Asparagus And Rice Soup

I’m not going to beat around the bush — time is running out on our beloved spring asparagus and you need to get some pronto! Unfortunately, summer weather has not been gracing us around here so I have been in the mood for simultaneously comforting and light soups. Asparagus soup is a no-brainer and everyone loves it. Me included. But right now I want to enjoy asparagus in its truest form and not blitzed into a mass. The recipe for this Italian minestra di riso e asparagi — asparagus and rice soup — is by chef Stefano de Pieri, via Gourmet Traveller, and I am so in love with it.

A Simple Asparagus and Rice Soup

One pot, simple ingredients, and no blender or food processor required. Simple. I barely had to change a thing to chef Stefano’s recipe but I did add garlic, a lot of it, because in my opinion, all soups benefit from garlic. I feel the same way about leeks so that’s what I used instead of onions. At this point, it will already smell so good.

In a perfect world we would all have endless containers of gloriously golden homemade chicken stock in our freezer. But I promised you a simple soup here so a good-quality boxed is fine. I love the addition of the potato to this soup — along with the rice, it gives it a beautiful thick and silky texture.

You will need an assertive amount of salt and pepper so taste as you go along and add as needed. Finish the soup with plenty of grated parmesan which is always a heavenly match with asparagus. And if you fancy bread with your soup there is no better time to grill up some slices from a crusty loaf, divine. Also good with a glass of rosé.

Choosing The Right Rice

A medium to short grain rice such as arborio is truly best for this recipe. Carnaroli rice or Vialone would also work beautifully. I have not tried this recipe with other rice varieties but if you prefer to use brown or white rice, make sure you adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Do be very mindful to not overcook the rice or (heaven forbid) the asparagus. You want the rice to be tender but remain a little al dente so it doesn’t release a lot of starch. Likewise, the asparagus should retain a lovely crunch which means a cook time of 2-3 minutes and nothing more. Because of that, this is not a make-ahead soup. When reheated, the soup will lose its brightness, the rice will have absorbed most of the broth, and the whole lot will resemble more a risotto than a soup. Not worthy of serving to guests perhaps, but I still happily eat the leftovers with a fork instead of a spoon — still delicious.

We may not have had the best spring weather but this asparagus and rice soup is truly spring in a bowl. I hope you give it a try. But hurry, because if you miss this season’s asparagus, you will have to save the recipe for next spring.

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Asparagus And Rice Soup

Author: Sandra Valvassori, slightly adapted from Gourmet Traveller

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings 6

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• 1 Tablespoon butter or use all olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large leeks cleaned of all sand, white and light green parts only, chopped into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 medium yukon gold potato peeled, and thinly sliced
• 8 cups homemade Chicken Stock* or boxed low-sodium, I like this one
• 1 cup water
• 2 bay leaves optional
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more to taste
• Freshly cracked pepper plus more to taste
• 3/4 cup short grain Italian rice such as arborio
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• freshly grated parmesan to taste

Instructions 

• In a large soup pot heat the butter and oil over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Stir in the leeks and potato and cook, stirring regularly, until soft, about 4 minutes. Adjust the heat if browning too quickly.
• Add the stock, water, bay leaves, salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Bring to a boil then add the rice, stir and lower the heat. Simmer until the rice is tender, about 12 minutes.
• Stir in the asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes (do not overcook).
• Remove the bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasonings and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes

*To make this soup vegetarian, you can use half vegetable broth and half water. Using all vegetable stock, especially store-bought, will overpower the soup.

Cuisine Italian

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