I enjoy having lunch at Panera's every now and then, and I usually order some type of soup in a bread bowl. I love the bread bowls, I'm not really crazy about the soups.
I had made the zucchini tart a few days ago and had some asparagus left in the refrigerator that I needed to use. I had been near Panera's earlier in the day and stopped to get two bread bowls thinking I would make some cream of asparagus soup for dinner as Marc was off today and we had gone out for lunch and weren't very hungry.
I looked for a recipe for a cream of asparagus soup and couldn't find one I liked, so I decided to make one up on the fly. I had a bag of Monterey Jack cheese, and some heavy cream, a small package of cream cheese, that were also in the refrigerator for awhile, so I decided I would add them to the soup as well. I should name this soup after my dear friend Barbara, because she would always say she was having schlepps is almon (I know I didn't spell this right) for dinner.
When I asked her what that was, she replied, everything left in the refrigerator. Here is the recipe for the soup, it turned out to be delicious, creamy, but not so thick that it was like the glue in restaurants, that they call creamed soups!
By the way, if you don't have an immersion blender, or as Emeril calls it, a boat motor, you really need to buy one. They are very inexpensive. You can get them at Bed, Bath, and Beyond, Target, any kitchen store, and for your convenience, we even have a link to Amazon where you can pick one up there. I promise you that once you get it, you will find so many uses for it.
Cream of Asparagus-Jack Soup
Elise Feiner
1 (32 ounce can or box) College Inn Chicken Broth
1 pound (bunch) asparagus
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
2 small potatoes, peeled and diced
1 stick butter
1 (3 ounce package) Philadelphia cream cheese
6 tablespoons Wondra flour, divided
1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash
1 tablespoons McCormick’s Season All Seasoned Salt
Black Pepper to taste
Salt (optional)
1 pint heavy cream
1 bag shredded Monterey Jack Cheese, divided
Peel and dice the onion; set aside. Peel and dice the potatoes; set aside.
Cut the bottom edges of the asparagus off. Place the asparagus into a steaming bag and microwave for 3 minutes. Cut asparagus spears in one-inch pieces. Retain a few of the heads for decoration when you serve the soup.
Remove one cup of the broth from the can or box. Add 4 tablespoons of the Wondra flour to the broth with a whisk blend until smooth; set aside. Set some of the cheese aside to sprinkle on the top of the soup, and if you are serving the soup in a bread bowl, set aside some to put in the bottom of the bread bowls as well. Place the butter into a large saucepan (8 quart) pan and melt it. Add the onions and potatoes and cook for about 8 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the cream cheese, and stir until melted. Add the asparagus, and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Wondra flour. Add the remaining broth that is in the box or can. Add the Mrs. Dash, McCormick's Season All, and black pepper. Bring to boil, and then, lower to a simmer for about 25 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
Use an immersion blender to puree the soup. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can do this in a regular blender, but do it in very small amount because the heat will cause it to expand and if you put too much in the blender, it will blow the lid off.
After the soup in pureed, add 1/2 pint of heavy cream now. Whisk together the remaining broth and flour mixture once gain, as the flour probably has settled to the bottom of the cup. Now add the remaining broth to the soup, whisking well so it doesn't lump up. Add the remaining 1/2 pint of heavy cream. Add the Monterey Jack cheese. The cream, broth and cheese will have cooled the soup a little, so heat the soup back to serving temperature, but be careful not to burn it. Taste for seasonings, and if necessary add a little salt – I didn’t think it needed it)
Serve in a bread bowl that has been buttered with a little bit of butter mixed with garlic salt and grating cheese. Place in the oven for a few minutes at 400º F. just to warm the bread bowl up, and toast the covers a little. Place a little of the reserved cheese at the bottom of the bread bowl, ladle in the soup. Top with one or two heads of the asparagus tip and a little more of the Monterey Jack cheese.
Enjoy!
This is what you will need for the recipe:
Peel the onion
Make thin slices in the onion
turn 90 degrees
and dice the onion; set aside.
Peel the potatoes
Wash the potatoes
Cut the potato in thirds
turn and cut in thirds again
and dice the potatoes; set aside
Cut the bottom edges of the asparagus off
Place the asparagus into a steaming bag
and microwave for 3 minutes
Be careful when you open the bag
Cut asparagus spears in one-inch pieces
Retain a few of the heads for decoration
when you serve the soup
Remove one cup of the broth from the can or box
Add 4 tablespoons of the Wondra flour
to the broth
with a whisk blend until smooth; set aside
Set some of the cheese aside to sprinkle
on the top of the soup,
and if you are serving the soup in a bread bowl,
set aside some to put in the
bottom of the bread bowls as well
Place the butter into a large saucepan (6 quart)
pan and melt it
Add the onions and potatoes and cook for about
8 minutes until the
onions are translucent
Add the cream cheese,
and stir until melted
Add the asparagus,
Mix well
and sprinkle with the remaining
2 tablespoons of Wondra flour
Add the remaining broth that is in the box or can,
Add the Mrs. Dash,
McCormick's Season All,
and black pepper
Bring to boil, and then,
lower to a simmer for about 25 minutes
until the potatoes are tender
While the soup is cooking, you can
prepare your bread bowls if you
are using them
Make a small circular cut in the top of the bread
remove the lid
scoop out the bread with your fingers
to hollow out enough room for the soup
Make a mixture of some softened (room temp) butter
a little garlic salt
and some parmesan cheese
Blend mixture well
Spread it on the lid
and on the inside of the bread
Preheat the oven to 400º F
About 10 minutes before serving place
the bread and the tops in the oven to heat
Use an immersion blender to puree the soup
I ended up transferring the soup to a smaller
pot so it would be deeper and the blender
wouldn't splatter
(If you don’t have an immersion blender,
you can do this in a regular blender,
but do it in very small amount because the heat
will cause it to expand and if you put
too much in the blender, it will blow the lid off.
After the soup is pureed,
add 1/2 pint of heavy cream
Whisk together the remaining broth and flour mixture once gain,
as the flour probably has settled to the bottom of the cup
Now add the remaining broth to the soup,
whisking well so it doesn't lump up
Add the remaining 1/2 pint of heavy cream
Add the Monterey Jack cheese
The cream, broth and cheese will have cooled the soup a little, so heat the soup back to serving temperature, but be careful not to burn it. Taste for seasonings, and if necessary add a little salt (– I didn’t think it needed it)
Place a little of the reserved cheese at the bottom of the bread bowl,
ladle in the soup
Top with one or two heads of the asparagus tip
and a little more of the Monterey Jack cheese
Enjoy!
Make thin slices in the onion
turn 90 degrees
and dice the onion; set aside.
Peel the potatoes
Wash the potatoes
Cut the potato in thirds
turn and cut in thirds again
and dice the potatoes; set aside
Cut the bottom edges of the asparagus off
Place the asparagus into a steaming bag
and microwave for 3 minutes
Be careful when you open the bag
Cut asparagus spears in one-inch pieces
Retain a few of the heads for decoration
when you serve the soup
Remove one cup of the broth from the can or box
Add 4 tablespoons of the Wondra flour
to the broth
with a whisk blend until smooth; set aside
Set some of the cheese aside to sprinkle
on the top of the soup,
and if you are serving the soup in a bread bowl,
set aside some to put in the
bottom of the bread bowls as well
Place the butter into a large saucepan (6 quart)
pan and melt it
Add the onions and potatoes and cook for about
8 minutes until the
onions are translucent
Add the cream cheese,
and stir until melted
Add the asparagus,
Mix well
and sprinkle with the remaining
2 tablespoons of Wondra flour
Add the remaining broth that is in the box or can,
Add the Mrs. Dash,
McCormick's Season All,
and black pepper
Bring to boil, and then,
lower to a simmer for about 25 minutes
until the potatoes are tender
While the soup is cooking, you can
prepare your bread bowls if you
are using them
Make a small circular cut in the top of the bread
remove the lid
scoop out the bread with your fingers
to hollow out enough room for the soup
Make a mixture of some softened (room temp) butter
a little garlic salt
and some parmesan cheese
Blend mixture well
Spread it on the lid
and on the inside of the bread
Preheat the oven to 400º F
About 10 minutes before serving place
the bread and the tops in the oven to heat
Use an immersion blender to puree the soup
I ended up transferring the soup to a smaller
pot so it would be deeper and the blender
wouldn't splatter
(If you don’t have an immersion blender,
you can do this in a regular blender,
but do it in very small amount because the heat
will cause it to expand and if you put
too much in the blender, it will blow the lid off.
After the soup is pureed,
add 1/2 pint of heavy cream
Whisk together the remaining broth and flour mixture once gain,
as the flour probably has settled to the bottom of the cup
Now add the remaining broth to the soup,
whisking well so it doesn't lump up
Add the remaining 1/2 pint of heavy cream
Add the Monterey Jack cheese
The cream, broth and cheese will have cooled the soup a little, so heat the soup back to serving temperature, but be careful not to burn it. Taste for seasonings, and if necessary add a little salt (– I didn’t think it needed it)
Place a little of the reserved cheese at the bottom of the bread bowl,
ladle in the soup
Top with one or two heads of the asparagus tip
and a little more of the Monterey Jack cheese
Enjoy!
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