Asparagus Soup

I wanted a lighter, healthier version of Aspargus soup than what I found online. The all used a ton of butter and cream which tastes delicious but was unnecessary. As always, my recipes use all organic ingredients unless otherwise noted. 

Ingredients

1lb asparagus (1 bunch of thin asparagus, no more than 2 lbs). 

3 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup of whipping cream

1 tbsp of butter

2 tsp corn starch dissolved in 1/2 cup of water

Directions

Chop asparagus, discard tough ends, reserve 12-16 tips for garnish. 

Melt butter in a 5qt pot and sauté asparagus for about 5mins. Stir frequently. 

Do not brown. 

Asparagus should be bright green, tender yet crisp. 

Add chicken broth and boil for about 5 mins more. Spoon off any foam. 

Using your preferred method, purée the soup. (I use a regular blender). 

Optional: strain the soup back into the same pot to catch any stringy pieces. 

Bring the soup to a low boil on medium high heat. 

Stir in. the cornstarch mixture and cream.

Optional: I didn't add salt or pepper to my soup but you can do so at this point. 

For the garnish, I sautéed chopped thick-cut bacon, the leftover asparagus tips, and about 4 sliced mushrooms in a tablespoon of butter. 

Ladle soup into bowls and top with garnish and optional Parmesan cheese.