I began with the standard mirepoix. Carrots being 1# and the rest of the ratio to follow. If you don't remember the ratio it is 2:1:1 (Onion/carrot/celery). I also added one head of chopped cauliflower and roughly 8 cloves of chopped garlic. Added enough coconut milk to cover the vegetables and plenty of salt to a large heavy bottomed dish and placed a tight fitting lid on top and set to simmer.
When the vegetables have begun to soften, I add in one bunch of chopped asparagus.
If the asparagus is very tender and slight, I will just snap off the bottoms where ever resistance in the bend naturally breaks. In order to get more out of the much larger stalks of asparagus, I use a carrot peeler and go down the bottom length of the stalk- removing the fibrous outer layer.This allows for much more of the stalk to be consumed without the obnoxious "strings" blocking the way. You will still have to trim the bottoms- if the area you are cutting off is too tough, you will have to go slightly higher up the stalk.
The photo below is not off in color- I added purple carrots to the lot and it made the soup an interesting color.
In a separate pot- I add almost a teaspoon of red salt and a chopped head of cauliflower and about half its volume of coconut milk, place a tight fitting lid on it and then simmer until the milk is absorbed and just soggy cauliflower is left.
Once absorbed completely- I take an emulsion blender to the cauliflower until mixed and most of the clumps have been pureed. This is now the thickener in your "chowder".
Fold in the mashed cauliflower and then set in your raw pieces of fish and place a lid on it and simmer until cooked through- whether this be Salmon or Halibut or even shrimp- it all works well.
A decent handful of dill- chopped and sprinkled on top...
Then a bit of lemon zest-
