Owner`s manual

17
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2 lbs. medium asparagus (about 2 bunches), cut in half
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
7 tablespoons our
3 fresh parsley sprigs
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup heavy cream
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, about 8 cups. Fill a large bowl with
ice water. Place half the asparagus in the boiling water, cook until
tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer to ice water. Drain. Repeat with the
other half of asparagus. Reserve 7 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid. Thinly
slice 18 of the asparagus tips diagonally and reserve for garnish. Chop
the remaining spears into small pieces.
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery
and carrots, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft. Add the
our and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon for about 2 minutes. Add
the reserved cooking liquid and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Tie
the parsley, thyme and bay leaf together and add to the soup. Lower
the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped asparagus
(not the tips) and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Remove the herbs and discard.
Working in batches, transfer the mixture to the Bar Blender and purée,
using the PUREE button, until smooth. Using a sieve over a large bowl,
strain the asparagus soup. Return the purée to the pot and reheat.
Whisk in the heavy cream and salt. Season with pepper. Serve in warm
bowls and garnish with asparagus tips.