Asparagus Soup

From : Deborah Madison Vegetable Cooking for Everyone
Ingredients :
- 2 bunch of asparagus
- 1 leek, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons of raw white rice
- 6 cups of homemade vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoon of olive oil
- salt and pepper
- fresh lemon juice to taste

Slice asparagus in 3 parts : ends, middles, and tips. Chop middles in 1 inch pieces and set aside. Drop ends into boiling salted water and cook until tender for about 4 minutes. The cooked tips are added later to the finish soup.
Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the leek, onion and rice, sauté until onion are slightly colored. Add one cup of stock and stew for about 10 minutes. Add the chopped asparagus, the remaining stock and simmer partially covered for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool the soup briefly and add 1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice. Puree in a food processor, adding fresh coriander, salt and pepper to taste. Separating vegetables from the broth and then adding the broth when puree, give you a better control over texture.

Carrot Soup

Ingredients :
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- one medium onion, chopped
- 2 pound bag of organic carrot, peeled and sliced
- 1 teaspoon of dried caraway seeds, crushed
   or dried dill
- 4 cups of homemade chicken stock
-  sea salt and pepper

Variation - Ginger-Orange carrot soup :
Omit the caraway seeds or dill and add a 2 inch piece of fresh ginger,1/2 cup of fresh orange juice



Heat oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the onion, then the carrots for about 10 minutes or until the onions are soften. Season with salt and pepper. Pour chicken stock, add the ginger if using and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 45-55 minutes, or until the carrots are very soft. Cool the soup slightly, take out the ginger if using, pour orange juice if using. Puree in batches in a food processor. I separate the vegetables from the broth in a coriander, puree the vegetables, then adding the broth to obtain the consistence desire.