Asparagus Soup with Egg Nests-linkSmooth and creamy asparagus soup garnished with a ‘nest’ made from asparagus spears and hard-boiled eggs. An elegant first course addition to your Easter dinner.

Asparagus Soup with Egg Nests-facts

Each asparagus stalk weighs in at only 4 calories and contains no fat or cholesterol. Asparagus is high in fiber, folate and potassium and is rich in antioxidants, including vitamins K, E, A, and C.

Makes: 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS
– 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
– 1 yellow onion, chopped
– 3 garlic cloves, minced
– 3 1/2 cups chicken stock, plus more as needed (you can substitute vegetable stock)
– 1 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
– 2 (1-pound) bunches asparagus
– 3/4 cup heavy cream (or 1/2 cup plain yogurt)
– 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
– 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
– small hard-boiled eggs, for nests

DIRECTIONS
Snap off the tough stem ends from the asparagus spears. Cut the tips off half of the spears into 2-inch lengths. Set the tips aside. Chop the remaining asparagus into 1-inch pieces.

Melt 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter in a medium-size pot over medium-low heat. Add chopped onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add stock and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, add asparagus pieces and simmer gently until potatoes and asparagus are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Carefully transfer soup to a blender in batches and purée until smooth. Return soup to pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, whisk in heavy cream (or yogurt) and season with salt and pepper. You can add more stock, if necessary, to reach desired consistency. NOTE: You can also use an immersion blender. Puree the soup until smooth, about 2 minutes then strain the soup through cheesecloth into a clean saucepan.

In a small sauté pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add the reserved asparagus tips and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes.

Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with asparagus tips and hard-boiled eggs and serve.

TIP: To store asparagus for several days, wrap the stem ends in damp paper towels and keep in a cool, dry place. To store longer, refrigerate stalks, tips up, in a shallow cup of water.

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