Mushroom-Asparagus Soup Washington DC

Helen Hammes of Beardstown remembers the delicious mushroom-asparagus soup served at the restaurant at Clayville Rural Life Center, a rural history center west of Springfield that was operated by what used to be Sangamon State University.   “When Clayville featured a restaurant-tearoom, they served a mushroom-asparagus soup. It was the tastiest soup I have ever eaten. I have tried to duplicate it with no success,” wrote Hammes, who wants to locate the recipe.   A call to readers yielded no response, but several Internet recipes might come close. The first is from www.cbs.com, and the second comes from www.cooks.com.   Mushroom Asparagus Soup   6 cups chicken broth   1/2 pound chopped asparagus   1 cup sliced mushrooms   3 teaspoons bacon drippings   1 1/2 cups cooked farfalle pasta   Salt and pepper   Grated parmesan cheese   1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped   Place broth, asparagus and mushrooms into a soup pot. Boil rapidly for about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat and add the drippings. Cover and simmer for about 1 hour.   Add cooked pasta and simmer 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with grated parmesan and fresh parsley.   Makes 10-12 servings.   Asparagus Mushroom Soup   4 cups chicken stock (or 4 cups water plus 4 to 5 bouillon cubes)   1/2 pound fresh asparagus   6 tablespoons butter   1/2 cup onion, chopped   3 tablespoons flour   1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced   1 cup half-and-half   1/4 teaspoon garlic salt   Simmer asparagus in chicken stock 10 minutes or until just tender.   Saute onion in butter over low heat 10 minutes until golden not brown. Blend in flour and stir over low heat 2 to 3 minutes. Add mushrooms to onion mixture and cover. Cook over low heat 10 minutes until mushrooms are tender, but not limp. Gradually add mushroom-onion mixture to asparagus stock mixture and stir until smooth. Add half-and-half and garlic salt. Heat, but DO NOT boil.   Makes 6 to 8 servings.   The Trading Post is compiled by Kathryn Rem. Send recipes and recipe requests to the Trading Post, The State Journal-Register, One Copley Plaza, Springfield, IL 62701, or e-mail food@sj-r.com. Please include your name, city and daytime phone number.

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