Creamy Asparagus, Basil, and Crème Fraîche Velouté Recipe

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Kerry Saretsky

This soup is supremely life-giving: It tastes so stridently of vegetables you can't help but feel healthy and virtuous while eating it. Asparagus and vegetable broth spiked with sweet shallots, basil, and a touch of crème fraîche get blended together as a creamy, thick, verdant, fresh, and ever so slightly tangy soup.

Recipe Details

Creamy Asparagus, Basil, and Crème Fraîche Velouté Recipe

Prep 15 mins
Cook 25 mins
Active 5 mins
Total 40 mins
Serves 2 servings
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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter or a mixture of both

  • 1 extra large shallot, chopped

  • 1 1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and diced

  • 2 cups vegetable broth

  • Salt

  • Freshly cracked black pepper

  • 5 large basil leaves, plus extra for serving

  • 2 tablespoons crème fraîche, plus extra for serving

Directions

  1. Heat the butter or olive oil in a medium soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the shallot and sauté until soft and fragrant, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often. Add the asparagus and vegetable broth and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until the asparagus is very tender: 10 to 12 minutes.

  2. Transfer the soup to a blender, and add the basil and crème fraîche. Purée until completely smooth. Ladle into bowls, and top with a dollop of crème fraîche and a chiffonade of fresh basil.

Special equipment

blender

This Recipe Appears In

  • French in a Flash: Creamy Asparagus, Basil, and Crème Fraîche Velouté
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
222 Calories
14g Fat
21g Carbs
10g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 222
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 18%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 18mg 6%
Sodium 1031mg 45%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 7%
Dietary Fiber 8g 27%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 29mg 146%
Calcium 108mg 8%
Iron 4mg 21%
Potassium 902mg 19%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)