Fresh Asparagus and Leek Soup

I do love a good bowl of soup.  This is a creamy soup but I like to leave some chunkiness for texture and it looks so much better I think with some color.  It is asparagus season here, so when I stopped to get strawberries I just couldn't pass up on fresh local asparagus.  I wasn't sure how I was going to use it, I have been wanting to try an asparagus and chicken lasagna recipe that I have, but that is for another day I think.  So I decided on making a soup for our lunch. I like soup at lunch time because it is satisfying with out overfilling you and bogging you down.  My son Dakota is a huge fan of my potato leek soup so I am making a similar version. I like croutons on top of my soups now it is a new thing I have been doing for the last few months and I enjoy as well as anyone who tries it.

1 bunch of Asparagus cut in one inch pieces ( tough end pieces discarded)
1 large leek sliced thinly
1 tbsp of butter
6 cups of half and half or heavy cream
1 tsp of better than bullion paste (chicken flavored)
tbsp of flour
1/2 c of white wine (pinot grigio)  
salt and pepper
Garlic clove chopped
1bay leaf

In a sauce pan with a wide base melt the butter and add the leeks over medium heat. Cook 3 minutes add a dash of pepper and salt then add the asparagus and let it sweat or saute for 3-4 minutes.  Add the garlic. Cook 1 minute and add the wine, reduce the wine by a 1/3.
In a small bowl put in the flour and half and half then mix all the clumps out.  Add the boullion to the bowl and then add it to the pan with asparagus. Put the bay leaf in pan and let the soup come to a slow boil to thicken then reduce the heat to low for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and remove the bay leaves.
Top bowls of soup with your favorite croutons and enjoy! This soup is good hot or cold.