Cream of Asparagus Soup

CRÈME D’ASPERGES is also known as crème Argenteuil in honor of the region (in north central France) where the best asparagus are grown. (In fact, any dish that includes the name Argenteuil contains asparagus.) What made this a “cream” soup in the classic kitchen was that it was made with a light béchamel, though the rules were often bent to make it with a thickened stock (velouté) or a combination of the two. I find the flavor better when made with stock alone (and even better