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Silken asparagus soup

You'll never guess that this elegantly creamy soup is completely dairy free! For a more substantial dish, add 3 or 4 peeled cooked shrimp to each bowl before serving. The hot soup will warm the shrimp without overcooking them.

2 shallots or 1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound very slender asparagus spears, tough ends discarded
2 14 ounce cans low sodium chicken stock, or 3 1/2 cups homemade stock
1 bay leaf
1 spring fresh thyme (or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
6 ounces (1/2 package) extra firm silken tofu

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium low heat and add shallots or onion, cooking until softened.

2. Break the top 2 inches off of each asparagus spear and set aside. Break remaining stem into 2 inch pieces.

3. Add stock, bay leaf, thyme, salt, pepper, and asparagus stems to onion and simmer over low heat about 20 to 25 minutes, until asparagus stems are quite tender.

4. Transfer soup to blender and add tofu. Blend until perfectly smooth. (Work in two batches if necessary.)

5. Return pureed soup to pot and add a bit of hot water if needed to correct consistency and salt if needed. Add asparagus tips and simmer over low heat 5 to 10 minutes until asparagus spears are just tender. (If you are working with thicker asparagus, steam tips briefly over boiling water before adding to soup.)

Nutritional Information

Serving size	Calories	Fat (g)	Carbohydrate (g)	Protein (g)
Serves 4	155	7	15	11