It's a Keeper!

Rarely do I find a new recipe that our whole family will eat and want to eat again. Usually, Chris and I find a recipe will be too "kid friendly" and would prefer something more sophisticated. The kids usually won't eat the "sophisticated" recipe.

As I flipped through recipes this past week deciding on a menu, this one sounded yummy to me. I totally knew the kids would hate it and I would end up making them PB&J's. When I dished it up I only gave them each a 1/4 cup of it. Maybe it was my approach that made this one work. They all complained; "How come we only get a little bit?" I said, "you usually hate what I cook so I'm not wasting my yummy soup on you, that's all you get!" Our rule is, if McKenna eats it, it's a keeper. Guess what? She ate it! All the kids loved it and some had seconds & thirds! So, if you are looking for a new soup to try on a cold, rainy day like today, give it a try!

**Note - this is rather time consuming. Next time I will probably make it earlier in the day and put it in a crockpot.

Chicken Asparagus Soup (see why I thought they'd hate it??)
2 lbs thin fresh asparagus
2 large potatoes, peeled & diced
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped (I did not add this as I HATE cooked celery and the flavor...Chris wasn't very happy though)
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 cans (14.5oz each) chicken broth
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper, divided
1 bay leaf
2 cups cubed cooked chicken (I shredded mine)
2 cups half-and-half cream
Parmesan Cheese, shredded

Cut tips from asparagus spears and set aside (This is important because I mistakenly read over it and threw mine away..oops! It still tasted great though.) Place stalks in a large skillet; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduced heat; cover and simmer for 40 minutes. Strain, reserving 4 cups cooking liquid. Discard stalks.

In a Dutch oven or large, heavy stock pot, saute the potatoes, onion, celery, carrot, parsley and garlic in oil until vegetables are tender. Stir in the broth, salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, bay leaf and reserved cooking liquid. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Cool slightly.

In a blender, cover and puree soup in batches until smooth. (I used a hand blender/immersion blender to eliminate the need for a blender...a must have in every well-stocked kitchen.) Return to the pan. Add the chicken, cream, remaining pepper and reserved asparagus tips. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until asparagus is tender. Garnish with Parmesan cheese. Yield: 10 servings (about 2 quarts).

Yummy!