Asparagus Soup and Green Salad

Some of our vegetable soups start with a potato base rather than creamed. This is one of them. We used leftover garlic mashed potatoes. 2C mashed potatoes; if you don't have garlic mashed, we would suggest adding some, perhaps 2 cloves, crushed. Add the potatoes to a can of chicken stock, 14 oz., or you could keep it vegetarian by using vegetable stock. After the stock and potatoes have reached a simmer, add 2C of asparagus which has been chopped finely in a food processor. Continue to simmer until the asparagus is crunchy tender. Serve with shredded cheese and some crumbled bacon as a garnish. This soup would also make a nice first course for a dinner.
The salad is a simple mix of greens, and diced tomatoes with a creamy blue cheese dressing.
We served this with bread and a dry white wine.