Asparagus and Green Garlic Soup
Source: Foodwise Kids Program
Recipe Type: Soups | Seasons: Spring
This is a kid-friendly recipe that the whole family can prepare together! Created for the Foodwise Kids program, it’s particularly well-suited for kids ages 9 to 12.
Home chefs often snap off the tough ends of asparagus and throw them away, but those ends make a great addition to soups like this one. The mushroom powder adds depth of flavor called umami, but if you don’t have it, you can add more green garlic. If you can’t find green garlic, use 2 to 3 cloves of regular garlic. The lemon zest and tarragon brighten the soup, though if you can’t find tarragon, feel free to use another leafy herb. This recipe is centered around the stove and knife skills, so it is well suited for older chefs with some experience in the kitchen. They will continue to practice chopping and using a grater for zest.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 2 to 4
INGREDIENTS
1 large yellow onion
3 pieces of green garlic
1 bunch asparagus
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups stock or water
3 tablespoons powdered mushroom (examples: porcini, maitake, morel)
1 teaspoon tarragon
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
MATERIALS
Knife
Cutting board
Microplane or fine grater
Large pot
Large bowl
Measuring cups and spoons
Hand blender or standing blender
PREPARATION
Wash your hands with soap and water. Thoroughly rinse all vegetables and pat dry.
With an adult’s help, slice the onion and green garlic. Chop the asparagus into ½-inch-long pieces.
Ask an adult for help with the stove. In the large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and the garlic, and sauté until you can smell it and the onions are translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the asparagus and sauté for an additional 2 minutes. Stir the asparagus, onion and garlic around in the pot a few times.
Add the stock, mushroom powder, and tarragon. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, with large bubbles coming up to the surface.
Reduce the heat to low so that the mixture is simmering with small bubbles coming to the surface. Cook until asparagus is soft, about 10 to 15 minutes.
While the soup is cooking, use a microplane to remove the zest from the lemon. Be gentle and remove only the yellow part. The white part underneath the zest is called the pith and is very bitter.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the lemon zest. Ask an adult for help using the blender. Blend until smooth and season with salt and pepper to taste.
