Healthy Cream Of Asparagus Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/3 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup diced yellow onion (about 1 large)
1/2 cup chopped celery (about 1 medium rib)
4 cups chopped peeled, asparagus (about 2 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
3 cups potatoes, diced and peeled
4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Preparation

Heat a medium stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Add the onion, celery, and asparagus. Cook until the asparagus is bright green, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in the bay leaf, thyme and potatoes. Add enough of the stock to cover the vegetables.
Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are soft, 20 to 25 minutes. Add the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf.
Carefully ladle the soup into a blender and process until pureed and smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer or colander lined with cheese cloth to remove any asparagus strings. Return the strained soup to a pan over low heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt, pepper, and nutmeg, if desired. (Add a little more stock or water to give the soup a more creamy consistency if it seems too thick.).