Cream of Asparagus Soup

This soup is so delicious, I can't stand it. I make double batches. I make triple batches. I double my double batches. (Well, maybe not yet.) 

I have always loved asparagus. I remember picking it in the garden - picking it every other day because it grew so fast. I like it grilled, I like it bright green and crunchy. But it's love when it's in this soup. 

Recall the remark that "cream of" carries a sort of taste bud thrill. For me, I am thrilled by the fact that there is asparagus in this soup as well as almond milk. Unfortunately, I now have to relive this soup's glory a few days after its golden era - now, when there are no left-overs. Indeed, there were no left-overs that first day. There were no left-overs of that one meal. The pot was scraped clean, actually. 

Without further ado, here is the recipe:

Ingredients for the Cream of Asparagus Soup (Serves 4):

4 Tbs. vegetable broth

1/3 yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 bunch of organic asparagus, chopped

3 1/2 cups vegetable broth, organic (I use Whole Foods brand or Central Market brand)

6 oz. almond milk, homemade

2 tsps. RealSalt

1 1/2 tsps. dill weed

1/2 tsp. lemon peel, grated

2 Tbs. lemon juice (fresh) 

In soup pot, heat on medium. Add onion, garlic, and asparagus and saute in small amount of veggie broth for 3 or 4 minutes. until veggies are tender. Add the rest of the veggie broth and warm for 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in almond milk and seasonings. Warm for 5 more minutes. Serve warm.

I like to blend it, but if the vegetables are very finely chopped, that would be delicious, too. I sometimes put a little more lemon juice in, to give it a tangier flavor. 

**Recipe adapted by me from The pH Miracle for Weight Loss, by Robert O. Young, PhD and Shelley Redford Young

 

Almond Milk

Have you noticed that recipes that include “cream of” tend to be more mouthwatering? Whenever I give eaters an option such as, “Vegetable soup or cream of broccoli soup” they choose the latter, even though the vegetable soup may very well have broccoli in it. Also, soups with cream as an ingredient are just better, somehow. So here is the basic almond milk, if you haven’t got one down already. You can put more or less water, according to how thick or thin you want it. You’ll need this recipe for the soups ahead, because they’ll have milk for creaminess and pure taste bud pleasure.

(Recipe makes about 1 quart.)

Ingredients:

1 cup organic almonds (soaked in refrigerator in pure water for 12 hours, rinsed)

3 cups pure water

That’s it!

First, you soak the almonds in pure water for 12 hours or until plump and sweet. Even if you have little time, try to soak the almonds a few minutes. They’ll absorb the water and be activated (sort of put in sprouting mode) in a very short time. I soak in the fridge because the summer heat tends to make my soaking seeds, nuts, and grains spoil.

This is what the almonds will look like soaking:

In a blender, blend until smooth (blend about a minute - or more, depending on your blender) the almonds and the 3 cups pure water. It should end up white and fluffy.

Strain the almond milk through a nylon bag (some people use stockings). Try to get as much liquid out as possible.

The finished product should have two parts:

               

The almond milk in the mason jar and the meal in the bowl. The meal can be used in all sorts of ways. I’ve heard it used in dips, with flavoring like a hummus, even. But I put it in my dog’s blended food to make it heartier. I have found that it spoils quickly when left outside the refrigerator - that’s why I transferred its immediate use to the dogs.

Here is your finished product:

Now we are ready to make my favorite soup; the Cream of Asparagus soup.

Of course, you can always drink the almond milk which is infinitely better than the store-bought kind. It’s really completely different. It is sweet and fresh. I mean, you just milked it yourself. Chilled almond milk . . . oh! Divine.