Asparagus cappuccino

For this playful way of serving soup, a smooth and creamy asparagus soup is topped with frothed milk and sprinkled with a few thyme leaves for a ‘cappuccino' effect.

Asparagus cappuccino Credit: Kitti Gould

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ingredients

• 1 bunch green asparagus, woody ends discarded
• 1 tbsp grapeseed oil
• 20 g butter
• 1 small leek, white part only, chopped
• 1 golden French shallot, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 700 ml vegetable stock (or chicken stock), boiling hot
• 3 - 4 spinach leaves (optional, for colour)
• 2 - 3 tbsp thick cream
• salt and white pepper, to taste
• sugar, to taste
• 250 ml (1 cup) full fat milk
• thyme leaves, to serve

Instructions

1. Cut the asparagus into chunks and set aside.
2. Heat the oil and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the leek, shallot and garlic and stir for 5 minutes or until soft but not brown. Add the asparagus and stir for another few minutes or until slightly softened.
3. Add the boiling stock and cook for about 3 - 4 minutes or until the asparagus is soft but still green. Add the spinach, then remove from the heat. Using a stick blender or stand blender, puree the soup until smooth (if the soup is too thick add some boiling water). Return the soup to a clean pan.
4. Add the cream, salt, white pepper and sugar to taste and reheat slowly over low heat.
5. Just before serving, place the milk in a small saucepan over low heat until it reaches 60˚C - 65˚C. Using a milk frother or a whisk, froth the milk until soft foam forms. To get rid of bigger bubbles tap the bowl with frothed milk on a counter.
6. Ladle the hot soup into warmed cappuccino cups, spoon some frothed milk on top, sprinkle with a few leaves of thyme and serve.

 

Photography by Kitti Gould.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

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Watch The Full Episode Here

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Watch The Full Episode Here

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