4-5 cups chicken broth (depending on how thick you like your soup)
3 tbs butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
3/4 cup of grated parmesan or cheddar (I prefer parmesan)
Cooked and crumbled bacon (optional)
Directions
Saute your onion in the butter for about 5 min.
In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes, onion, asparagus, garlic and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
In a bowl, combine flour, cream, salt and pepper until smooth; add to the vegetable mixture. Add reserved asparagus tips. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 3-4 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cheese until melted. Garnish with bacon (and more cheese) if desired.
