Asparagus Soup

Asparagus Soup – Clean & Delicious®

I admit that I have been less than consistent when it comes to making Katie “baby” foods.

It’s just that when it comes right down to it, it can be challenging enough just to get a nutritious, homemade meal on the table for Beng and I, never mind a separate meal for Katie.  So here’s what I usually do:

1.  I make a meal for Beng and I and offer it to Katie as well (most of the time she will eat a good bit of what I offer and sometimes not so much.  If Katie is really not interested in what we are eating I can always get her to enjoy a fruit and veggie packed smoothie as the backup).

2.  I make a fun “kid-friendly” type of meal that Beng and I are happy to eat as well (ie. fish sticks or rice and beans).

At the end of the day ONE meal is being made for everyone to enjoy!  That’s the way I’m gonna be running the ship around here.  Why?  Because that’s what works for me us.

The funny thing is that this soup was originally intended to be a Mommy & Daddy dinner but Katie devoured it.  Nearly all of it!

I wanted to share a picture showing you just how much Katie was enjoying the soup but I was denied access:

Little does she know that I still got what I wanted.

Just look all around that cute round mouth, it’s just oozing with Asparagus Soup!!  Nice try Katie, but as of now, Mommy can still out smart you.

This recipe came from, “Cara’s Craving’s“, a blog dedicated to creating indulgent recipes for a healthy kitchen (I know, perfect for us, right?!).  I knew I loved Cara when I saw a cartoon character holding a protein shake in her left hand and a martini in her right on Cara’s about page.  I actually needed to do a double take because for a moment I thought I was looking in the mirror!

What initially lured me into this recipe was that instead of using butter, heavy cream, or half and half to thicken the soup, Cara suggested thickening the soup by blending cottage cheese and milk together!  I have never seen or heard of this technique before and I thought it was so clever!

It not only worked, but it worked really well.  I especially like that the milk and cottage cheese add a nice dose of protein to the soup which I always finds helps me to stay full longer.  It was a beautifully balanced, delicious bowl of soup that I will definitely be making again.  (I’m actually looking forward to trying this technique with some winter squash soups once the fall rolls around).

Also I just wanted to remind you guys that when you are making such a simple soup that is based on one ingredient (in this case Asparagus) it’s really important to use only the freshest, in-season Asparagus you can find.  If it’s not Asparagus season, try swapping in another veggie  – I have a feeling broccoli or cauliflower would work really well!

Have you guys ever used cottage cheese to thicken a soup?  If so, what’s your technique?

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Asparagus Soup

Yield: 2 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large bunch of fresh asparagus (about 1 lb)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups chicken broth
• Zest from one lemon
• 6 oz low fat cottage cheese
• 1/4-cup nonfat milk

Directions:

Trim off the tough ends of the asparagus cut into small bite size pieces.

Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until it has softened and is translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute or so.

Add asparagus to the pot and season with salt and pepper.  Pour chicken broth into the pot (there should be just enough to cover the veggies in the pan) and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes or until the asparagus is nice and tender.

In the meantime, blend the cottage cheese and milk together in a blender until it is smooth and creamy. Set aside.

Remove the soup from heat and carefully pour into your blender, blend until the soup is nice and smooth.  Pour the asparagus soup back in to the pot and gently stir in the cottage cheese mixture.  Allow to simmer over s medium heat for about five to ten minutes or until the soup has thickened up a bit.  Enjoy! 

Serves 2.

Nutritional Analysis

Nutrients per 1 &1/4-cup; Calories: 155; Total Fat: 2.1g; Saturated Fat: 1.5g; Cholesterol: 14mg; Sodium: 374; Carbohydrate: 23.2g; Dietary Fiber: 8.6g; Sugars: 11.4g; Protein: 17g