Spring Asparagus Soup

I don't know about you, but I am SO ready for spring weather! I guess it's fair to say we New Englanders had a pretty easy winter, but I just am ready for it to be over! I'm ready for flowers to bloom, for the sun to be out, and to not have to wear my wool coat every day. I think my mindset with cooking has completely shifted to spring as well.

When I think of the "springiest" vegetable, asparagus comes to mind. Prior to this recipe I had never made asparagus soup, but I had been wanting to for a while. When I browsed some recipe ideas many of them called for milk or sour cream, but I opted to keep mine low-cal and dairy free and it still came out super creamy and delicious.

Funny enough, I was watching Food Network this morning and Trisha Yearwood was making asparagus soup. She suggested adding spinach to the asparagus to ensure the soup has a bright green color at the end. She said without it it'd be a very muted, non-appetizing green. Well, I followed her directions and the color came out gorgeous!

This is a SUPER easy recipe so feel free to get creative with the toppings. I served mine with some lemon zest and truffle oil, but you could add herbs, Parmesan or whatever you'd like.

Asparagus is such a healthy vegetable. It is known to prevent against certain types of cancer because it contains the detoxifying compound, glutathione which breaks down harmful free radicals. Asparagus is also a great source of Vitamin C which can ward off illness and Vitamin B which can promote brain health. Lastly, asparagus is a natural diuretic as it contains asparagine which is an amino acid that helps cleanse the body of excess salt.

Ingredients:

2 bunches of asparagus- chopped into 1 inch pieces

1 small yellow onion- diced

2 gloves garlic- minced

2.5 cups low sodium chicken or veggie stock

2 cups spinach

1 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 tbsp lemon zest for topping (optional)

1 tbsp truffle oil for topping (optional)

Directions:

1) Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat.

2) Add asparagus pieces and onion and saute for 4-5 minutes.

3) Add garlic and cook for another minute or two until all vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4) Turn off the heat and add the spinach. Stir until spinach is slightly wilted- about 1 minute.

5) Add mixture and 2 cups of chicken stock to a blender. Blend on high until smooth. (You can also use an immersion blender as well- I unfortunately don't have one yet!)

6) Pour back into dutch oven with remaining 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Bring to a slight boil, then turn heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

7) Serve in bowls with desired toppings.

*Recipe makes roughly 4-5 servings

Guest Blogger- Homemade Sauerkraut

Hi! My name is Mark and I am happy to be guest blogging this week on TheSuperFoodsGirl blog! I have always enjoyed cooking and trying new foods. I also enjoy gardening and have been growing foods organically for close to 30 years. 

I have been making my own sauerkraut for quite some time now, not only because I like it but also because it's such a healthy food- a real superfood! 

Because sauerkraut is a fermented food it has quite a few health benefits. First it is a great source of probiotics which can aid in rebuilding and maintaining healthy gut bacteria levels. It is also a great source of Vitamin C and is thought to have cancer fighting properties. 

Ingredients:

1 3 lb. head of cabbage

1.5 tbsp. kosher salt (add 1/2 tbsp per pound of cabbage.)

Directions.

1) Wash the cabbage.

2) Remove and reserve outer leaves. 

3) Slice into 8 wedges and remove the core. Slice across each wedge to form thin ribbons of cabbage.

4) Place into a mixing bowl and add kosher salt.

5) Mix the salt and cabbage by squeezing and massaging it for 5-10 minutes. This will begin to release liquid from the cabbage and create a brine.

6) Place the cabbage and brine in a large glass bowl or container pressing as you go to compact the mixture.

7) Place reserved outer leaves on top of the sliced cabbage. Fill a small mason jar with water and secure with a lid. Place the jar on top of the cabbage mixture to act as a weight to compact the cabbage. This is done to ensure the cabbage is submerged in the brine. 

8) Place a towel over the large bowl/container and fasten with a rubber band. This covers it but still allows the air to circulate. Place in a cool dark spot. (If after 24 hours there is not enough liquid to cover the cabbage, add more brine by combining 1 tsp kosher salt into 1 cup of water and adding it to the mixture. 

9) Let the mixture stand covered for 3-10 days. You can taste it to see how long you want it to ferment. I like it after about a week.

10) Store in the fridge and enjoy!