Cream of Wild Asparagus

I eat a variety of wild foods; everything from fiddle heads and wild leaks in the spring to mushrooms and wild fruit in the fall. I have lived in and around the bush all my life, even today in the small town I Live the forests and wildlife is just a short walk and I am in the middle of the forest. So eating wild things has been a large part of my life.

Wild asparagus grows in and around the forests where I live; they sprout from late spring to early summer. Growing faster than the plants and grasses around them they reach five feet in as little as two weeks and continue to sprout for a month. This makes them easy to find since the first to sprout are taller than the new sprouts and other wild plants around them. The older asparagus is woody but the soft core is still edible however the sprouts are the best raw or cooked.

Wild asparagus is easy to harvest you only need a bag to put the sprouts in, simply go for a walk on the trails in the bush. When you find a patch of wild asparagus just reach down and bend the stalk near the ground and the sprout breaks off.

Fresh wild asparagus is great in a salad and just like store bought you can make every dish in your asparagus repertoire.

Step 1: Ingredients

5 cups diced fresh wild asparagus

1 large onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

3 tablespoons butter

5 to 6 cups chicken broth

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup crème fraîche or heavy cream

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Step 2: Directions

Prep time 10 minutes

Cook time 25 minutes

Ready in 35 minutes

Cut the stalks of asparagus sprouts into 1/2-inch pieces, dice the onions and celery.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in medium sized stock pot, and saute onion and celery until tender.

Add asparagus, thyme, and chicken broth, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

In small saucepan, over medium-heat melt 3 tablespoons butter, stir in flour and add milk. Stir until thick and bubbly, then add it to the soup.

Using a hand blender puree the soup right in the cooking pot.

Step 3: Serve

Season with salt and pepper then serve with a side of toast or crackers.