Cream of Green Vegetable Soup

originally from several recipes published in Wine Spectator

adapted by Jeff Lindenbaum

serves 12

5 bunches asparagus (about 40 stalks), trimmed, rinsed and cut in half

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil or butter

32 ounces chicken broth (more as needed to thin soup)

9 ounces fresh spinach leaves (or 1 box frozen spinach)

small fistful dried herbes de Provence

pinch freshly grated nutmeg

I-inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut in quarters

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

1 pound fresh or frozen sweet peas (optional)

1 pint heavy cream

2 ounces sweet white dessert wine (ice or late harvest, Muscat, Sauternes)

salt and pepper to taste

optional garnish: asparagus tips, crab, crème fraîche or a sprig of herbs

Cook bottom halves of asparagus in enough water to cover for 20 minutes. Drain and reserve liquid, squeezing asparagus. Discard asparagus.

Meanwhile in a non-reactive soup pot, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil or butter until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, the reserved asparagus liquid (from step above) and top halves of the asparagus. Add the spinach, herbes de Provence, nutmeg, ginger, tarragon and peas. Simmer 15 minutes.

Drain solids, reserve this broth and puree the solids in batches in a blender. Use care with this step, as solids are very hot. Use 1/4 cup of the reserved broth in each batch to make pureeing easier.

Combine pureed solids with the remaining broth. Add heavy cream and dessert wine. Salt and pepper to taste. Heat, adding more chicken broth if soup is thicker than desired, and serve. Can be refrigerated, covered, 1 or 2 days.

The rich taste of this soup also benefits from the zip and coolness of horseradish mixed with some sour cream, Mexican crema or crème fraîche.