Late night dinner

Due to my crazy work schedule, I tend to eat at strange hours on occasion. Saturday, dinner came around 10:30pm but was well worth the wait. I made a seitan "chicken " cutlet with a gravy and a cream of asparagus soup. I love asparagus, it is such a great spring food and has been making appearances in many of my dishes. It was cold and rainy and it was the perfect soup day.

Cream of Asparagus Soup was very smooth and subtle but flavorful, light but filling. This is another recipe that uses some cashew cream. You could substitute it but it may taste slightly less creamy without it. Cashew cream is one of the best ingredients I have stumbled upon in the last year. It is extremely versatile and add much character.


Cream of Asparagus Soup

15 med pieces of asparagus
1 medium peeled potato (cubed)2 cups of water
1 1/2 cups of vegetable broth
2 tablespoons of onion (chopped)
1 tablespoon of cashew cream
1 tablespoon of vegan margarine
1 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of salt

In a pot, bring the water to a boil on med-high heat. Once the water is boiling, add the cubed potato, cover and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Strain and rinse.

Cut about 5 or 6 tips off of the asparagus and set aside for garnish. In a pot, bring the margarine to med-low heat and add the onions and remaining asparagus. Allow to fry in margarine until the onions are translucent. Remove from heat.

In a blender, add the vegetable broth, cashew cream, potatoes and asparagus mixture and puree. Puree until smooth and return to the pot. Add the salt and pepper and heat until hot. This will burn easily, keep the heat low and stir often. Not not let simmer. Top with set aside asparagus tips and serve.