"Asparagus Soup" To Celebrate My Blogiversary!!! Year "2"

“Family Plus Food Equals Love” is “2” years old today! I can’t believe it! 730 days ago was my first post. I had no idea how this blog would impact so many people besides me. I have learned so much from my research, other bloggers, family, and friends. My passion for my family traditions, recipes, and new experiences has given me confidence and drive. My potential to give you the best stories and recipes I can is limitless. I have learned about different ingredients and many recipes that have come from other cultures. I have shared with you my readers personal stories that I thought I never would have been able to do. I found that blogging is one of my loves and passion. I have made so many friendships online and everyone I meet has given me support.

So with this being said, I would like to take this opportunity to say “Thank You” to each and everyone of you across the world for reading, following, and supporting, “Family Plus Food Equals Love”. I can’t thank you enough for commenting, interacting with me, and your friendship which has been extremely special and rewarding within these two years. Every one of you have made me feel that I have something important to say and share. I am not sure where year "3" will take me, but I do know that I will continue to write stories of my family and I am looking forward to new experiences with new recipes to share. I hope that you will continue to come back and share in my journey for year "3" So let’s celebrate!

What better way to celebrate my blog’s anniversary is with some comfort food like hot “Soup?” January just happens to be, “National Soup Month”. It is like a warm blanket comforting you as you sip the soup from a cup or scoop it up with a spoon. With the winter weather upon us, January is the perfect month to celebrate and enjoy soup of all kinds.

What is soup? Soup is a liquid that is made by combining ingredients such as meat, vegetables or beans in stock or hot water, until the flavor is extracted forming a broth. Soups are classified into two groups: clear soups and thick soups. Clear soups are bouillon and consommé. Thick soups have a thickening agent; purees are vegetable soups thickened with starch; bisques are made from pureed shellfish thickened with cream; cream soups are thickened with béchamel sauce by using eggs, butter, and cream. Tomato soup and Chicken Noodle soup are the top 2 soups that are most popular today. We have all been raised eating and loving soup. Every country in the world has soup recipes and family traditions from long ago. There are many types of soup which are not hot, such as cold soups, desserts soups, fruit soups, and beverage soups. Which is no surprise that soup is probably the oldest form of food right up there with bread?

With the Flu season in full motion, soup has anti-inflammatory properties that help sore throats and stop the flow of mucus that accumulates in the lungs and nose. Sipping the hot soup and breathing in the steam helps clear up congestion. Spices that are often added to soup, such as garlic and pepper (these are ancient treatments for respiratory diseases), work the same way as modern cough medicines making it easier to breathe. Chicken broth contains drug-like agents similar to those in modern cold medicines. For example, an amino acid released from chicken during cooking chemically resembles a drug prescribes for bronchitis and other respiratory problems. 

My recipe this week is a soup that my mom would cook for us called “Asparagus Soup.” There is no better way than to come in from the cold and enjoy a warm comfort bowl of soup. Grab a blanket, a pair of fuzzy slippers, and get cozy while you enjoy this flavorful soup. It is good for you and you will want to eat more than a bowlful that‘s for sure. 

Asparagus Soup

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
3 cloves of chopped garlic
1 1/2 lbs of thin asparagus (cut off tough bottom part & discard)
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley (a hand full / rough chopped)
1 egg (beaten)
Pecorino Romano grated cheese to top the soup
Small soup pasta (optional)

Directions:
Coat bottom of large pot with oil. When oil is warm, put in chopped garlic. Cut up asparagus into 2-3 pieces. Then place asparagus in oil with the garlic. Add a little salt and stir together. Add water to cover the top of asparagus. Then add the fresh parsley. Cook on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes. Once asparagus is cooked then stir in 1 beaten egg. Use a beating motion to stir in the egg as you want it to look like egg drop soup. Serve with small pasta mixed in (optional) or just plain. Also tastes wonderful with some Pecorino Romano grated cheese on top.


Till Next Time…………………..

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