Asparagus Soup with Scallops

Ingredients

• 500 g white asparagus
• 1 onion
• 100 g waxy potatoes
• 3 tbsp butter
• 100 ml dry white wine
• 600 ml Vegetable Broth
• 100 ml heavy cream
• Salt
• 0.5 untreated lemon (juice and zest)
• nutmeg
• 8 small scallops (prepped for cooking)
• pepper (ground)
• tarragon leaves (for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Peel the asparagus and trim any woody ends. Place the skins and sections in a pot, cover with water, and simmer gently covered for about 10 minutes. Strain through a sieve and reserve the broth.

2. 2.

   Cut the asparagus diagonally into 2–3 cm pieces. Peel and dice the onion and potatoes. Sauté the onion in 1 tbsp hot butter until translucent, add the potatoes and half of the white asparagus, then deglaze with white wine. Pour in the vegetable broth and the reserved asparagus stock, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until tender. Stir in the cream, then puree the soup with an immersion blender. Pass through a fine sieve and return to the pot; reduce slightly if desired or add more broth. Add the remaining white asparagus and cook on low heat for about 15 minutes. Season with salt, lemon juice and zest, and nutmeg.

3. 3.

   Rinse the scallops, pat dry, and season with salt and pepper. In the remaining butter, sear the scallops in a hot non‑stick pan for about 1 minute per side until golden brown.

4. 4.

   Taste the soup, ladle into bowls, place the scallops on top, and garnish with tarragon leaves before serving.