Creamy Asparagus Soup with Crab

Copyright 2007 by Cooking With The Single Guy

Ingredients:
3 oz. lump crab meat, pre-cooked
1 bunch asparagus (about 1 lb.)
1 sweet onion, diced
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 (14 oz.) can chicken broth or 2 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
¾ cup heavy cream
2 T cilantro, roughly chopped
salt for seasoning

Remove the dry stalk ends of the asparagus and cut into pieces to cook easily.

In a saucepan, warm olive oil over medium high heat and then add onions. Saute onions until translucent (about 2 minutes). Add asparagus and cook for about 1 minute before adding broth and water. Bring to a boil and simmer until asparagus is tender. About 10 to 15 minutes. (Add about 2 teaspoon of salt to bring out the flavor of the asparagus while cooking.)

Take pan off the heat and add cilantro. With a hand blender or food processor*, pulse asparagus and broth into a smooth, silky texture. Add heavy cream. Check the taste and add salt if needed. Laddle into shallow bowls and garnish with lump crab meat in the center. Soup can be served warm or chilled.

Makes about 2 to 3 servings. Serve with toasted bread.

Pair with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

* When using a blender or food processor, never put hot liquid or fill to the top. Let the broth cool and put small batches to puree.

TIP: I recommend shallow soup bowls because the soup is a bit thin and won’t allow the crab meat to float in the center. So you’ll need to create a tiny mountain of crab meat, and a shallow bowl won’t require you to use a lot of crab to pile on. If you want to thicken your soup, mix about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with a ¼ cup of cold water and then add it to your soup during a slow boil until it thickens to your desired consistency.