Chilled asparagus soup

Thick and creamy, but made without cream, this is one of my favorite summer soups. Because I like to serve it cold, the saltiness of store-bought chicken broth enhances the flavor of the soup. If you make this with homemade stock, add salt as needed. Remember: when you serve something cold, it needs to be highly seasoned. Makes 6-8 cups.

1 medium onion, cut into chunks
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium russet potato, peeled, cut into chunks
2 lbs asparagus, trimmed, cut into thirds
6 cups chicken stock
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

In a stock pot, sauté the onion in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add the potato chunks and asparagus, and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are quite soft. Remove from heat. With an immersion blender set to "liquify" (or in batches in a blender), process the soup until it is smooth. If necessary (and it usually is not), thin to desired consistency with additional chicken stock or water. Season to taste with lots of black pepper. Serve hot or chilled.