Ingredients
- 40g butter
- 250g of the not too woody ends of asparagus
- 1 medium onion
- 2 sticks of celery
- 1 small potato
- 200ml vegetable stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 100g watercress
- 50g crème fraîche
1. Chop all the vegetables except the watercress into similar sized little cubes.
2. In a saucepan on a medium heat, melt the butter and cook the veg until it is soft.
3. Add the vegetable stock and bay leaf, bring to the boil and cook for a further seven minutes.
![](https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/MRYXBSPSYRC4ZT2RZHXIYFNEWE.jpg?auth=fb39865f01518fc605be4d3977c88cb53e18eecc5bc3ad5b5c79c08693071046&width=800&height=449)
4. Fish out the bay leaf, turn off the heat and add watercress.
5. Make sure your soup cools down a little before whizzing it in a liquidiser or with a soup blender. When you have your desired consistency, stir in the crème fraîche (or a drizzle of herb oil) and garnish with toasted chopped nuts or seeds.