Years ago, we had an exchange student from France who was extremely homesick. For lunch one afternoon, I made this soup which we she loved. I gave her the recipe and for several years every spring, I received a photo of her eating a bowl the soup. I’ve lost track of her after so many years. Hope she’s still making this — it’s delicious.

Serves 6

• 1/4 c. salted butter
• 1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
• 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled an coarsely chopped
• 2 bay leaves, crumbled
• 2 quarts chicken sotck
• 2 pounds fresh asparagus
• 3 T. olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Lemon Cream, recipe below

1. In a 4 part heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, leeks, and celery and cook until tender but not browned.
2. Add the potatoes and bay leaves. Cook for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, bring the stock to a boil. Add the boiling stock to the vegetables and simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 15 to 20 minutes.
4. While the soup is simmering, remove and discard any tough white ends from the asparagus. Wash the stalks, and cut into 1-inch pieces.
5. In a 10-inch skillet heat the oil over very high heat. Saute the asparagus in 3 batches, cooking only until it turns a brilliant green but is still very firm. Reserve the cooked asparagus in a bowl, then add it to the simmering soup all at once.
6. Cook the soup about 4 minutes or until the asparagus is just barely tender, but still bright green.
7. Remove the soup from the heat and puree in small batches in a blender or food processor.
8. Strain the soup. Add the cream and return to the heat. Season with salt and pepper.

To Serve: Serve the soup in individual bowls with a dollop of Lemon Cream.

Lemon Cream:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 T. fresh lemon juice
• 1 t. grated lemon zest
• Pinch of sugar

Makes 1 cup

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream, lemon juice and zest, and sugar. Whip until stiff peaks form.