Now it’s time to add the chicken stock/broth. Too bad I did not measure it, but I would guess I used about 2 quarts. If that doesn’t look like enough
to you, add some more. This is supposed to be fun, and the soup is going
to taste great. (Especially if you loosen up and have fun with it!). Now add
some minced fresh thyme (at least a couple of teaspoons) and an equal
amount or more of parsley. Stir the soup well. Cover the pot, reduce the
heat to low and allow the soup to simmer for at least 1 1/2 hours. Check
it once in a while to make sure that it isn’t cooking too fast, and give it a
stir or two. With loving care, please. That will make all the difference. And
besides, you’ll be doing yourself a favor, since every time you uncover the
pot and give the soup a stir, you’ll be treated to an extra up-close-and-
personal whiff of a magnificent aroma!

  When the soup has cooked enough to suit you, it’s time to give it a semi-purée. If you don’t have an immersion blender, please use this recipe as
an excuse to buy one. They’re WONDERFUL! In addition to being readily available and relatively inexpensive. This way, all you have to do is lower
the blender into the soup and let it do its magic. But please. Do not make pabulum out of this soup (unless, of course, you’re making it specifically
to feed a baby.) I like to do what I call a half-purée with this kind of soup.
That way it has a marvelous texture and consistency, with some identifiable pieces of vegetables intact.

  Should you not be so fortunate as to be the proud owner of an immersion blender, then you’ll need to go to a bit more trouble in the puréeing. Please
do it anyway, okay? It’s important in this case to allow the soup to cool
down - or to be especially careful in the process. Burned hands are no fun, right? Add the soup – in batches – to either the work bowl of your food processor or the standard container of your blender and purée as above.
Please remember to be careful not to fill the work bowl or blender too full. Otherwise, you’ll have one fine mess to clean up. Of course, you’re going
to need a large bowl – or another pot – to contain the puréed soup until
you’re ready to pour the whole batch back into the soup pot. This in itself
was enough to encourage me to buy an immersion blender. Easier clean-up
in addition to being a time-saver.

  Okay, now it’s time to “adjust the seasoning”. Obviously, this will require tasting on your part. You might need additional Emeril’s seasoning, or just
a tad more salt, perhaps. Freshly ground black pepper. You may wish to
add more thyme and/or parsley. Then, for the crowning touch, stir in the
roasted garlic (which is soft and mushy, right?) and the cream and stir
well. Voila! It’s soup!

  I didn’t really want to include the Portobello mushrooms in the soup, as
I wanted them to have a life of their own. So I decided to use them as a topping. In a medium skillet, melt about 3 tablespoons or so of butter. Add
the coarsely chopped mushrooms and sauté them until they have released
their liquid and most of it has boiled away. Then add the asparagus tips,
the thyme sprig and fennel fronds and continue to cook the mixture until
the asparagus is just tender. Deglaze with about 1/4 cup or so of wine.
Taste for seasoning – you’ll need to add a bit of salt, or perhaps kick it
up a notch with Emeril. Add a generous dollop of the topping to each
serving of soup. Be prepared for compliments! Raves, even…

If you’re very, very fortunate, you’ll be sharing this soup with a gentle-
man friend who will surprise you by showing up with the ingredients for
a yummy “Kaesebrot”, which he will insist on preparing himself, while
he pours you a glass of excellent white wine and tells you all about his
day. If not, then you might want to consider making some garlic bread
to accompany the soup. Or a loaf of excellent French bread partnered
with some truly excellent butter. Please don’t forget to light a candle or
two and indulge your senses even further with your favorite music.
Relax. Enjoy. Remind yourself that life is good, and that soup soothes
the soul.

"The first Mrs. Astor, the Mrs. Astor, was a true eccentric. . . Mrs. Astor made
herself famous in social circles and infamous in culinary circles by putting
down that great masterpiece of the dining art - soup.  Mrs. Astor didn't serve
soup at her famous dinners. . . she even said, 'Why would anyone want to put
their dinner on top of a lake?'  Well, all I can say about Mrs. Astor is, what
did she know about love, having married for money?  Soup is a mainstay of
civilization.  It is a creative synthesis of flavors and textures, served in a
comforting, back-to-childhood style; or as a precise and perfectly elegant
beginning to the shape of things to come. . .  free-lancers of every stripe
cannot live without it.  By that I mean writers, artists, inventors and
confined housewives.  Lives have been saved by soup....."
~ Liz Smith
(from the foreword to 'Lee Bailey's Soup Meals')

Amen, Sister Liz!

Michele

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