Tuesday, January 1, 2013

GF & Vegan "Spring Fling" Asparagus & Leek Soup!


What a great day today! There are certain people who can just light up a room.  Well, this afternoon, one of our dear family friends came to visit and she definitely fits that bill. It was so great to hang out and just have her uplifting spirit fill our house! I totally believe that people like that are placed in your life for a reason.
Mary's Gone Crackers is the perfect crouton!
So for dinner tonight, I made another Happy Tummy and Mouth Soup…this time, of the green variety! I made Asparagus and Leek Soup alongside broiled Tile Fish. Yum!! Healthy, decadently delicious, and super easy to whip up!
vibrant green!
Here’s what you need:
Bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 leek, well washed, sliced
3 1/2 cups veg stock
1/2 cup plain unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
In a Dutch oven, sauté your leek for about 5 minutes with 1 tsp EVOO, salt and pepper. Then add your asparagus and cook for another 5 minutes. Add your stock and deglaze the pan, scraping up any flavor bits from the bottom. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. At this point, remove a few pretty asparagus tips for a garnish, and stir in your basil. Partially cover, and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the asparagus is fork tender. Then, remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender. Finally, stir in your almond milk and reseason with salt. Garnish with an *amazing* Mary’s Gone Crackers GF cracker, your reserved asparagus tips, and chopped fresh chives. YUM!
the perfect pair:)
With this flavor packed soup, I served broiled Tile Fish. This is a wonderful, often overlooked fish! Our friends atLobsta Bakes gave us a beauuutiful piece of wild, ocean caught tile fish today. Oh my Gosh. It is like a hybrid of cod and halibut. Sweet, delicate “meat” that just flakes and melts in your mouth! I broiled it with 1 tsp EVOO, salt, pepper, lemon zest and juice. Delicious!
succulent tile fish!
This meal was great! The flavor of the soup was so fresh and addicting! The first taste kind of wakes up your taste buds to this new and exciting flavor combination. Asparagus, leeks and basil are 3 ingredients I’ve never thought to combine. And it was SO good! It was bright from the basil, but deep from the asparagus. It was wonderfully earthy, but light and super fresh! The texture was smooth and creamy, and the color was a deep forest green that just jumped off the plate!  It was a soup you just wanted more and more of!
beautiful asparagus poking through!
The lovely texture of this soup was made possible by my stick blender. I love it so much, it makes it SO convenient! I made this in my mom's Le Creuset dutch oven. It is such an amazing kitchen tool. So durable and well made. It's an investment, but so worth it! Here are the tools I use:

Happy Tummies!

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