Soups are to warm your hands when you sit before the heater when it is cold outside and raining, aren't they? But there is a good reason to make them in the summer too - you get lots of fresh green vegetables in the summer, fresh off the farms. And no matter what kind of vegetable you think of, there are soup recipes to bring out the best in them. It doesn't even matter if you got overenthusiastic over at the farmers market, and bought too much of something - soups are a great way to get the best out of them even if they are a little wilted. If it is summer and you're in the mood for a taste of freshness, here is one of my best soup recipes that should be right up your street.
For our spring soup recipes, let's start out with an asparagus soup. There is a kind of a gourmet quality to this one though. It uses to green garlic. You'll need to be extra alert over the next visit to the farmers market now for this. You get a great creamy frothy soup that is so colorful, it will gladden your heart. So what you need are these: a pound of asparagus, 6 cups of vegetable stock, a nicely chopped-up bulb of spring garlic, a third of a cup of Parmesan cheese grated up, a couple of tablespoons of flat-leaf parsley, half a cup of cooked pasta, and of course you'll like croutons.
Get your vegetable stock in the pot, and begin to bring to a boil. Throw in the chopped-up garlic and the asparagus stalks, to have the flavor really come out. Now that you have this broth on your hands, season it with salt and pepper to taste. Slice up the asparagus into little pieces, and bring a boil again. Simmer for maybe five minutes; the idea is to turn the asparagus bright green and tender, but not all squishy. You're almost ready now.
You will need to put the cheese, the chopped parsley and the eggs all in a bowl and beat them together. You need to make sure that your soup is only simmering and not actually boiling. Spoon out some into this mixture, and keep whisking. Empty it all into the boiling soup, and keep whisking. It should cook for about three minutes; bring in the pasta, and you're good to go. It should serve about four people, and when you serve with croutons, it should really add some class. Trying soup recipes with fresh produce is a great way to introduce your children to vegetables in the diet; it's a great way, because admit it, soups are classy.