Asparagus season is a culinary peak here in Scandinavia, and this Danish-Italian fusion soup turns it into a real showstopper; velvety, smoky, and finished with crisp rye crumble, it’s the kind of spring dish that makes silence fall over the table. Check it out!
Ingredients
Soup base
- 1 kg green asparagus
- Water (for simmering, reserved)
- 4 tbsp real butter
- 4 tbsp wheat flour
- 4 tbsp crème fraîche
- 2 tsp sugar
- Fine sea salt, to taste
Rygeost gnocchi
- 400 g Fynsk rygeost (or smoked ricotta*)
- 40 g hard cheese (Vesterhavsost, Västerbotten, Rabagast, Bufar), finely grated
- 120 g plain flour
- ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
*Smoking ricotta is super easy. Here’s how.
Garnish & extras
- Reserved asparagus tips
- Butter, for frying gnocchi
- 4 slices rye bread, finely crumbled*
- 2 tbsp butter (for crisping crumbs)
- Fresh olive oil, for drizzling
*Here’s our recipe for authentic Danish dark rye bread.
Method summary
- Rye crumble: Toast rye crumbs in butter until crisp. Drain on paper towel.
- Gnocchi dough: Mix cheeses, yolks, flour, nutmeg, salt. Rest 30+ min in fridge.
- Asparagus: Boil tips 2 min, ice bath, set aside. Boil stalks 5–6 min in same water, blend with some water until silky smooth.
- Shape gnocchi: Roll dough, cut, boil until floating. Ice bath, dry.
- Béchamel: Make a light roux with butter & flour. Whisk in asparagus water, crème fraîche, sugar, salt.
- Soup base: Blend béchamel and asparagus purée until smooth. Adjust texture with more liquid as necessary.
- Pan-fry gnocchi: Sear in butter until golden.
- Aerate soup: Blitz the soup to aerate right before serving.
Method details
Start by crisping the rye crumbs in butter until nicely crisp. Drain on paper towels to finish crisping.
Make the gnocchi dough by combining rygeost (or smoked ricotta), yolks, grated hard cheese, flour, nutmeg, and salt. Mix just until it comes together, but don’t overwork it; this will make the dough tough. Chill at least 30 minutes to hydrate and firm up. This rest means you don’t have to use as much flour, and will improve flavor since flour will mute it.
Boil the asparagus tips in well salted water for 2 minutes, then shock in ice water. This will retain the beautiful green colour, and keep them nice and crisp. In the same water, boil the stalks (skin-on is fine) for 5–6 minutes until soft, then shock in ice bath. Blend your stalks with a bit of their cooking water into a silky purée; you want to completely liquefy the fuck out them, so do not hold back!
Make a light béchamel by melting butter, stir in flour, and toast gently to a pale roux. This will add a sligtly nutty flavor, which pairs beautifully with the asparagus, while also removing the raw flour flavor (say that ten times fast!!). Whisk in asparagus water, add crème fraîche, sugar, and salt. Simmer briefly to fully thicken.
Add the béchamel into the blender, and blend along with the asparagus purée until completely smooth. Add more asparagus water if it’s too thick. Let sit in the blender until ready to serve.
Roll the gnocchi dough into logs, cut into small pieces. Boil in unsalted water until they float (you have already added salt to the dough). Ice-bath them, then transfer to your frying pan using a slotted spoon. Sear in butter until golden and crisp on the outside right before serving.
Immediately before serving, blend the soup again briefly to aerate.
To plate, place the gnocchi and asparagus tips in the bowl, pour over the hot soup directly from the blender jug, top with rye crunch and a thin drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately.
For drink pairings, our top pick is a dry Saison, light funk, peppery, herbal, often with soft citrus. Pairs like a dream with asparagus and crème fraîche. Absolutely avoid overly hopped ales, like IPA; the bitterness will fight the greens.
Alternatively, try a semi-dry Norwegian apple cider; light acidity cuts the richness, fruitiness enhances the sweetness of the asparagus and caramelized rye. Evens out the smoke and complements the herbaceousness.
