{"id":3932,"date":"2019-10-23T16:57:40","date_gmt":"2019-10-23T20:57:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/recipephany.com\/?p=3932"},"modified":"2023-08-08T12:07:12","modified_gmt":"2023-08-08T16:07:12","slug":"haymarket-asparagus-soup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/recipephany.com\/?p=3932","title":{"rendered":"Haymarket Asparagus Soup"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s hard to cook asparagus to its elegant best. If you leave spears in too long, they go from vibrant and crisp to drab and droopy. Take them out too soon, and you\u2019ll get a raw crunch instead of a tender, tasty bite.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s easy to cook asparagus perfectly in this soup. There\u2019s no peeling or fussy prep. No matter how long the asparagus simmers, it doesn\u2019t lose its sweet, earthy flavor. A touch of thyme and savory add garden brightness, and golden potatoes make it creamy. Crispy, salty prosciutto bits on top give contrasting crunch and color to the green smoothness.<\/p>\n

Best of all, you don\u2019t need pristine spears if you\u2019re just going to puree them into soup. That\u2019s where Haymarket comes in.<\/p>\n

Haymarket is Boston\u2019s historic open-air market with bargain-basement prices that attract home cooks as well as restaurant buyers. Wholesalers unload overstocked produce to vendors, who in turn pretty much give it away. You’ll find things cost about a third to a sixth of what you\u2019d pay at a supermarket.<\/p>\n

Vendors chant, \u201cA dollah, a dollah, a dollah!\u201d A roll of singles makes you feel downright rich. You don\u2019t ask for a \u201ca dozen limes,\u201d but \u201ca dollar limes.\u201d The vendor hands you a bag so you can pick the best. For \u201ca dollar Brussels sprouts,\u201d a guy in a Bruins shirt scoops handfuls into a bag, sets it on the hanging scale, and then makes sure you see it\u2019s nicely over a pound before he hands it over.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Yes, this is rescue produce. But like puppies at the animal shelter, radiant orange peppers and plump eggplants practically lick your hand as you pass by. Here it is October, hardly the season for springtime asparagus, and I got two beautiful bunches labeled $2 each for just $3.<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s not a farmer\u2019s market, it shares the same goal: to get healthy fruits and vegetables onto people\u2019s plates. And in true New England style, Haymarket can\u2019t abide waste. As my mother-in-law used to tell her kids when she brought out a near-expiry leftover, \u201cIf you don\u2019t eat it, I\u2019m going to have to throw it out.\u201d Of course they ate it.<\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t been to Boston and its legendary Haymarket in a while, it\u2019s time to do the touristy thing. Spend a fun Friday or Saturday afternoon enjoying both Quincy Market and the nearby circus that is Haymarket. Once you\u2019re home and have filled your fridge, you\u2019ll still have time to whip up this impressive soup\u2014it takes just a half hour.<\/p>\n

Haymarket Asparagus Soup<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Adapted from Eating Well<\/em>, June\/July 2005\"\"<\/a>
\nFeel free to adjust quantities to your taste.<\/p>\n