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Weeknight CookingSoupsWhat to CookDinner, FasterSaladsSpring

Dinner Tonight: Asparagus Soup + Radish Salad

by Miranda Rake • May 24, 2012 • 0 Comments

Inspiration for tonight's dinner: weather that simply can't make up its mind. Cold and drizzly one second, 80+ and downright muggy the next! Dressing for this kind of variation is enough to make anyone feel a little crazy, and coming up with dinner plans? Oof. You can start the day wrapped up in a big cozy robe with a steaming bowl of oatmeal, and by the time you head home from work, an icy margarita and some chips & salsa is sounding pretty great.

So, in this week's dinner tonight we shall attempt to address this silliness with a lovely asparagus soup to fight off any residual chill, and a refreshing and umami-licious radish salad. Okay spring, is it summer yet? We suppose with meals like this, we can hold out just a little longer.

The Menu

Radish Salad with Anchovy Sauce by amanda

Cream of Asparagus Soup by merrill

The Grocery List (for 4)

2 scallions
1 1/2 pounds asparagus
1 bunch radishes
Fresh tarragon
A little fresh parsley

We assume you have oil, yogurt (preferably Greek), pepper, salt, nutmeg, Cognac (or sherry), lemon, anchovies, garlic and capers. If not, you'll need that stuff too!

The Plan

1. Both of these recipes come together quickly, but the soup is actually the simplest of the two, so I would start out by making the salad from start to finish and then setting it aside.

2. With the radish salad resting at room temp, make the soup. Just a quick saute and whizz with an immersion blender (or regular blender) and you've got a soup and salad supper fit for a king!

3. That's it! Really! This week's dinner tonight is killer, no? Now you'll have to find something awesome to do with the rest of the evening -- feet up with a glass of wine and a copy of Bossypants sounds pretty good.