[Liz]

Garnish: chp tarragon, wispy fennel fronds, asparagus tips, olive oil drizzle, swirl of crème fraîche.

Asparagus Velouté / classic French soup

Ing 2 tbl evo, 1 lge leek white/pale green part, fine-chop 1 fennel bulb,thin-slice K/s/p 2 tbl flour 4 c homemade veg stock 2 lb asparagus in 1 1/2" lengths Small handful minced tarragon leaves, 2 tbl fresh l/juice Crème fraîche

Directions Heat ol/oil on med-low til shimmery. Add leek and fennel, lge pinch k/salt. Cook/stir/soften not browned, 5 min. Add flour to incorporate, 30 sec. Stir in stock; bring to a simmer. Stir in asparagus, tarragon. Resimmer/cook a min. Liftout dozen asparagus tips, half lengthwise, set them aside for garnish. Continue simmering 5-6 min. Stir in l/juice. Blender smooth. S/p, garnish, and serve.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

The soup looks absolutely lovely, but while I’ll eat most anything, the flavor of Fennel just doesn’t do it for me.

Maybe a large, peeled chopped potato instead for bulk? The beautiful color obviously comes from the asparagus - I’ll have to experiment - which is half the fun. :)