Did you know asparagus season usually starts around the end of February and goes until June? That gives you months to enjoy this creamy asparagus soup! Each spoonful is luscious, velvety, and rich. You’ll love how fresh and flavorful this soup is. It’s also super easy to make with only a handful of ingredients.
Full of veggies, broth, and a splash of lemon for brightness, this soup is perfect for any time of the day. Enjoy it for lunch or as a starter for dinner. It’s a warm and comforting soup that everyone will love. Serve it with some delicious bread like my dinner rolls, Irish soda bread, or sourdough bread to soak up all the asparagus soup.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Broth — I use chicken broth to add flavor to the soup, but you can also use vegetable broth.
Asparagus — fresh asparagus is the key ingredient in this soup. When buying asparagus, they should be firm, straight, and smooth. The spears should be tightly closed and compact. You do not want limp and dull asparagus with a soft tip. Before adding them to the soup, make sure to trim off the woody ends as they will not become tender in the soup.
Heavy cream — heavy cream adds richness and creaminess to the asparagus soup. You can use a lighter cream if you prefer, but the soup won’t be as creamy. You can also use sour cream instead of heavy cream, making the soup tangier.
Lemon juice — for a little added brightness to the soup, use fresh, not bottled, lemon juice.
How to Make Asparagus Soup
1. In a Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, and cook until softened. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
2. Add the broth, asparagus, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a simmer. Cook until the asparagus is fork-tender and bright green. Remove from the heat. Reserve a few asparagus tips for garnish, if desired.
3. Carefully purée the mixture until smooth using an immersion blender or transferring the soup to the container of a regular blender.
4. Transfer the soup back to the pot.
5. Stir in the cream and lemon juice.
6. Add the pepper and remaining salt. Cook until heated through. Serve the asparagus soup immediately with a drizzle of cream and garnish with herbs and blanched asparagus tips, if desired.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Save about ¼ cup of asparagus tips to use as garnish. While the soup is cooking, bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil over medium-high. Add asparagus tips, and cook until tender and bright green, about 1 minute. Remove using a slotted spoon and place in an ice bath.
- You can add additional vegetables to the asparagus soup. Peas, green onions, potatoes, and celery make for great additions.
- If using a blender instead of an immersion blender, be careful when blending. Make sure to have a way for the steam to escape, and avoid filling the blender all the way. You don’t want the steam to build up, and you want there to be room to blend the soup.
- If you want more texture in the soup, don’t blend all the asparagus soup.
- Make sure you do not overcook the asparagus. If you overcook the asparagus, the vibrant green turns into a dull green, and you lose the flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Once the soup reaches room temperature, transfer the leftover asparagus soup into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Due to the heavy cream, I would avoid freezing the soup. However, if you’d like to freeze this creamy asparagus soup, you can set aside a portion of the soup before adding cream to it and freeze the soup without any cream. You can add the cream to the soup when reheating it.
Reheat the soup on the stovetop or microwave. I suggest reheating the soup at a low temperature to avoid overcooking the cream.
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Asparagus Soup
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large pot
- Immersion blender or regular blender
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup chopped yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups chicken broth (720ml)
- 2 pounds asparagus ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces (900g)
- 1½ teaspoons salt divided
- ½ cup heavy cream (120ml)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Fresh tender herbs to garnish (dill, chives, etc.)
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the broth, asparagus, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the asparagus is fork-tender and bright green, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Reserve a few asparagus tips for garnish, if desired.
- Carefully purée the mixture until smooth using an immersion blender or transferring the soup to the container of a regular blender. Place over low heat.
- Stir in the cream, lemon juice, pepper, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately with a drizzle of cream and garnish with herbs and blanched asparagus tips, if desired.
Notes
- Save about ¼ cup of asparagus tips to use as garnish. While the soup is cooking, bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil over medium-high. Add asparagus tips, and cook until tender and bright green, about 1 minute. Remove using a slotted spoon and place in an ice bath.
- You can add additional vegetables to the asparagus soup. Peas, green onions, potatoes, and celery make for a great addition.
- If using a blender instead of an immersion blender, be careful when blending. Make sure to have a way for the steam to escape, and avoid filling the blender all the way. You don’t want the steam to build up, and you want there to be room to blend the soup.
- If you want more texture in the soup, don’t blend all the asparagus soup.
- Make sure you do not overcook the asparagus. If you overcook the asparagus, the vibrant green turns into a dull green, and you lose the flavor.
