Equipment
Ingredients
Soup Base
- 1000 g white asparagus, thick spears preferred
- 40 g unsalted butter
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1 leek, white part only, sliced
- 800 ml vegetable stock
- 150 ml heavy cream, 35% fat or higher
- 10 ml lemon juice
- salt
- white pepper
Morel Garnish
- 200 g fresh morel mushrooms, cleaned thoroughly
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 10 g fresh chives, finely chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Prepare the asparagus: Snap off the woody bottom ends (about 2-3 cm). Using a vegetable peeler, peel the stalks starting from just below the tip all the way to the bottom. Cut into 2 cm pieces, reserving the tips separately.
Clean the morels: Slice larger morels in half lengthwise. Rinse quickly under cold water to remove sand, then pat immediately and thoroughly dry with paper towels.
In a large pot, melt 40g butter over medium heat. Add minced shallots and sliced leeks. Sweat for 5-7 minutes without browning until translucent.
Add the asparagus pieces (reserving the tips) to the pot. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring to coat in butter. Pour in vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes until asparagus is very tender.
While the soup simmers, blanch the reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water for 3 minutes until tender-crisp. Drain and set aside for garnish.
Remove soup from heat. Puree in a high-speed blender until smooth. Important: Pass the puree through a fine mesh sieve into a clean pot to remove any remaining fibers. This ensures a silky texture.
Return the strained soup to low heat. Whisk in heavy cream. Season with salt, white pepper, and lemon juice. Keep warm but do not boil.
In a sauté pan, melt 30g butter over medium-high heat. Add the prepared morels. Sauté vigorously for 5-8 minutes until browned and tender. Season with a pinch of salt.
Ladle soup into warmed bowls. Garnish with sautéed morels, blanched asparagus tips, and fresh chives.
Chef's Notes
- White asparagus must be kept in the dark while growing to prevent photosynthesis, which turns it green and bitter. This recipe relies on that delicate, milder flavor.
- If using dried morels, rehydrate them in warm water for 20 minutes. The strained soaking liquid is 'liquid gold'—add it to the vegetable stock for intense mushroom flavor.
- For an ultra-luxurious finish (Michelin style), whisk 30g of cold butter cubes into the soup just before serving (mounting with butter).
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store soup and mushrooms in separate airtight containers to maintain texture.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze the soup base only; the cream may separate upon thawing (blend to re-emulsify). Do not freeze cooked morels.
Reheating: Gently reheat soup on stove over low heat. Re-crisp mushrooms in a pan with a little butter.
