At once light and rich, this creamy soup features a double dose of one of spring’s best ingredients: asparagus. In the spirit of using every scrap, this recipe calls for using the leek and asparagus trimmings to flavor the soup’s broth.
Serves 6 1 pound asparagus
1 large leek
4 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup short-grain white rice
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 bunch fresh chives, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream Chop off the woody ends of the asparagus and reserve, then chop the remaining asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces. Slice the white and light green part of the leek thinly, reserving the dark green leaves and the root tip.
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