Roasted Asparagus & Creamy Roasted Asparagus Soup

Spring is here and asparagus is in season. Hallelujah! (Do I hear angels singing on high?) One of my favorite ways to cook asparagus is to roast it. It is simple, fast and healthy. Roasting brings out the flavors while adding a slight sweetness. That is precisely what I did yesterday for Easter dinner .

It was delicious, but the leftovers? The leftovers were waaaaaaay better. How can that be you ask? It be because I took the leftovers and made Creamy Roasted Asparagus Soup today. Never again will I roast asparagus without making extra for soup leftovers for the next day.

Roasted Asparagus

1 pound asparagus, woody ends cut (if you plan on making two meals with this, you will need
at least 2 pounds of asparagus. Save the woody ends if you plan to make soup later)
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Toss together all ingredients. Arrange asparagus on a roasting pan careful to not overlap stalks. Roast until asparagus is slightly softened and edges are starting to brown a bit, about 20 minutes.

Serve hot (or hide and "forget" to serve to your guests. Then use the asparagus tomorrow for Creamy Roasted Asparagus Soup).

Creamy Roasted Asparagus Soup
Adapted from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook

1 lb. roasted asparagus, (see recipe above)
woody ends you saved from the roasted asparagus
2 cups chicken broth
2 T. onion, chopped
1 cup cream
Salt & Pepper

1. Boil woody asparagus ends in two cups of water until ends become tender. Discard ends after boiling, but reserve 1 cup of the water.

2. Chop roasted asparagus reserving some of the tips for garnish later.

3. Add chicken stock and onion to the 1 cup of reserved water and bring to a boil. Add asparagus and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Puree soup mixture in a food processor or blender being careful while working with the hot liquid. Tip: cover blender or food processor with a dish towel in case of splattering.

5. Return to the pot and add the cream. Salt and pepper to taste. Heat through.

6. Serve with asparagus tips sprinkled on top.

~ You can use milk in lieu of cream, but I recommend the cream!

~ Read this article after you have eaten the asparagus, but before you go to the restroom. And don't call your doctor until you have read this. I have a friend who...well...maybe she wouldn't want to be outed on my blog, but she knows who she is. Let's just say she would have slept more peacefully had she read this after scarfing down her asparagus.