April 6, 2014

Asparagus, Mushroom & Brown Rice Soup + Giveaway!

Asparagus Soup

With spring just around the corner I am starting to think about asparagus. It is usually one of the very first vegetables I buy when our farmer’s market reopens and I can’t get enough of it. One of the very things I plan to make with it is this awesome asparagus soup. My friend, Lauren, made me something similar last fall and I’ve been thinking about it all winter.

This beauty of this soup is that it comes together so easily and tastes like a spring. The rice gives it terrific texture and the asparagus and mushrooms give it a smooth vegetal flavor with undertones of umami. If you don’t like mushrooms you can easily leave them out, it is up to you.

Since I love soups with smooth textures I pureed this one with my hand blender before adding the rice. It made it perfect for spooning out of a warm mug for lunch or serving alongside our first grilled chicken of the season for dinner. If you love asparagus as much as I do don’t forget to check out these terrific asparagus recipes!

To get us all in the mood for spring let’s have a giveaway! This month Kraft Foods is giving away a $100 American Express Gift Card to one lucky reader. I’ve also created a terrific Asparagus-Themed Pinterest Board to share all of our favorite asparagus recipes.

To enter to win the $100 American Express Gift Card:

1) Share your favorite dish with asparagus

2) For a second entry please visit KraftRecipes.com and share what recipes or ideas you’re inspired to try this spring.

3) Contest runs from April 6th at 7am ET to April 12th at 7am ET. Winner will be announced in the April 18th newsletter. Winner has 48 hours to claim their prize before another is selected.

(This post and the giveaway are sponsored by Kraft. The recipes and opinions are wholly my own. Kraft Foods is providing the prizes for this program at no cost to me and has provided me with a gift of equal value for review.  This program is not administered or sponsored by Kraft Foods or its affiliates, but solely by The Naptime Chef. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make The Naptime Chef possible.)

Asparagus, Mushroom & Brown Rice Soup

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Yield: 8 cups

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Ingredients

  • 4 green onions, white and light green parts only, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 ½ cups sliced cremini mushrooms
  • 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice

Instructions

  1. In a large saucepan sauté the scallions and green onions in the butter until softened. About 5 minutes. Then add the mushrooms and cook until tender. About 5 minutes. Add the asparagus, broth, water, salt, and pepper and simmer covered for about 20 minutes.
  2. Remove the lid and puree the soup with a hand blender until it is a nearly perfectly smooth consistency. Then, add the rice and bring the soup to a boil for 2 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Serve hot.
https://thenaptimechef.com/2014/04/asparagus-mushroom-brown-rice-soup-giveaway/

60 Responses to “Asparagus, Mushroom & Brown Rice Soup + Giveaway!”

  1. ilonaskitchen says:

    Love roasted asparagus

  2. AshleyTucker says:

    I like bacon wrapped asparagus.

  3. AshleyTucker says:

    I’d love to try the sunburst fruit salad this spring!

  4. Kate says:

    I love it just simply grilled.

  5. Vunda V says:

    i love grilled asparagus over mashed potatoes!

  6. Vunda V says:

    the Asparagus & Parmesan Tart from kraft looks really good!

  7. Kristin P. says:

    My fav asparagus dish right now is an Asparagus, Spinach and Feta Quiche. Yum!

  8. Kristin P. says:

    I can’t wait to try KraftRecipe.com’s Tuscan Pea & Snap Pea Medley and Berry, Mango & Spinach salad!

  9. 618mo says:

    I am simple and I love to wrap it in bacon and bake it.
    vandenbossche3@hotmail.com

  10. 618mo says:

    The Grilled Chicken & Veggie Kabobs with Pitas sounds good!
    vandenbossche3@hotmail.com

  11. Elena says:

    I like to make grilled asparagus with lemon butter
    elena150980@yahoo.com

  12. Elena says:

    I would love to try the Creamy Chicken Piccata & Asparagus recipe
    elena150980@yahoo.com

  13. Lisa says:

    I have a recipe for mushroom & asparagus risotto I love

  14. Sarah Hawkins-Pinchers says:

    I love asparagus tossed with garlic and butter in a sauté pan! Simple and delicious!

  15. cezovski says:

    I enjoy Roasted New Potatoes and Asparagus
    Rafflecopter: Carolsue

  16. cezovski says:

    I’d like to try Kraft’s Lemon-Shrimp Pasta Salad!
    Rafflecopter: Carolsue

  17. kelly says:

    I usually just boil it and add salt, but I would like to try the Kraft recipe for Creamy Baked Asparagus.
    kellywcu8888ATgmailDOTcom

  18. kelly says:

    I would like to try the spring fruit trifle recipe.
    kellywcu8888ATgmailDOTcom

  19. angelgenius27 says:

    I love angel hair pasta aglio, olio, peperoncino with asparagus.

  20. angelgenius27 says:

    I would like to try the
    Tomato & Spinach Pasta Toss
    recipe!

  21. mami2jcn says:

    I like asparagus wrapped in bacon.

  22. mami2jcn says:

    I’m inspired to try the Buffalo Chicken Egg Roll Minis.

  23. Meghan says:

    Salmon asparagus casserole is my favorite asparagus dish!

  24. Danielle says:

    My favorite asparagus dish is pan seared salmon with asparagus with a light lemon sauce. Yum!

  25. Danielle says:

    I’d like to try the easy lemon coconut pie!

  26. Linda says:

    I love asparagus with my pasta dishes the most especially ones with garlic in them.

  27. Linda says:

    I am most inspired by the fish cakes recipe on the Kraft site. It looks like it would be very good.

  28. Kim D. says:

    I like creamy shrimp fettuccine with asparagus.

  29. Kim D. says:

    I want make the Double-Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake.

  30. neiddy says:

    My favorite dish is: Cream of Asparagus Soup
    neiddyruiz@gmail.com

  31. neiddy says:

    I visited Kraft’s website and I would like to make the Asparagus & Parmesan Tart recipe.
    neiddyruiz@gmail.com

  32. Lisa Brown says:

    I love making asparagus and cheese fritatas
    jslbrown2009(at)aol(dot)com

  33. Lisa Brown says:

    The Asparagus & Parmesan Tart is perfect! http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/asparagus-parmesan-tart-115941.aspx
    jslbrown2009(at)aol(dot)com

  34. Dawn Monroe says:

    My family likes for me to grill asparagus, a little butter.

  35. Dawn Monroe says:

    Id like to try the crisp and colorful coleslaw from Kraft Foods recipes.

  36. Sam says:

    Asparagus roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper is delicious!

  37. Sam says:

    carrot and zucchini latkes sound good on the kraft website!

  38. Julie says:

    My sister makes a delicious cheese and asparagus quiche with ham thanks aunteegem@yahoo.com

  39. Jean Brinkley says:

    I make a lemon asparagus risotto that is out of this world. I like to roast the asparagus first to bring out its flavor.

  40. Jean Brinkley says:

    I would love to make the Kraft Foods recipe for Bacon-Potato-Egg breakfast strata. It looks amazing.

  41. D Schmidt says:

    My favorite asparagus dish is Chicken Asparagus Roll-Ups

    mummytotwoboys@yahoo.com

  42. D Schmidt says:

    Visited the site and my favorite recipe is

    Classic ANGEL FLAKE Coconut Cake

    mummytotwoboys@yahoo.com

  43. Rosie says:

    My favorite dish is to make homemade egg noodles and saute the asparagus, toss with olive oil and lemon.

  44. susitravl says:

    I love asparagus and cheese quiche. And grilled asparagus with lemon butter. Any asparagus recipe would probably be a hit with me!

  45. susitravl says:

    I want to try the Rhubarb Dump Cake for Easter Brunch.

  46. Bert says:

    I like Chicken and Asparagus Fettuccine
    iamdadtastic@gmail.com

  47. Bert says:

    I want to try the Bacon Appetizer Crescents.

    iamdadtastic@gmail.com

  48. Annette says:

    My favorite asparagus recipe is, “Asparagus Gruyere Tart,” by Martha Stewart. It’s easy, impressive-looking, and most of all delicious. I found the recipe online.
    waytoomanycats (@) gmail (dot) com

  49. Annette says:

    I’d like to try the cream cheese appetizers from kraftrecipes.com.
    waytoomanycats (@) gmail (dot) com

  50. Caroline says:

    I love asparagus cooked on the barbecue and then added to a stir fry with beef.

  51. Caroline says:

    I’d love to try the dulce de leche swirl cheesecake recipe. It looks really good.

  52. Lauren Eggers says:

    I like to make a grilled asparagus with balsamic glaze. neyabenz(at)gmail(dot)com

  53. Elle says:

    I like steamed asparagus with butter sauce on top.

  54. Elle says:

    I am inspired to try the orange bbq chicken with vegetables this spring. It looks like it would be really great.

  55. mysweetiepiepie says:

    I don’t have a favorite asparagus dish, I love them all. But mostly I just love slightly steamed asparagus with melted butter and/or shaved parmesan cheese.

  56. Rust says:

    I love asparagus roasted with italian herbs in olive oil.

  57. Rust says:

    This looks really good:

    Creamy Pasta Primavera

  58. Jill McHale says:

    I love steamed aspagarus with a hint of parmesan!

  59. Jill McHale says:

    The Grilled Mexican Panini from Kraft Recipes looks delicious!

  60. Katie Flood says:

    I love roasting asparagus with shaved almonds!