Lemon Ginger Asparagus Soup

By jenlin

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of asparagus
• 1/2 a medium onion
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon of white pepper
• 1 3/4 cup of chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 cardamom pods
• 1/2 cup of coconut milk
• Cracked black pepper, to taste
• 2 slices of bacon

Details

Servings 2
Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 40mins
Adapted from food.natashalh.com

Preparation

Step 1

Wash the asparagus spears and allow them to drain slightly. Then, break off the woody ends and discard. Cut the spear tips off and set them aside, then cut the remaining stalks into 1" pieces.
Chop the onion. It doesn't have to be minced, but try to make the pieces fairly small and uniformly sized.
Heat the coconut oil in a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Once the oil has melted, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Sweat the onions until they are translucent but not browned, turning down the heat, if necessary.
Add the chopped asparagus stalks, but not the spears, stir to coat with oil, and allow them to sauté for 3-4 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 additional seconds.
Stir in the ginger and white pepper, then add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and cardamom pods.
Bring the soup to a simmer, then cover and turn the heat down to medium low and simmer until the asparagus is tender, 20-30 minutes.
While the soup is simmering, cut the bacon strips into ½" pieces and fry in a heavy bottom skillet. Once the bacon is crispy, remove it from the skillet and place it on a paper towel to drain.
Turn the burner's heat down slightly, add the asparagus tips, and stir to coat them in bacon fat. Fry the asparagus is browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Once the tips are browned, place them on a paper towel and remove the skillet from the stove.
Once the asparagus in the soup is tender, turn off its burner and pour in the coconut milk. Using an immersion blender, process the soup until the asparagus is mostly pureed (or until you're happy with the texture). Season with black pepper to taste.
Garnish with bacon and asparagus tips and serve