Whether you love entertaining friends with creative dinners or simply crave the warmth of a creamy soup as the temperatures drop, this recipe for White Asparagus Soup, provided by Victoria Falls Safari Lodge is a must try!
“This is Victoria Falls Safari Lodge’s Chef Munyaradzi Zariro’s signature dish. White asparagus is one my favorite delicacies. This dish is fresh and delicious and made even better with some crunchy French bread.” – Sandy Salle
Serves 4
This soup is a veloute of farm-fresh white asparagus, complemented by a crispy, pasta-wrapped prawn.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup onions
1/4 cup celery
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup flour
4 & 1/4 cups white stock (preferably chicken), heated
1 cup asparagus stalk trimmings or 3/4 cup canned asparagus
Salt & pepper
8 tablespoons cream
1/2 tablespoon pesto
4 prawns
Lemon juice
Olive oil
Cajun spice
8 strings cooked spaghetti
4 fennel leaves
Step 1: Soup
1. In a saucepan over medium heat, gently sweat the slider onions and celery with the butter or margarine.
2. Remove from the heat, mix in the flour, return to low heat, and cook for a few minutes, taking care that the mixture does not brown. Let cool.
3. Gradually add the hot stock and return to heat.
4. Add the asparagus and bouquet garni.
5. Simmer for 30 – 40 minutes, then remove bouquet garni.
6. Puree the mixture and pass through a strainer.
7. Return the soup to a clean pan, bring back to a boil and simmer until it reaches preferred consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Add cream.
9. Garnish the soup with fennel pesto.
Step 2: Prawns
1. Shell the prawns.
2. Season with lemon juice, olive oil, Cajun spice, salt, and pepper.
3. Wrap each prawn in 2 pieces of cooked spaghetti and secure with a wooden skewer.
4. Fry the prawns in garlic butter until the spaghetti is crispy.
5. Place one prawn in the soup spoon on the side of each soup cup, garnished with a fennel leaf.
