Asparagus Soup with Chicken

Ingredients

• 600 g Chicken breast fillet
• 4 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 3 tbsp Lime juice
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• Salt
• ground pepper (freshly ground)
• 250 g green asparagus
• 250 g white asparagus
• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 2 curry leaves
• 1 onion
• 100 g starchy potatoes
• 3 tbsp butter
• 100 ml dry white wine
• 600 ml Vegetable Broth
• 100 ml coconut cream
• 0.5 untreated lemon (juice and zest)
• nutmeg
• a handful purple basil

Instructions

1. 1.

   For the chicken skewers, wash and pat the chicken dry, then cut into thin strips about 1.5 cm wide. Mix the oil with ginger, curry, lime juice, and sugar; coat the chicken strips and refrigerate for about an hour.

2. 2.

   To make the soup base, peel the lower third of the green asparagus and fully peel the white asparagus. Place all skins in a pot, cover with 250 ml water, add the halved lemongrass stalks and curry leaves, and simmer gently covered for about 10 minutes. Strain through a sieve to collect the broth.

3. 3.

   Cut the asparagus into diagonal pieces 2–3 cm long. Peel and dice the onion and potatoes.

4. 4.

   Sauté the onion in 1 tbsp hot butter until translucent; add the potatoes and white asparagus, then deglaze with white wine. Pour in the vegetable broth and the strained asparagus stock, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes until tender. Stir in coconut cream and blend the soup with an immersion blender to smoothness. Optionally strain again and reduce further or add more broth if needed. Add the green asparagus pieces and cook for another 8 minutes. Season with salt, lemon juice and zest, and nutmeg.

5. 5.

   Thread the chicken onto wooden skewers in a wave pattern and sear in a hot pan, turning occasionally, for about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

6. 6.

   Remove asparagus spears from the soup with a slotted spoon and arrange on soup plates. Whisk the remaining butter into the soup until frothy and pour over the asparagus. Top each plate with a chicken skewer and garnish with basil before serving.