Chilled Radish Leaf and Asparagus Soup

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: Seasonal Food is where it’s at. So there’s no better way in my eyes than to combine a whole bunch of the best vegetables that May has to offer – in this case, in the form of a soup.

Some of you might be put off by the word ‘chilled’ in the title. Don’t be! There’s a whole world of difference between ‘cold soup’ and soup which is straight from the fridge on a hot summer’s day. And if you still can’t be persuaded, it’s delicious hot, too.

I’ve taken use of 3 seasonal vegetables for this soup, and a couple that aren’t. Radish is just coming to the end of it’s season, and the leaves are always very underused. Asparagus is just perfect right now (and it’s hard to resist not just steaming and eating it), and spring onions are delicious and add an extra fresh zing to any dish.

This is also an entry for the monthly food blogging event ‘In The Bag’, which you can learn more about over at this link. ‘In The Bag’ is a monthly food blogging event highlighting seasonal ingredients and is ran by myself, A Slice of Cherry Pie, and Cherry’s English Kitchen. We each take it in turns to host on a rotating basis.

Chilled Radish Leaf and Asparagus Soup – Ingredients

• Leaves from 1 bunch of Radish (couple of handfuls), washed
• 7 Sticks of Asparagus, roughly chopped
• 2 Spring onions, chopped
• 1/2 Onion, chopped
• 1 Stick of Celery, chopped
• 1 Potato, peeled and chopped
• 25g Butter
• 1 litre Strong Chicken Stock (natural or made via a stock cubes)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Double Cream

Chilled Radish Leaf and Asparagus Soup – Method

1. Heat butter in a large pot until melted
2. Add onion, spring onion, celery, radish leaves and asparagus. Stir over a gentle heat for approximately 5 minutes.
3. Add stock to the pot. Stir well, cover, and leave for 15 minutes.
4. Add potato to the pot and leave for a further 15 minutes.
5. Purée the soup and add a touch of double cream (if desired) for a professional finish.
6. Leave to cool and then refrigerate.

Enjoy chilled (as above) or while still hot straight after cooking – it’s delicious and healthy, either way! Enjoy!