Creamy Asparagus Soup with Poached Eggs

There’s nothing better than a one dish meal and this soup certainly satisfies everything you’d look for: fabulous taste, protein, vegetables, and warm creaminess.

I first made this recipe with a group of culinary aficionados who get together twice yearly to experiment with new recipes. Originally the recipe appeared in an Oregon-based newspaper, the Oregonian, and one of the women in our culinary group lives in Oregon where she came upon the recipe. We chose it because we love asparagus and we love poached eggs and for all of us preparing a perfectly poached egg remained an enigma.

Our goal was to make perfectly rounded, gorgeous poached eggs and we went through a good dozen or so eggs before surrendering and accepting delicious, but by no means perfectly formed, poached eggs.

The creamy asparagus soup with poached eggs was absolutely delicious and is a great comfort food, especially on a crisp day, so give it a try. And if you have a tip on how to prepare perfectly poached eggs please send it along!

Creamy Asparagus Soup with Poached Eggs

Adapted from a recipe appearing in the Oregonian

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pounds of fresh asparagus
4 1/2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
5 1/4 ounces leaks, white parts only.
Two thinly sliced, small celery stalks
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Four super fresh, organic eggs

Procedure:

Rinse the asparagus and break off the tough, woody ends.
Cut the tips off the asparagus, slice lengthwise and set aside.
Roughly chop the remaining asparagus.
Slice the white part of the leaks, and the celery stocks, and set aside.
Bring a small saucepan of water to boil, lightly salt, and blanch the asparagus tips until tender crisp.
Remove from the sauce pan with a slotted spoon, run under cold water, and set aside on a dishtowel to dry.
Bring a medium sized pot of water to boil, with about 4 inches deep water.
Lower the water temperature to a simmer, then add a teaspoon of vinegar to the water.
Use a wooden spoon to swirl the water until you have a rapidly moving whirlpool of water in your pan.
Crack one of the eggs into a small bowl or large spoon and immediately slide the egg into the pot of water and continue using the wooden spoon to keep the water swirling.
Once the egg has begun to cook and taken shape, allow it to cook for another three minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the egg and place it in a dish of cold water.
Repeat with the remaining three eggs.
In a sauce pan large enough to hold the broth and asparagus heat the olive oil and then add the chopped asparagus, leaks and celery.
Cook for about 10 minutes over a low flame until the vegetables are tender.
Sprinkle the vegetables with the flour and cook stirring for about a minute.
Gradually add the broth stirring constantly, and simmer for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
Turn off the heat and using an immersion blender, blend the soup until creamy and smooth.
Taste the soup and add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
If the soup is not completely smooth, pour it through a fine mesh strainer.
At this point return the soup to the stove and stir in the fresh cream.
When you’re ready to serve the soup place the poached eggs into hot water and allow to warm up for 30 seconds.

Heat up the soup, and pour into individual soup bowls.
Top each bowl with a poached egg and some of the asparagus tips.
If desired drizzle with olive oil and serve.

Creamy Asparagus Soup with Poached Eggs

There's nothing better than a one dish meal and this soup certainly satisfies everything you'd look for in a meal: fabulous taste, protein, vegetables, and warm creaminess.

I first made this recipe with a group of women who get together twice yearly to experiment with new recipes. Originally this recipe appeared in an Oregon-based newspaper, the Oregonian, and one of the women in our culinary group lives in Oregon where she came upon it. We chose it because we love asparagus and we love poached eggs and for all of us preparing a perfectly poached egg remained an enigma.

Our goal was to make perfectly rounded, gorgeous poached eggs and I believe we went through a good dozen or so eggs before surrendering and accepting delicious, but by no means perfectly formed, poached eggs.

The soup was absolutely delicious and is a great comfort food, especially on a crisp day, so give it a try. And if you have a tip on how to perfect poached eggs please send it along!

Print

Course Soup

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 570 grams fresh asparagus
• 1 liter vegetable or chicken broth
• 150 grams leaks white parts only
• 2 thinly sliced small celery stalks
• 60 milliliters olive oil
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon each of salt and freshly ground black pepper or to taste
• 4 Eggs super fresh and organic

Metric - U.S. Customary

Instructions

1. Rinse the asparagus and break off the tough, woody ends.
2. Cut the tips off the asparagus, slice lengthwise and set aside.
   
3. Roughly chop the remaining asparagus.
4. Slice the white part of the leaks, and the celery stocks, and set aside.
5. Bring a small saucepan of water to boil, lightly salt, and blanch the asparagus tips until tender crisp.

6. Remove from the sauce pan with a slotted spoon, run under cold water, and set aside on a dishtowel to dry.

7. Bring a medium sized pot of water to boil, with about 4 inches deep water.
8. Lower the water temperature to a simmer, then add a teaspoon of vinegar to the water.
9. Use a wooden spoon to swirl the water until you have a rapidly moving whirlpool of water in your pan.
10. Crack one of the eggs into a small bowl or large spoon and immediately slide the egg into the pot of water and continue using the wooden spoon to keep the water swirling.
11. Once the egg has begun to cook and taken shape, allow it to cook for another three minutes.
12. Use a slotted spoon to remove the egg and place it in a dish of cold water.
13. Repeat with the remaining three eggs.
14. In a sauce pan large enough to hold the broth and asparagus heat the olive oil and then add the chopped asparagus, leaks and celery.
15. Cook for about 10 minutes over a low flame until the vegetables are tender.
16. Sprinkle the vegetables with the flour and cook stirring for about a minute.
17. Gradually add the broth stirring constantly, and simmer for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
18. Turn off the heat and using an immersion blender, blend the soup until creamy and smooth.
19. Taste the soup and add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
20. If the soup is not completely smooth, pour it through a fine mesh strainer.
21. At this point returned the soup to the stove and stir in the fresh cream.
22. When you're ready to serve the soup return the poached eggs to the simmering water and allow to warm up for 30 seconds.
23. Warm up the soup, and pour into individual soup bowls.
24. Top each bowl with a poached egg and some of the asparagus tips.
25. If desired drizzle with olive oil and serve.