Asparagus Soup with Soft Poached Egg, Croûtons & Black Truffle
Perfect for the springtime, the vivid green of this soup sings of the bounty of the spring harvest and was inspired by a little food blogger outing i participated in this week-end. There were no asparagus involved but it’s the myriad of other seasonal delicacies we went out to forage ourselves that made me realize spring is finally here. You can read all about Forage & Feast here.
The beauty of this dish is in its luxurious simplicity. The asparagus soup is simply pureéd till it’s silky smooth, the rest is just delicious frou-frou. A soft poached egg in the middle, some chopped black truffle, a few drops of truffle oil, buttered croutons, fleur de sel and fresh tarragon leaves are enough to turn this into a first course that’s sure to make your guests very happy. If they don’t react to this? … Change dining companions.
Do you want to know what’s the best part about this soup?
The joy of digging into the soft poached egg with a spoon to let the glorious yolk escape and melt into the soup. No, don’t rub your eyes. This is really happening. Take a deep breath now. It’s gonna be okay..
Happy Spring to all of you in the North Hemisphere! (er.. sorry if you happen to live in the south.)
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Asparagus Soup with Soft Poached Egg & Black Truffle
- serves 4
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Asparagus soup recipe:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium onion, finely sliced
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- salt to taste
- 1 pound asparagus (separate the stems and slice the rest)
- 3 fingerling potatoes, peeled and sliced
- 2 sprigs tarragon
- 1 quarts chicken stock
- 1-2 tablespoons creme fraiche
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Garnishes:
- Croutons
- Black truffle (optional)
- Truffle oil
- Tarragon leaves
- 4 eggs
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
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For the asparagus soup:
- Heat the oil and butter in a medium pot over medium heat, add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook gently for five minutes until the onion has softened. Add the garlic and tarragon, stir together for a minute, then add the potatoes, asparagus stems and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove and discard the asparagus stems and add the chopped asparagus and simmer until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the creme fraiche and blend the soup until silky smooth, strain and cool rapidly over an ice bath.
- Boil water in a wide stockpot and add the vinegar. When it comes to a simmer, break the eggs one by one and poach them for 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. Meanwhile heat the asparagus soup.
- Pour the soup in four soup bowls, top each one with a poached egg. Add croutons, chopped truffle (if using), a drizzle of truffle oil, and tarragon leaves. Serve immediately.
To serve:
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