Potage Experiment No. 1

As I wandered through the vegetable purveyor this morning, I spied bunches of asparagus. They weren't the most perfect specimens, but "Mmmmmmm," I thought, "asparagus...."

So, I concocted this simple potage, which won raves from a friend who stopped by for lunch:

Potato, Parsnip, Onion, & Asparagus Soup

1 tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large Idaho russet potato, peeled and chopped
1 large parsnip, peeled and chopped
4 cups chicken stock
1 bunch of asparagus (about 1 lb.), washed, trimmed, and cut into about 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup whole milk (cream would be better...but I was trying to be healthy)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large pot, sauté the onion in the butter until the onion begins to soften. Add the parsnip and potato, sauté for a minute or two, then add the stock, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes (or until the vegetables are tender). Add the asparagus and cook for another 5-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the stalks (the thicker they are, the longer you'll need to cook them). Purée the soup with an immersion blender, regular blender, or whatever you have that'll work. Stir in milk or cream, then salt and pepper to taste.