It’s February! For better or for worse, February is the longest short month of the year. On Friday, our dear friend Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter, making everyone up and down the North East groan in despair. Hasn’t this winter been brutal enough?! And just to bring the point home, we were slammed with below freezing temperatures again early this week. It doesn’t look like we’re going to be catching a break anytime soon.
The only solace we have are warm, cozy soups. Garlicky Roasted Asparagus & Tahini Soup, for example, steaming mugs filled with Nutella Hot Chocolate, and lots of chunky layers. I may or may not have a set of grey fleece PJs with a fleece-lined hood that I rock every chance I get.
I’m obsessed with soup, as I’ve stated over and over in all my soup posts. Lately, I’ve been adding tahini to soups as a substitute for heavy cream. I find that tahini brings out more flavor, and is lighter than using heavy cream. Tahini is a paste made from toasted ground hulled sesame seeds. It’s used in hummus, baba ghannoush, and some Middle Eastern sweets. It’s also used on its own as a dip for beef and lamb shawarma. We always have a jar of tahini in the cupboard. Be careful, though, if it’s been sitting for a while, it’ll need to be stirred really well before use.
Do you like tahini? If so, what do you use tahini for? Let me know in the comments.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Asparagus
- 5 coves Garlic
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil, divided
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 parmesan rind * Optional
- Salt, to taste
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- ¼ cup Tahini Paste
- Juice of 1 Lemon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F
- Toss the asparagus and garlic in olive oil, then spread evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet
- Bake for 20 minutes, until the asparagus is slightly charred
- In a medium soup pot, heat one tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat
- Add the onions and parmesan rind (optional) and sauté until translucent
- Add in the roasted garlic and asparagus and stir until combined, add salt
- Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil
- Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes
- Use an immersion blender to smooth to your desired consistency. NOTE: You can also blend the soup using a standing blender. Have another empty pot available. Using a ladle, spoon the soup into the blender and blend until smooth. Then return to the pot. Use the additional pot if you have too much liquid for the standing blender.
- Stir in tahini and lemon juice and heat on low for 5 minutes
- Serve with toasted bread
