5-minute 50-calorie Asparagus Bisque

According to the experts, "Bisque is a smooth, creamy, highly-seasoned soup of French origin, classically based on seafood broth. Creamy soups made from roasted and puréed vegetables are sometimes called bisques (though this is, by definition, incorrect, as this would make them cream soups)."

Well, call me "tres erroné" Frenchies because I made an asparagus bisque with zero seafood broth.  And I'm calling it a bisque, so there!

Asparagus is a favorite of mine - canned, steamed, broiled, grilled, you name it. Asparagus is also low in calories and is very low in sodium. It is a good source of calcium, magnesium and zinc, and a very good source of fiber, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, folic acid, & iron, as well as chromium, a "trace mineral that enhances the ability of insulin to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells."

Diabetic friends, take note of that last bit!

Even if you don't like asparagus, you WILL probably like this soup. It's mild & savory/sweet, with loads of texture & subtle flavor. One great thing is that it  takes 5 minutes to make -- but perhaps the greatest part is that the milk and butter are OPTIONAL - so if you're eating paleo or just trying to cut all unnecessary calories, you can still enjoy this creamy soup without those elements.  The soup is 50 calories a serving with milk & butter.  Without that stuff, I'm guessing...25 calories a serving? 

How nuts is that?

This is LITERALLY the easiest & most yummy homemade soup I've ever tried.

It's also fun to experiment with some add-ins.  I took the base recipe of chicken broth, asparagus, milk, and butter...then added stuff I randomly found in the fridge! I've become pretty confident over the past few years when it comes to knowing which ingredients will taste great together, without needing a recipe. If you want, you can just make the soup with the 4 base ingredients, or with the first 2 - it's still extra yum.  But if you want to get creative, try some of the elements I added, or use whatever YOU like! 

 

Asparagus Bisque

Makes 4 servings

Start with:

• 14.5 oz chicken broth
• 1 can asparagus spears (I used green, but think white asparagus would look neat too)
• 1/2 c milk (fat free or whatever you have)
• 1 tbsp butter

Then I decided to also use:

• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• juice of 1/2 lemon

(other "add-in" ideas: onion powder, lemon zest, dill, basil, Worcestershire sauce...)

Blend the asparagus, liquid & all, until it's completely smooth.

You know you're jealous of my pink blender.  I have a matching toaster.  Obviously I got these before Drew & I married - they would not have gone over well with him as registry items, nevermind that I'm the only one in this house that toasts or blends anything.

Anyway, go ahead & combine the chicken broth and asparagus puree in a saucepan and heat for 1 minute.  Add the milk, butter, and whatever other ingredients float your boat!

 

 

 

Taste your concoction, and add salt & pepper to taste (use a shaker shaped like an animal - makes it taste better) :)

Then, serve her up! I like to keep all things AFAP (as fancy as possible) so you should know that I topped off my bowl of soup with cracked black pepper, a few pita chips, and fresh lemon zest.  Totally awesome.

 

Tres bien, y'all!

Happy eats,

Comments

[Erin]

That looks delicious! I'm tempted to try it this summer with roasted asparagus, sans milk and butter. Yum!