Made this up tonight, and it was pretty interesting:
20 stalks asparagus
2 parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
3 leeks, cleaned well, white and green parts only, sliced
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon butter
2 shallots, chopped
1 brown onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 whole cloves of peeled garlic
1/2 cup heavy cream or milk
Heat oven to 400˚. Toss leeks, asparagus, and (on a separate pan) parsnips with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Roast asparagus and leeks for 5-10 minutes or until bright green. Remove from oven. Roast parsnips for 30 minutes or until they pierce easily with a fork.
Heat stock over low-medium heat until simmering, then keep warm.
In the meantime, heat a deep pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onions, shallots, and garlic to pan and toss a tablespoonful of kosher salt in the pan. Cook until translucent. Add curry, coriander, and cumin, and cook for a couple minutes. Add butter and stir until well combined.
Add flour and cook for a minute or so. Slowly ladle in warm stock, stirring well after each addition, and bring to a simmer - don't boil or you'll break your roux. Turn heat down to low.
Cut asparagus into chunks and add to soup along with the leeks. The parsnips should be ready; remove them from the oven.
Ladle soup and parsnips into your food processor. Be sure to cover the top with a kitchen towel, unless you want an enormous mess. Pulse a few times and then blitz it on full blast (you could also do this in chunks with a blender or hand blender). Blitz for a few minutes and taste. Add salt and pepper to your liking, plus two whole cloves of raw garlic. Blitz again until smooth.
Return to stove and stir in cream. Serve immediately with a dollop or créme fraîche or sour cream.
The leeks and parsnips are very sweet, so a good amount of salt really works. Great as a starter, although we had it for dinner and it was more than enough.