The month of April is known for its showers leading into May’s flowers, but it’s also the time that many fruits and vegetables start to blossom here in Ohio.
This month's Meals with Maddie highlights one vegetable that’s in season starting this month through June — asparagus.
In a Durocher’s test kitchen, 5555 Monroe St., I made Asparagus and Tarragon Veloute, which is essentially a creamy asparagus soup without the addition of cream.
You might ask, “How can something be creamy without cream?”
The answer to that is a veloute sauce, which is one of the five French mother sauces — the others being bechamel, espagnole, hollandaise, and tomato — and it’s the reason the soup is still luscious, full-bodied, yet still veggie-forward.
To make the sauce, you start with a simple roux of equal parts fat (butter is classic for veloute, but in this dish we’re using olive oil) and flour, then whisk in a light stock (in this case, chicken or vegetable), which will thicken nicely because of the roux base.
This recipe is adapted from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, who’s known as a culinary consultant for the website Serious Eats, a New York Times food columnist, and a James Beard award-winning cookbook author for his first book, The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
The soup is simple and vibrant — though has a deep complexity of flavor from the anise-like qualities of fennel and tarragon playing off of each other, with notes of brightness coming from the asparagus.
It’s the perfect way to start off spring, and it’s how my family likes to welcome the season as well.
My brother, Chris Coppel, has made this soup for me time-and-time again, which is much of the reason I wanted to try my hand at it — there’s more than one Coppel that can cook, and my brother might just have me beat.
Not only does this soup sing spring, it tastes like home — which is my favorite flavor.
Asparagus and Tarragon Veloute (Dairy-Free Creamy Asparagus Soup)
Yield: 6 servings
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1 large leek, white and pale green parts only, finely chopped
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced, plus a few fennel fronds for garnish
2 to 3 cloves of garlic, minced
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 ½ –inch lengths
Small handful minced fresh tarragon leaves, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons fresh juice from 1 lemon
Freshly ground black pepper
Creme fraiche, for serving (optional)
Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until shimmering. Add leek and fennel and a large pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until fully softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and saute just another 30 seconds or so, until fragrant. Add flour and cook, stirring until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Stir in stock and bring to a simmer.
Stir in asparagus and tarragon. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, remove a dozen asparagus tips from the pot, split them in half lengthwise, and set them aside for garnish. Continue simmering soup for 5 to 6 minutes longer. Stir in lemon juice.
Blend soup using a handheld immersion blender, or in batches using a countertop blender, until it's as smooth as you like. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper and serve, garnishing with reserved asparagus tips, creme fraiche (if using), more chopped tarragon, fennel fronds, and more extra-virgin olive oil.
Source: Serious Eats / J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, adapted by Maddie Coppel
First Published April 7, 2024, 11:00 a.m.