Creamy Asparagus Soup with Chili Croutons

I was super excited when my March 2012 issue of BH&G arrived a few weeks ago with an entire recipe section devoted to...asparagus. 

First reaction: Say wha?

Second reaction: I think I can work with this...

And work with it I did. Asparagus is super inexpensive right now, which is great for my teacher's salary, and veganizing made this dish a lot lighter. (Can we say: Spring Break body?) It also happens to taste amazing, though my kids gave me more weird looks than usual while I ate this in the lunch room.

Disclaimer: Tastes better than photo looks. I don't know what's wrong with me. 

Ingredients
Chili Croutons:
2 Tbsp non dairy margerine (like SmartBalance Light), melted
2 to 3 Tbsp Asian chili sauce, like Sriracha
1 medium whole wheat baguette, sliced diagonally into 1 in. slices

Soup:
2 lbs asparagus, washed and cut into 2 in. pieces
Ice water, for blanching
2 Tbsp dairy free margerine
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp whole wheat flour
1 tsp. cumin
2 14.5 oz cans vegetable broth
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions:
For croutons:
1. Turn on broiler.
2. In bowl, stir together melted margerine and chili sauce.
3. Brush each side of bread with chili-butter sauce. (Save any extra sauce for the asparagus.) Place slices on cookie sheet and broil for 2 minutes on each side. Set aside.

For soup:
1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add asparagus, boiling for 2-5 minutes until a bright green color. Remove from heat. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer asparagus to ice water. Strain.
2. Toss asparagus with remaining chili butter sauce. Reserve 1/4 of the asparagus for later.
3. In a large pot, melt 2 Tbsp vegan margerine. Add onions, cooking 2-5 minutes or until soft.
4. Add flour and cumin, stirring to coat.
5. Slowly whisk in veggie broth. Add asparagus to pot and bring to a simmer.
6. Simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Cook slightly.
7. Add almond milk, stirring throughly.
8. Using an immersion blender or food processor, puree soup in batches.
9. Top with remaining asparagus spears, stir in lemon juice and serve with chili croutons.

Makes 4 servings.

Cheers, ya'll!