Ingredients

For the Soup;

• 1 lb bunch asparagus
• 4 oz onion – finely chopped (about ½ an onion)
• 2 oz butter
• 1 Tbs flour
• 1 pint chicken broth
• salt and pepper to taste

• ½ cup fresh dill – finely chopped (about ½ bunch)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Prepare the asparagus by trimming the tips off 1 inch long - reserving for the garnish. Continue cutting down the stalks in ½ inch pieces stopping 2 inches from the end. Discard the woody stalks.
2. In a large pan sweat off the onions and asparagus in the butter until the onions are translucent and the asparagus starts to soften.
3. Add the flour and stir. Then the chicken broth, stir again and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes.
4. Whilst the soup is cooking, blanch the asparagus tips.
5. Puree the soup in a blender and pass through a conical strainer into a clean bowl. Adjust the seasoning and return to a clean pan to reheat or refrigerate until needed.
6. Prepare the Dill oil; Blend all of the ingredients together until smooth and bright green in color. Adjust the seasoning.
7. Reheat the soup taking care not to boil it and pour into soup bowls or a tureen. Add the Asparagus tips and drizzle the top of the soup with the dill oil.