Equipment
Ingredients
Soup Base
- 1000 g white asparagus, thick spears preferred
- 40 g unsalted butter
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1 leek, white part only, sliced
- 800 ml vegetable stock
- 150 ml heavy cream, 35% fat or higher
- 10 ml lemon juice
- salt
- white pepper
Morel Garnish
- 200 g fresh morel mushrooms, cleaned thoroughly
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 10 g fresh chives, finely chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 361 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbohydrates
- 24 g
- Fat
- 29 g
- Fiber
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 10 g
- Sodium
- 1199 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 18 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 80 mg
- Potassium
- 1420 mg
- Calcium
- 202 mg
- Iron
- 17.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 97 mg
- Phosphorus
- 411 mg
- Zinc
- 3.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 486 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 39 mg
- Vitamin D
- 3.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 3 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.05 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.18 mg
- Niacin
- 1.2 mg
- Folate
- 12 mcg
- Water
- 84 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Prepare the asparagus: Snap off the woody bottom ends (about 2-3 cm). Using a vegetable peeler, peel the stalks starting from just below the tip all the way to the bottom. Cut into 2 cm pieces, reserving the tips separately.
Clean the morels: Slice larger morels in half lengthwise. Rinse quickly under cold water to remove sand, then pat immediately and thoroughly dry with paper towels.
In a large pot, melt 40g butter over medium heat. Add minced shallots and sliced leeks. Sweat for 5-7 minutes without browning until translucent.
Add the asparagus pieces (reserving the tips) to the pot. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring to coat in butter. Pour in vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes until asparagus is very tender.
While the soup simmers, blanch the reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water for 3 minutes until tender-crisp. Drain and set aside for garnish.
Remove soup from heat. Puree in a high-speed blender until smooth. Important: Pass the puree through a fine mesh sieve into a clean pot to remove any remaining fibers. This ensures a silky texture.
Return the strained soup to low heat. Whisk in heavy cream. Season with salt, white pepper, and lemon juice. Keep warm but do not boil.
In a sauté pan, melt 30g butter over medium-high heat. Add the prepared morels. Sauté vigorously for 5-8 minutes until browned and tender. Season with a pinch of salt.
Ladle soup into warmed bowls. Garnish with sautéed morels, blanched asparagus tips, and fresh chives.
Chef's Notes
- White asparagus must be kept in the dark while growing to prevent photosynthesis, which turns it green and bitter. This recipe relies on that delicate, milder flavor.
- If using dried morels, rehydrate them in warm water for 20 minutes. The strained soaking liquid is 'liquid gold'—add it to the vegetable stock for intense mushroom flavor.
- For an ultra-luxurious finish (Michelin style), whisk 30g of cold butter cubes into the soup just before serving (mounting with butter).
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store soup and mushrooms in separate airtight containers to maintain texture.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze the soup base only; the cream may separate upon thawing (blend to re-emulsify). Do not freeze cooked morels.
Reheating: Gently reheat soup on stove over low heat. Re-crisp mushrooms in a pan with a little butter.
Troubleshooting
Soup has a fibrous or stringy texture
Cause: Asparagus was not peeled thoroughly enough or soup was not passed through a fine sieve
Fix: Pass the soup through the finest sieve you have again
Prevention: Peel white asparagus aggressively; always use a chinois/fine sieve
Sand or grit in the garnish
Cause: Morels were not cleaned properly
Fix: Cannot be fixed once added to soup
Prevention: Rinse morels well or use a pastry brush for crevices; if using dried, strain the soaking liquid
Cultural Context
White asparagus, often called 'white gold' in Europe, is celebrated with near-religious fervor during 'Spargelzeit' (asparagus season) in Germany and France. Pairing it with morels, another spring ephemeral, is a classic French technique that highlights the terroir of the season.
