Chervil Soup With Poached Eggs and Asparagus
You may have chervil in your herb garden and not even know it — to an untrained eye, it looks a lot like a flimsier, paler version of parsley. Its flavor is delicate — slightly licorice-y, slightly grassy. Heat it gently, and only enough to warm it — too hot, and chervil’s springy green color turns an unappealing gray. Recipe adapted from “The Scandinavian Kitchen” by Camilla Plum. Serves 4.
Ingredients
About 1 pound fresh asparagus (get the white stalks if you can find them)
2 leeks
4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock — use homemade if you can)
cup heavy cream
4 medium russet or Idaho potatoes
1 large bunch of chervil
1 handful of fresh spinach
Salt and pepper
A pinch of sugar
4 eggs, poached or boiled
1 bunch of chives, very finely chopped
Directions
Peel the asparagus spears, then snap off the woody bottom part. Put both the peel and the bottom bits of the asparagus, as well as the green part of the leeks, in a saucepan with the stock. Simmer for an hour, then strain. Cut off the tips of the asparagus and reserve. Simmer the stock with the cream, potatoes, white part of the leeks, and asparagus spears until the vegetables are very tender.
Wash the chervil and spinach. Blend the boiled vegetables and raw chervil and spinach with a little of the stock in a food processor until smooth. Pour this mixture into the remaining stock through a fine sieve. Add the asparagus tips.
Take the pan off the stove — the soup must not be heated now, as the fresh green color will turn into gray-brown if overheated. Season with salt, pepper and a little sugar. Serve each bowl with a poached or a halved boiled egg and a scattering of chives.
