Magpie's Asparagus Soup

Four miles from my house is a charming eatery called Magpie Restaurant. It is located on the equally charming Historic Main Street in what was once the Spanish governor's home (In more recent history it became infamously known as “the witches house.”), in the lively city of Saint Charles, Missouri on the banks of the Missouri River, a city that was the gathering place for Lewis and Clark in1804.

Magpie oozes quaint ambiance indoors and out. I love to dine al fresco at a table on the lovely cobblestone patio with a view of the street where horse-drawn carriages are not unusual. They are known for their soups, salads, quiches, and mouthwatering desserts. I've previously shared their recipe for Baked Potato Soup here. Today, with asparagus season upon us, I am sharing their recipe for Asparagus Soup. I consider myself in the know when it comes to soups, so you can trust me when I tell you that this is, by leaps and bounds, the best asparagus soup I have ever eaten.

Magpie's Asparagus Soup

Yield: 4 1-1/2 cup servings

1 pound fresh Melissa’s organic asparagus

4 cups chicken stock

1 1/3 cups heavy cream

2 teaspoons dried tarragon

¼ cup cornstarch

1/3 cup cold water

4 teaspoons butter

Slice off asparagus tips and reserve. Slice off woody stems and discard. Cut remaining spears into 2-inch pieces.

In a large pot, bring chicken stock and asparagus pieces to a boil, once boiling, reduce heat and let simmer about 10 minutes.

Transfer mixture to a blender and puree. (Caution: To avoid spewing hot liquid, always puree hot liquids in batches, filling blender no more than half full at a time.)

Return mixture to pot, add reserved asparagus tips, cream and tarragon and bring just to a boil but do not allow to boil.

To thicken the soup, stir together cornstarch and water until smooth. Stir into soup and cook, stirring often, until soup thickens, then for 5 more minutes.

Stir in butter a teaspoon at a time, stirring until butter melts.

To serve Magpie’s-style, serve the hot soup with a slice of home-baked French bread on the side.  

The chive garnish was my idea.

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