Preparation

• 1
  1. Take each piece of asparagus between both hands, holding with your finger and thumb, and bend the lower end until the tougher part snaps off. Discard the woody ends then chop off the asparagus tips, keeping the remaining stems to use in the soup. Place all the tips in a steamer for just 5 minutes, then rinse in cold water to keep the green colour. Put in a bowl and reserve to add at the end.
• 2
  2. Prepare the vegetables. Chop the onion finely and slice the leeks thinly. Chop the asparagus stems into small pieces. Peel and crush the clove of garlic.
• 3
  3. Cut the butter into small pieces and heat in a large saucepan over a low heat until the butter is foaming. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the onion is soft but not brown. Add the sliced leeks, the chopped asparagus stems and the crushed garlic, then cook gently for a further 5 minutes, until the vegetables are soft but the leeks and asparagus retain their colour.
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  4. Sprinkle in the plain flour and mix well to combine with the vegetables. Add the hot chicken stock a little at a time, stirring well, repeating until all the stock has been used. Bring to the boil then cover and simmer over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, or until all the vegetables are cooked through.
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  5. Turn off the heat and blend until the soup is smooth and velvety
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  I find it easier to use a hand blender. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Add the reserved asparagus tips and gently warm the soup through again.
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  6. To serve, ladle into bowls then carefully place a spoonful of crème fraiche in the centre of each bowl, and scatter on a sprinkling of chopped chives. Serve immediately accompanied by fresh crusty bread.
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  Additional notes:
• 9
  For vegetarians, simply replace the chicken stock with a good vegetable stock.
• 10
  To make an even creamier soup, you can stir in a little cream just before serving, or replace the crème fraiche with thick double cream.
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  Some recipes suggest that you thicken the soup by including a little finely diced potato with the vegetables instead of adding flour.
• 12
  To vary the vegetables, you could use celery or courgettes with the asparagus.
• 13
  If you like eggs, try serving a lightly poached one on top of a bowl of soup!