Asparagus and button mushroom soup

Juha od šparoga I šampinjona 

 Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 handful asparagus
• 750 ml water
• 200g button mushrooms
• 20g butter
• 20g flour
• Salt & pepper
• 1 tbsp parsley, chopped

 Method

1. Wash the asparagus. Separate the soft from the hard part, by bending it over a finger so the stem snaps.
2. Cut the soft asparagus tops into 1cm pieces.
3. Make a stock from the hard asparagus. Put the hard stems into cold water and add salt. Bring to the boil and cook until the asparagus is soft. Drain and reserve the liquid (it’s your stock).
4. Wash, then dice the mushrooms.
5. Brown the asparagus and mushrooms lightly in butter.
6. When the liquid boils out, add the flour, salt and pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring continuously
7. Add the asparagus stock and cook for another 10 minutes
8. Garnish with parsley and serve with hunks of fresh bread.

Need some asparagus? Pick it yourself.

Thanks to Nikica Gamulin-Gama and his Croatian cookbook for this recipe.