Asparagus is, hands down, my favorite summertime vegetable. It may be nearing the end of the season, but I still found some Michigan-grown asparagus at the farmer’s market this Saturday.

I love this soup, because it’s light and delicious served chilled, the perfect thing for a muggy summer afternoon. Some recipes add cream; I kept this one vegan.

The trick is to use only the thinnest, tenderest asparagus stalks in the soup. I’ll often buy two pounds at the market, then select out only the most slender shoots for soup. (The other pound gets roasted in the oven.) Asparagus stalks can get very fibrous-y, and you don’t want that in your soup.

Pick out the skinniest asparagus in the bunch.

Ingredients

1 pound young asparagus, trimmed, with the tips saved

2-3 shallots, finely diced

2 cups spinach (or 1 cup frozen)

1/3 cup fresh mint (to taste)

4 cups vegetable stock or broth

salt and pepper, to taste

olive oil

1. In the bottom of a pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute the shallots and some mint leaves, for about 5 minutes, or under the mint is tender and the shallots translucent.
2. Stir in the broth and asparagus, and bring to a boil.
3. Reduced heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender. (This is a good time to add some more mint.)
4. When the soup has about five more minutes to simmer, add the spinach to steam the leaves.
5. Let the soup cool. (I usually put it in the fridge.)
6. While the soup is cooling, steam the asparagus tips for about five minutes.
7. Blend the soup is a blender until smooth.
8. Pour the soup into bowls, and garnish with asparagus tips and mint.