Asparagus is coming into season. It is time for a delicious Asparagus Soup.And these were fresh Idaho asparagus from the New Boise Farmer’s Market. Look at this one that we had last night. It was yummy! Here is the recipe that Robin found from La Cucina Italiana Magazine. Give it a try. Left-Click the photos to see enlarged. Please cast Your Vote above. Thank-You.

4 Servings
Though this soup is easy to make, it looks simply stunning: a fried egg, sunny side up, floats atop a gorgeously green puree for a dish that practically screams spring.

1 Mini Baguette
2 1/2 Pounds Asparagus, Trimmed
1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Onion
1 Garlic Clove, Smashed and Peeled
Fine Sea Salt
2 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil plus More for Drizzling
Freshly Ground White Peppercorns
4 Large Eggs

Instructions
Cut 4 (1/3-inch-thick) slices from baguette and lightly toast. Save remaining baguette for another use.

Cut all but 8 asparagus into 1-inch lengths. In a medium saucepan bring 3 1/3 cups water, onion, garlic and pinch salt to a boil; add chopped asparagus and cook until tender, about 8 minutes.

In batches, carefully purée soup until creamy and smooth. Return soup to pot and cover to keep warm.

Cut remaining asparagus in half, lengthwise, then cut in half crosswise; place in a large skillet. Add water to come halfway up sides of pan, 1 tablespoon oil and pinch salt and pepper. Simmer until tender, about 3 minutes, then drain. In a large nonstick skillet, fry eggs in remaining tablespoon oil; sprinkle with salt. Gently warm soup, stirring, then ladle into bowls. Top with asparagus, fried eggs and toasts. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with pepper. Serve hot.

And then to go with the soup, we had these delicious Shrimp Stuffed Sweet Roasted Peppers. We first had these stuffed peppers at The Buzz at the Quarterly Dinner. These make really great appetizers. Here is Cristie’s recipe from that Quarterly Dinner as she made them. I added a little Ricotta Cheese to mine and did not caramelize the onion. I use fresh green onion with the tops.

Source: Cristi Takeda, The Buzz, Boise, ID
Ingredients:
2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
8 oz bay shrimp (salad shrimp thawed)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 plum tomato
1/2 small onion, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons sherry
1/3 cup mayonnaise
12 colored small sweet peppers
olive oil cooking spray

Directions:
Cut off the tops of the peppers and clean them out (remember they are not hot peppers so don’t get too obsessed). Place them on a cookie sheet, spray with cooking spray and place in the oven at 350 until they are slightly blistered. Remove from oven and let cool until they are comfortable to touch.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion until translucent, finely chop the tomato (remember the pepper openings are small) and add to the onion long enough to bring out a little of the juices. Add the garlic.

Drain the onion/tomato mixture place into a bowl, add the sherry, and shrimp stir well. Stir in mayonnaise (If the mixture looks runny hand squeeze so that it is not too ‘drippy’. Fill a ziploc-style bag, cut the corner off and fill the prepared peppers
Refrigerate until just before serving. I had a lot of shrimp salad left over and used it on beds of green for salad the next day.