Mes amis, we have entered the month of Germinal! Germination month will provide us with a king’s ransom of delightful spring ingredients. First on the list is: asparagus. My initial thought on this was to take inspiration from Carême and make vol-au-vents. Carême claims to have invented these puff pastries that act as little cups for savory or sweet fillings. After reading Cooking for Kings and seeing the many recipes and menus that included vol-au-vents, I attempted to make some as a weekend project. My plan was to fill them with salmon, asparagus and creme fraiche. As you can see, they failed to rise, so I decided to go with something more direct – asparagus soup.

I’ve taken inspiration from Mollie Katzen‘s Cream of Asparagus soup in Moosewood, but subbed veggie stock for water and upped the amount of butter.

Asparagus Soup 

2 lbs asparagus

4 tbs butter

1 medium onion, chopped

3 tbs of flour

2 cups vegetable stock

2 cups warm whole milk

2 tbs fresh dill

Heat the butter in a large pot and add the onion. Cook for 5 minutes, until onion is translucent. Chop the bottom inch off the asparagus and discard. Cut the remaining asparagus into two inch pieces and save some of the tips. Add the asparagus to the onions and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Then, add two tablespoons of flour and mix together. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add the last tablespoon of flour and continue to cook. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor and add salt and pepper to taste. Put the puree back in the pot and add the milk. Bring to a simmer and mix well. Add reserved asparagus tips and enjoy!