Natural Living Cuisine

Asparagus Soup with Turnip Croutons

May 16th, 2008 | by Ingrid

Asparagus soup is deliciously simple to prepare, tasty served either chilled or at room temperature, and is a great make-ahead soup. Almond milk is used to add creamy texture while keeping it light and fresh.

Turnip croutons, you say? It may seem a bit odd, is certainly unique, and I was willing to give this idea a try. I tried two variations and the end results were interesting.

The first batch was dehydrated without any seasoning. I simply prepped the turnip, and cut it into desired size pieces, and dehydrated it. The pieces shrivel and the edges turn ever so slightly tan as they dehydrate.

The second batch was coated in a lemon dressing with a pinch of saffron threads in an attempt to add some color. The lemon dressing also helps prevent the turnip pieces from discoloring.

These little alternative croutons offer a completely different texture and flavor then conventional croutons. There is no crunch, but they have a chewy texture with a subtle tangy taste.

So what was missing to give these veggie croutons some crunch? Flaxseeds are my guess. I plan to rework and revisit the turnip crouton in a later post. Meantime, for those of you who like to take a walk on the culinary wild side, I’m sharing the recipe for the second batch, it is interesting, especially with saffron in the mix.

Turnip Croutons

Try these veggie croutons in salads.

1 lemon, fresh squeezed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of saffron threads
1 small turnip, top removed, peeled, cut into cubes

Juice the lemon, pour the fresh lemon juice in a small bowl and add the olive oil and saffron threads. Cut off the top end of the turnip and peel the outer skin with a vegetable peeler. Cut turnip into bit sized pieces. Add the turnip pieces to the lemon dressing and toss to coat thoroughly.

Place turnips pieces on a dehydrator tray and dehydrate about 2 hours for plump soft texture, or 4 hours for smaller chewy pieces.

Asparagus Soup

Allow the flavors of this silky soup to infuse by letting it rest at least 30 minutes or more, either at room temperature or in a covered container in the refrigerator.

1 bunch asparagus [about 1 lbs], bottom woody ends removed [save for another use], peeled [optional], chopped
1 cup almond milk
1 shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice, fresh squeezed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Wash the asparagus by holding the stalks upside down under running water or soak in a cold-water bath to remove any sand or soil.

Remove a bit of the tough bottom end of the stalk by holding the spear close to the bottom and bending it until the bottom inch or so snaps off, or remove the ends by cutting it with a sharp knife, if desired. Cut a few spear tips from the stalk and set aside as garnish. Optional, peel the outer skin of the asparagus stalks with a vegetable peeler. Cut the asparagus stalks into small pieces, about 1-inch.

Place the chopped asparagus in a food processor or a high-speed blender. Add the remaining ingredients and process/blend until smooth.

This is a good soup recipe to make in advance – up to two days ahead.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the soup immediately or store it in a covered container in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, remove the soup from the refrigerator and serve chilled or let it come to room temperature.

Garnish with turnip croutons, drizzle or dot with a little olive oil, or garnish with asparagus spear tips.

Tip:

Plan to remove the bottom woody end of asparagus stalks? Do not throw them away, save them and run through a juicer to add a taste of asparagus to your next fresh vegetable cocktail drink. You can use fresh asparagus juice to make a raw version of vegetable stock or broth. This is a great tip for doing something useful with these woody ends and it contributes to less waste.

Tools For These Recipes

• Food processor or Blender
• Cutting board
• Knife
• Vegetable peeler
• 1 measuring tablespoon and a liquid measuring cup
• Citrus juicer
• Small bowl
• Storage container

Other Soup Recipes

Beet Orange Soup

Butternut Squash Coconut Soup

Saffron Sources

Purchase saffron from a reputable gourmet store or a good quality grocer, like Whole Foods. Here are a couple of online sources for your consideration:

Whole Spice

Mountain Rose Herbs

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