Recipe: Creamy Asparagus Soup, with Wild Garlic Pesto

This soup is soooo lush! Really tasty and creamy, and made with some fantastic tasting local Wye Valley asparagus. Beautiful and thick, and the nutty wild garlic pesto drizzled on top compliments it perfectly. If you have any pesto left, it's delicious to have as a simple dip, with loads of crunchy vegetable crudite.

Asparagus soup with wild garlic pesto (serves 2)

For the soup:
50g butter
4 wild garlic leaves, roughly chopped
1 white onion, chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme
200g asparagus (woody ends and all!), finely chopped
300g potatoes, peeled and finely diced
700ml chicken stock
250ml skimmed milk
Salt and pepper to taste

For the pesto:
8 wild garlic leaves
20g toasted pine nuts
10g finely grated parmesan
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook the white onion, thyme and wild garlic in the butter on a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add all the other ingredients, increase to a high heat, and cook for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, blend all the pesto ingredients in a food processor until smooth, season to taste, and set aside.
3. Remove the soup from the heat, allow to cool a little, and blend until smooth. Return to the pan and heat up until nice and hot again. Season to taste, swirl in some of the wild garlic pesto, and serve!