creamy tahini and lemon aspragus soup.

Can we talk about how no one tells you how absolutely awful the home-buying process is?  How it's an endless sea of spending money, how it occupies all of your time and energy?  It's truly awful.  I keep reminding myself that there is a light at the end of this tunnel and that the whole thing will at some point be worth it by my god does it suck getting to that point.   

With the home search occupying what feels like every waking moment, I haven't had much opportunity to cook all of the spring things I want.  By the time I finally make it to the kitchen on a Tuesday evening, all I want to do is cook whatever will get dinner onto the table the quickest.  This means a lot of vegetable salads paired with cheese and crackers.  No one is complaining so I take that as a good thing.   

This soup, a departure from our almost daily salads,  falls into the quick and easy dinner meal.  It comes together in under 20 minutes, involves staple spring ingredients (i.e. asparagus and lemon), and tastes as if you slaved over an hour.   The tahini turns the soup impossibly silky smooth making it taste a lot more decadent then it really is.  

Creamy Tahini and Lemon-Asparagus Soup

Recipe from Dolly and Oatmeal

Makes 2 large servings or 4 small 

1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 bunch spring onions (or spring garlic), chopped (roughly 1 cup)

2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 lb. asparagus, woody ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (preferably homemade!)

1/4 cup fresh chives

2 2-inch pieces lemon peels

1/4 cup tahini paste

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

sea salt & fresh pepper

Optional Garnishes 

Asparagus ribbons

Pea tendrils or baby greens

Tahini paste

Heat a large soup pot over medium heat.  Once hot, add the olive oil and onion or garlic, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes, until soft and translucent.  Add the garlic, stir and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the asparagus and cook for 1 minute, then add the broth, chives, and lemon peels.  Bring soup to a boil, then turn heat down to a simmer and cook until the asparagus is tender, about 10-15 minutes. Remove soup from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.

Carefully transfer soup to an upright blender, add the tahini paste and lemon juice.  Blend on high for 1 minute, until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust salt and/or lemon juice.

Return the soup back to the soup pot and bring to a simmer.  Garnish and serve hot.