Today was supposed to be a cold one. With warnings of “winter weather,” the city of Atlanta went into a tizzy! Businesses closed, stores ran out of milk and bread, and I actually got to spend the morning with my husband, who decided to work from home. We enjoyed a morning cup of coffee together, an occurrence usually reserved for Saturday mornings, before firing up our laptops to work.

Of course it didn’t snow. There was no sleet. There was barely any rain! Yet another example of us Southerners overreacting to the threat of winter weather we are ill-equipped to handle. But while there was no ice to salt, it was still colder than usual– and to me that means only one thing… SOUP!

In my fridge, I had plenty of fresh veggies, but the one that caught my eye was a beautiful, bright green bunch of asparagus. I took it out before I knew it, I was sipping down a smooth, creamy, satisfying bowl of asparagus soup!

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients

• 2 bunches of fresh asparagus
• 1/4 cup of butter
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 4 cloves of roasted garlic
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Optional:

• Plain Yogurt for topping

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven.
2. Prepare the asparagus by snapping off the ends of each stalk. Chop asparagus into small pieces.
3. Sauté the asparagus in the butter until it starts to soften and turn bright green. Season with salt.
4. Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Once it boils, turn to a low simmer and cook until asparagus is tender. Approx. 10 minutes
5. Add the roasted garlic cloves
6. Remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
7. Add Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Optional: Swirl in a spoonful of plain yogurt and enjoy!