This soup is wonderful for a casual Sunday dinner – or to batch cook for the week ahead. Rich and thick with beans and potatoes, it’s delicious and satisfying without being a bit heavy. Lovely all on its own, and terrific served with a green salad, corn on the cob, and fresh fruit for dessert.
CREAMY ROASTED ASPARAGUS SOUP (WITH POTATOES, WHITE BEANS, AND SPINACH)
2 pounds fresh asparagus, rinsed and trimmed
1 large onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 14-ounce can navy beans (or other white beans), drained and rinsed
1 3/4 pounds unpeeled red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed clean, trimmed, and divided (1 pound diced in 1/2-inch cubes, and 3/4 pound left whole)
6 cups vegetable broth
2 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
dash Cajun or Creole seasoning
2 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
1/4 cup raw cashews
Instructions
Oven
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place asparagus spears on a nonstick roasting pan (Scanpan is my favorite) or baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast uncovered for 10 minutes, or until just tender crisp. Remove from oven, and when cool enough to handle, carefully cut spears into 1-inch long pieces.
Electric Pressure Cooker
Into a large Electric Pressure Cooker, add onions, garlic, beans, and diced potatoes (1 pound). Add broth and the seasonings, plus about 2/3 of the roasted asparagus.
Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure for 20 minutes. After pressure cooking is complete, use the quick release method to release pressure. When valve drops, very carefully remove lid.
Mix in the chopped fresh spinach.
In a high-powered blender (like a Vitamix), blend the cashews with about 2 or 3 cups of the soup until smooth and creamy. Return blended mixture to soup pot, and stir well.
Add in the last 1/3 of the roasted asparagus.
Microwave
While the soup is cooking in the pressure cooker, prepare the remainder of the potatoes. Scrub well, and poke each one several times with a fork or knife for steam to escape while baking. Place potatoes on a microwave-safe plate, and microwave on full power for around 5 minutes. (Depending on size of potatoes and your microwave power, cooking time may vary, so please adjust as needed.)
When cool enough to handle, roughly dice microwaved potatoes. Sprinkle with salt, and add to the pot of soup.
Taste, add additional seasonings if desired, and serve hot.
Copyright © Vicki Brett-Gach | Ann Arbor Vegan Kitchen
And if you haven’t already, please order my new book, The Plant-Based for Life Cookbook, at either Amazon or Barnes and Noble!
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