Cream of Asparagus Soup

A client called me last night and ordered several different soups, a pot roast, and several pies.  I think she heard the weather report that it's going to get cold.  :)  So, you can guess what I'm doing today...... Cooking.  I just crank up my favorite CD's and off I go.  I got pretty enthused from the music and started washing our mattress pad and put the down mattress topper on the line to air.  I also take a spray bottle with a little lavender oil and thieves oil and a little water and spray all of this.  Hopefully, this will get rid of the dust mites and all the dead skin. 

Back to the asparagus soup.  The other two soups I'm making I have posted before but I haven't posted the asparagus soup.  It is really good and I actually forget about having this recipe.  It is easy to make and if you like asparagus you'll love this.

1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup thinly sliced celery
3 cloves minced garlic
3 tablespoons butter
2 (14.5 ounce) cans cut asparagus, undrained
1-16 ounce can sliced potatoes, drained (you can use 2 medium potatoes that you have peeled and cooked until tender and drain the water)
1-14 ounce can chicken broth
1 teaspoon white vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 cup milk, ( I use 1/2 cup half and half and 1/2 cup milk) makes it richer
1/2 cup sour cream

Cook first 3 ingredients in butter in a soup pot over medium heat stirring often until tender.  Stir in asparagus and all the ingredients except milk and sour cream.  Bring to a boil stirring often.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Cool slightly.  Pour half of the mixture into a blender and process until smooth.  Do the same to the remaining ingredients in pot then return all of the smoothed mixture to the soup pot.  Stir in the milk and cook until heated through.  Garnish with a dollop of sour cream.

You can freeze this up to 6 months omit milk until you unthaw. 
Makes 2 quarts.