Serve with a whole-grain roll and a piece of fresh fruit to turn this light starter into a filling meal.

Ingredients

　　1 pound asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces

　　1 1/2 teaspoons butter

　　1 small onion, coarsely chopped

　　1/2 leek, trimmed of all but 1 inch of dark-green top, sliced

　　1 celery stalk, sliced

　　1/4 teaspoon salt

　　2 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

　　White pepper

　　Pinch of nutmeg (optional)

　　1 tablespoon pine nuts

　　Bring a medium pot of water to a boil; add asparagus (make sure water covers asparagus). Cook 5 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup asparagus water. Remove 16 asparagus tips; cut in half lengthwise; set aside. Heat butter in a medium saucepan over low heat until melted. Cook onion, leek and celery, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft but not brown, 10 to 16 minutes. Add salt. Add broth; bring to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, 8 minutes. Purée broth mixture, asparagus (not tips) and reserved asparagus water in a blender, in 2 batches. (Remove center part of blender lid to prevent hot liquid from bubbling over. Instead, hold a folded dish towel over hole in cap.) Return pureed soup to pot; heat until it just reaches a simmer. Season with pepper and, if desired, nutmeg. Cover; remove from heat. In a small pan, toast pine nuts over medium-low heat, shaking pan occasionally, until nuts are fragrant and browned in some spots, about 6 minutes. Season nuts with salt. Divide soup among 4 bowls; top each with 8 asparagus-tip halves and toasted pine nuts.

Nutrition Per Serving

　　4.2 g fat (1.4 g saturated)

　　10.3 g carbs

　　3 g fiber

　　6.5 g protein

　　#### Nutritional analysis provided by Self