Asparagus Soup

Ingredients:

1 pound (0,453 kg) fresh asparagus
3 pints (1,5 l) cold water
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup (250 ml) cold water
1 cup (250 ml) cold milk
1 egg yolk
4 tablespoons sour cream
2 teaspoons corn starch (or potato starch)
5-6 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
salt and ground white pepper to taste

Preparation:

  • Clean the asparagus, cut the heads off and cook in 3 pints salted  water until tender. Drain and set aside. Reserve the water. 
  • Cut rest of the asparagus into inch long  pieces and cook in reserved salted water until tender, than process in food processor or blender. Reserve the asparagus water.
  • Melt margarine, add flour and cook until golden brown, than add 1 cup cold water and 1 cup milk,  mix well and add around 2 pints (1 l) reserved asparagus water and mashed asparagus.
  • Put cooked asparagus heads into soup and bring to boil. In a small bowl mix sour cream, 2 teaspoons corn starch, egg yolk, chopped parsley with 5 tablespoons cold water until smooth.
  • Remove soup from heat and add cream mixture to soup, stir and simmer very slowly but do not boil.
  • Season with ground white pepper and salt and serve. 
  • Serve asparagus soup with croutons of toast or toasted buns.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Real Cooking
Did You Know?
Water composes three-fifths of the entire body. The elasticity of muscles, cartilage, tendons, and even of bones is due in great part to the water which these tissues contain.

One of the most universal dietetic failings is neglect to take enough water into the system.

The uses of water in the body:

(1) It enters into the chemical composition of the tissues;
(2) it forms the chief ingredient of all the fluids of the body and maintains their proper degree of dilution;
(3) by moistening various surfaces of the body, such as the mucous and serous membranes, it prevents friction and the uncomfortable symptoms which might result from drying;
(4) it furnishes in the blood and lymph a fluid medium by which food may be taken to remote parts of the body and the waste matter removed, thus promoting rapid tissue changes;
(5) it serves as a distributer of body heat;
(6) it regulates the body temperature by the physical processes of absorption and evaporation.