Asparagus Soup

From EatingWell: June/July 2005, The EatingWell Healthy in a Hurry Cookbook (2006) — Subscribe Now!

This creamless but still creamy soup is a great lunch or summer-night dinner on its own - but you can also spoon it over lump crabmeat, cooked shrimp or cubed tofu for a heftier meal.

2 servings, 1 1/2 cups each

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup water
1 yellow-fleshed potato, such as Yukon Gold (6 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried savory, or marjoram leaves
1/8 teaspoon salt
12 ounces asparagus, woody ends removed, sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation

Place broth, water, potato, shallot, garlic, thyme, savory (or marjoram) and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the potato is tender, about 8 minutes. Add asparagus, return to a simmer, and cook, covered, until the asparagus is tender, about 5 minutes more.
Meanwhile, cook prosciutto in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring, until crisp, about 5 minutes.
Pour the soup into a large blender or food processor (see Tip); puree until smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary. Season with pepper. Serve topped with the crisped prosciutto.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare the soup (Steps 1 & 3), cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Top with prosciutto just before serving.

Hot liquids can splatter out of a blender when it's turned on. To avoid this, remove the center piece of the lid. Loosely cover the hole with a folded kitchen towel and turn the blender on. Better airflow will keep the contents from spewing all over the kitchen.

Nutrition

Per serving: 174 calories; 3 g fat (1 g sat, 0 g mono); 20 mg cholesterol; 25 g carbohydrates; 15 g protein; 5 g fiber; 818 mg sodium; 378 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (50% daily value), Iron (30% dv), Vitamin A (25% dv), Folate (22% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 lean meat