Asparagus Soup with Shrimp

Ingredients

• 500 g Green Asparagus
• 1 onion
• 150 g waxy potatoes
• 1 handful basil
• 2 stalks lemon thyme
• 3 tbsp butter
• 150 ml dry white wine
• 500 ml vegetable broth
• 100 g crème fraîche
• Salt
• Pepper (freshly ground)
• 8 large shrimp (peeled and deveined except for the tail segment)
• lemon thyme (for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Peel the lower third of the asparagus. Place the skins in a pot, pour about 200 ml water over them, cover and let simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Strain through a sieve and collect the stock. Cut the stalks into pieces, leaving long tips whole for garnish. Peel and dice the onion and potatoes. Rinse the basil and lemon thyme, shake dry, and roughly chop the leaves.

2. 2.

   Sauté the onion in 2 tbsp hot butter, add the potatoes and asparagus, deglaze with white wine. Add the broth and asparagus stock, cover and simmer gently for about 20 minutes until tender. Remove the asparagus tips after about 10 minutes.

3. 3.

   Add the herbs to the pot, puree the soup finely, strain again, and reduce further if needed or add more broth. Do not boil again; stir in the crème fraîche and season with salt and pepper.

4. 4.

   Rinse the shrimp, pat dry, and fry them in the remaining butter for 2–3 minutes. Briefly heat the asparagus in the pan and season with salt and pepper.

5. 5.

   Serve the soup in bowls garnished with shrimp, asparagus tips, and lemon thyme.