Just a few months of the year, the delicious white asparagus are in season! Depending on the weather, these white asparagus are typically in season from April till July. In the Netherlands these white vegetables have the nickname the ‘white gold’ (literally translated). During the season, almost every restaurant offers white asparagus soup or another dish with these white vegetables. The recipe for this soup is originally from an area in the South of the country: Limburg! This province is known for its white asparagus, burgundy lifestyle and hilly scenery.
This soup is traditionally made with flour and cream, however substitutions are possible 😉 So if you would like to make this soup gluten-free, rice flour can be used instead of regular flour. And cream can be replaced by any plant-based cream for a vegan option!
Dutch White Asparagus Soup
Equipment
- Cooking Pot
- Vegetable Peeler
- Blender // Food Processor
- Fine Sieve
- Bowl
Ingredients
- 500 gram White Asparagus about a pound
- 1 liter Vegetable Stock 4 cups
- 2 Shallot
- Black Pepper
- 50 gram Butter about 3 tablespoons
- 35 gram Flour about 3 tablespoons; or rice flour if you're cooking gluten-free
Finish with..
- 250 ml Plant-based Cream 1 cup
- Bunch of Chives
- Olive Oil
Instructions
Preparations
- Wash the white asparagus to remove any sand. Then cut off the ends (about 2 cm / 0.8 inches) and peel the 'woody' outer layer of the asparagus. Cut the asparagus in even pieces.
- Remove the outer layer of the shallots and chop the shallots in even pieces. Add the shallots, the asparagus 'waste' (the peel and ends), black pepper to taste and the stock to the cooking pot. Bring this to a boil and let it cook for at least 30 minutes.
Cooking
- When cooked, you can add the soup to a blender. Mix it until you have a creamy stock. Pour the stock through a fine sieve to remove any lumps. Keep the soup in a bowl up till further notice.
- Then, it is time to make the roux. Quickly clean the cooking pot and add the butter and flour. Bake the flour on a low-medium heat until it smells like freshly baked cookies (this means that the flour is cooked). Make sure to stir while baking to prevent the flour from burning.
- Then pour in the asparagus stock and stir to combine. Add the asparagus and let the soup boil for another 5-10 minutes.
Serving
- Finish the soup with cream, chopped chives and a sprinkle of olive oil.