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Asparagus Soup

A historical recipe from Lowney's Cook Book Illustrated in Colors, by Maria Willett Howard (1907).

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A historical recipe

Lowney's Cook Book Illustrated in Colors, by Maria Willett Howard (1907). Project Gutenberg eBook #52800.

From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards.

Ingredients 1 ingredient

  1. 1 can of asparagus

Possible health benefits

General information, not medical advice.

  1. Asparagus High in vitamin K · High in protein · Source of folate · +2

    High in vitamin K · 42 µg per 100 g, 55% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Vitamin K contributes to normal blood clotting.
    • Vitamin K contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.

    Vitamin K is a nutrient that the body needs to stay healthy. It’s important for blood clotting and healthy bones and also has other functions in the body. NIH fact sheet

    High in protein · 2.2 g per 100 g, 44% of the energy from protein

    • Protein contributes to a growth in muscle mass.
    • Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass.
    • Protein contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.

    Source of folate · 52 µg per 100 g, 26% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Folate contributes to maternal tissue growth during pregnancy.
    • Folate contributes to normal amino acid synthesis.
    • Folate contributes to normal blood formation.
    5 more authorised claims
    • Folate contributes to normal homocysteine metabolism.
    • Folate contributes to normal psychological function.
    • Folate contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
    • Folate contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
    • Folate has a role in the process of cell division.

    Folate is a B-vitamin that is naturally present in many foods. Your body needs folate to make DNA and other genetic material. NIH fact sheet

    Source of iron · 2.1 mg per 100 g, 15% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Iron contributes to normal cognitive function.
    • Iron contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
    • Iron contributes to normal formation of red blood cells and haemoglobin.
    4 more authorised claims
    • Iron contributes to normal oxygen transport in the body.
    • Iron contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
    • Iron contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
    • Iron has a role in the process of cell division.

    Iron is a mineral that the body needs for growth and development. Your body uses iron to make hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body, and myoglobin, a protein that provides oxygen to muscles. NIH fact sheet

    Source of copper · 0.2 mg per 100 g, 19% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Copper contributes to maintenance of normal connective tissues.
    • Copper contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
    • Copper contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
    5 more authorised claims
    • Copper contributes to normal hair pigmentation.
    • Copper contributes to normal iron transport in the body.
    • Copper contributes to normal skin pigmentation.
    • Copper contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
    • Copper contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.

    Copper is a mineral that you need to stay healthy. Your body uses copper to carry out many important functions, including making energy, connective tissues, and blood vessels. NIH fact sheet

    Nutrients per 100 g of “Asparagus, raw”, USDA FoodData Central.

Claims: EU Register of health claims (Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, © European Union, CC BY 4.0), shown only where the ingredient meets the claim's conditions (Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006). Nutrients: USDA FoodData Central (CC0). Facts: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (public domain).

Cook safely

Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.

  • Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.

Method

  1. 1 can of asparagus or 1 bunch of asparagus 4 cups cold water 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons flour 2 teaspoons salt 1 cup cream 2 slices onion ¼ teaspoon white pepper 2 cups milk Wash asparagus if fresh and break off tips;
  2. break remainder of stalks into small pieces.
  3. Cook tips and stalks in cold water separately.
  4. When tender, drain;
  5. reserve water.
  6. Keep tips for garnishing soup.
  7. Press stalks through a purée sieve.
  8. Scald milk with onion, remove onion, add asparagus water, and thicken with flour and butter cooked together.
  9. Bring mixture to boiling point;
  10. add cream and seasonings.
  11. Pour over tips and serve.
  12. NOTE.—If canned asparagus is used, drain, add water and cook in milk in a double boiler twenty minutes.
  13. Then drain and proceed as with fresh asparagus.

Plating

Cookware for this recipe

  • Saucepan
  • Sieve
  • Colander
Source Public domain in the USA
Credit

From Lowney's Cook Book Illustrated in Colors, by Maria Willett Howard (1907). Digitised by Project Gutenberg, eBook #52800 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/52800). Public domain in the USA; its status may differ elsewhere.

What was changed: As printed, from the book's text; Project Gutenberg's header and licence removed. Ingredient lines were read out of the text by a program. A historical recipe, not current advice.