I believe I found this in a Sherlock Holmes cookbook.
- Carbohydrate 92.1228417887982 g
- Cholesterol 384.816562475597 mg
- Fat 112.661359528984 g
- Fiber 13.7107182939509 g
- Protein 58.0237622430185 g
- Saturated Fat 63.4534914995722 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (2327g)
- Sodium 2532.33862016562 mg
- Sugar 78.4121234948473 g
- Trans Fat 6.66302109939306 g
- Calories 1575 calories
Step-by-step
- Cut off tips of asparagus and put them aside. Trim the stalks and cut into small pieces.
- Wash and pick the spinach.
- Bring the stock to a boil. Add the spinach and asparagus (but not the tips), cook until tender.
- Remove the vegetables, but save the stock. Run the solids through a food processor, with a little of the stock. (I find that my magic bullet is big enough)
- Have a small sauce pan of salted water boiling. Put in the tips and cook for about 10 to 15 min.
- Melt butter in a sauce pan, add flour, milk and stir until boils. Add the stock, the pureed asparagus and spinach. salt and pepper. Simmer for about 10 min.
- Place asparagus tips in a tureen add the cream and then add soup. serve as soon as possible.
Cooking twenty-five asparagus spears alongside a half pound of spinach in a limited volume of liquid demands strict temperature control to prevent chlorophyll degradation. Boiling green vegetables causes plant cell walls to soften while releasing organic acids that turn vibrant pigments olive-brown. Retaining brightness requires plunging the stalks into actively boiling stock and removing them the moment fork-tender resistance vanishes at roughly 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
Adapting Dairy and Thickeners
Modifying this formulation for alternative dietary needs alters how the emulsion behaves in the bowl. Traditional roux relies on 0.5 ounces of wheat flour cooked in 1.5 teaspoons of butter to gelatinize starches before liquid enters the pan. Replacing dairy cream with plant-based milks requires careful consideration of fat content. Higher fat content prevents curdling when introduced to simmering chicken or vegetable stock.
- If substituting almond milk for dairy cream, add one teaspoon of neutral oil to maintain mouthfeel.
- When wheat flour must be omitted, substitute an equal weight of cornstarch slurry added during the final simmer.
- Overcooking the reserved asparagus tips past fifteen minutes destroys cellular integrity and yields mushy textures.
