This Weekend Peter Greenberg Worldwide broadcast from Radisson Blu Mall of America. On the air, you probably heard Peter talk with Paul Lynch, executive chef of the FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar. Lynch is celebrating spring with asparagus soup. Follow along at home with his recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces  butter
• 1/4 cup  flour
• 1 bunch  leeks — washed, and sliced
• 2 1/2 pounds  asparagus stems
• 1/2 gallon  chicken stock
• 1 1/4 pounds  russet potatoes — peeled and diced
• 2 tbl  fresh thyme
• 1 each  Bay leaf
• 1/2 bunch  parsley
• Salt & Black pepper to taste

Recipe

1. Use half the butter and the flour to make a roux
2. Use the other half of the butter to sweat the leeks.
3. Make a sachet of the thyme and bay leaves.
4. Add all the rest of the ingredients except the parsley
5. Cook for 20 minutes, remove sachet and puree.
6. Add the parsley, and puree again
7. Put through a chinios, cool properly–Can be made upto 2 days in advance to this point.
8. Put back on stove season with salt and pepper, adjust consistency when ready to serve.

If you would like a cream soup, add 2 cups heavy cream when reheating.

Serves 15

By Paul Lynch for PeterGreenberg.com