Recipe and preparation method for the 'Asparagus Soup' featured on Hyori's Bed and Breakfast

In the recently concluded season 2 of 'Hyori's Bed and Breakfast,' various homemade dishes caught the viewers' attention. Among them, asparagus soup served as a breakfast menu for guests received high praise. Let's take a look at everything from the benefits of asparagus to recipes using it, as well as how to grow and prepare it.

Asparagus is a food ingredient frequently consumed in the West and is a vegetable that grows in Southern Europe, Russia, Poland, and other regions. While both white and green asparagus exist, most of those distributed in the market are green asparagus. It is rich in vitamins B1 and B2 and has high mineral and protein content.

For the asparagus soup that received good reviews on Hyori's Bed and Breakfast, you will need: ▲ 6 asparagus stalks ▲ 2 small potatoes ▲ 1/2 onion ▲ 1 tablespoon butter ▲ 1 tablespoon olive oil ▲ 200 ml milk ▲ a little salt and pepper. Prepare the onion and potatoes by slicing them into strips. Trim the bottom of the asparagus. Melt the butter and olive oil in a frying pan, then sauté the onion and potatoes. When the potatoes are cooked, add the asparagus and sauté them together. Put the cooked vegetables and milk into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture back into a pot and simmer briefly to finish. If it is bland, season with salt or pepper. Besides soup, asparagus is a highly versatile vegetable that can be lightly blanched for salads, served as a garnish with steak, or wrapped in bacon.

If you are cooking with asparagus for the first time, you might be curious about how to prepare it. Soak the asparagus in vinegar water for about 10 minutes, then rinse it thoroughly. Cut about 1 cm off the very bottom. Use a peeler or knife to peel off a thin layer of the skin. Briefly blanch it in salted boiling water, then cut it in half to make it tender and easy to eat. Asparagus can be refrigerated in a plastic bag or airtight container, but it is best eaten soon because it can become tough and hard if left too long.

[Fam Times = Reporter Kim Jae-young]