Chilled Asparagus Soup

I eat a lot of asparagus in spring and summer. I love it simply steamed or grilled (see video below), as part of an antipasto platter, in salads and risotto, and drizzled with a sauce Maltaise (blood orange Hollandaise). And every time I chop the ends off a bunch and toss them in the compost (or bin!) I feel wasteful. So now I toss them in the freezer instead. I keep a zip lock bag in the freezer and the ends of every bunch go into it until I have enough to make this deliciously easy no waste chilled asparagus soup. I can even save them up until winter to enjoy a taste of summer when asparagus is out of season. You’ll need about 500g (1lb 2oz) sliced asparagus stems for this soup and can always make it with whole bunches when asparagus is in season and cheap. I grab a handful of herbs from the garden to add a bright note to my chilled asparagus soup, so take the herbs listed below as inspiration and add whatever you have on hand or prefer.

Serves 4 as a starter

Ingredients

1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (30ml)
½ large brown onion, finely diced
Salt flakes, to taste
About 600g asparagus off cuts (1lb 5oz)
750ml water (3 cups)
1½ tablespoons oregano leaves
3 teaspoons thyme leaves
3 teaspoons sliced mint leaves
Natural yoghurt, for serving (optional)
Za’atar, for serving (optional)

Method

Place oil, onion and a good pinch of salt in a saucepan over low–medium heat.
Cover and cook for 15 minutes or so, stirring occasionally until it is just starting to colour.
Meanwhile, chop the tender parts of the asparagus stems, discarding any woody parts; it’s OK if some fibrous slices get mixed in as they’ll be strained out later.
Add asparagus and water to the onion, stir well and bring to the boil.
Reduce heat to lowest setting, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Taste and salt generously.
Transfer to a blender, add herbs and process until as smooth as possible.
Pass through a fine strainer into a large bowl, pressing with a spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. A little patience here will ensure the tastiest soup.
Once you can’t extract any more, discard the thick residue in the strainer and set the soup aside to cool.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serve chilled asparagus soup garnished with a swirl of yoghurt and sprinkle of za’atar if you like.