When I was five my parents moved the family from a cookie cutter 3 bed/2.5 bath home to a custom built house on land gifted to my father by my grandparents. The land was mainly forest, with a few acres dedicated to growing fruit and vegetables.
My parents and grandpa continued to use the small farm area for several years, but slowly the crops disappeared and the land was left with nothing but remnants of old growth. Today the grapevines still line the back of the field, along with a blueberry bush or two, and that's about it.
One of the last veggies to go was the asparagus, which grew in a small seemingly random patch of land in the centre (next to the water trough I spent many a summer afternoon swimming in as a child- until the frogs came in and took it as their tadpole spawning ground). I had a love-hate relationship with the asparagus; one year I'd love it and the next I thought it was the grossest thing to ever come from the earth.
I've since moved to Britain and have grown up to love asparagus. Its season here is super short, so I think that helps me to appreciate it even more. This is a really simple asparagus recipe, which is how I think asparagus should be enjoyed. Traditionally cream is used but as this is a vegan cream of asparagus soup recipe the milk is omitted and cashews are used instead.
Non-Dairy Cream of Asparagus Soup
- Directions/Method
- Heat the oil in a saucepan to medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and thyme. Cook for a couple of minutes, or until the onions are slightly translucent. Add the chopped asparagus and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
- Pour the wine and stock into the pan and chuck the cashews and salt in as well (start with ¼ teaspoon and add more to taste). Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
- Pour the liquid into a blender with the lemon juice and almond milk. Blend until smooth.
- Serve warm with white pepper and chopped chives sprinked on top.