Looking for a light and delicious soup to add to your spring or Easter menu? Look no further than this vibrant green cream of asparagus soup! Whether you want a vegan, dairy-free soup option or the richness of heavy cream, this soup is easy to make. Make it ahead of time to save time, in only 30 minutes. Don't forget to check out my list of fun and delicious garnishes to take your soup to the next level.
Asparagus is the quintessential spring vegetable and I am completely crazy about asparagus and so happy when the beautiful green spears arrive at the store. If you've never made cream of asparagus soup, it is so delicious and easy, you must try it.
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Why You'll Like This Recipe
It's that time of year! Asparagus season is the best time to make cream of asparagus soup and all things asparagus.
- A simple soup with simple ingredients.
- Easy instructions, finished in a blender
- Serve warm or chilled
- Tastes terrific, beautiful color, customizable with garnish options.
- Make it a day or two ahead.
Recipe Ingredients
What are the ingredients needed to make this creamy asparagus soup? So simple!
- Asparagus: Choose bright green, fresh asparagus stalks with tight tips or heads, (usually at the market in a little water). A little thicker is better than pencil thin.
- Cooking fat: Use unsalted dairy butter, a good plant-based butter like this one, or olive oil.
- Onion: Go with white onion for mild sweet flavor to allow the asparagus to shine. Brown onions or yellow onions still work fine.
- Garlic: A good place for fresh garlic, zest it with a microplane zester so it melts in.
- Fresh herbs: Fresh thyme is best but dried works as well. Use about ½ - ⅓ as much as fresh.
- Broth: Chicken broth (low sodium or homemade) or homemade vegetable broth.
- Cream: Using canned full-fat coconut milk keeps it non-dairy. If you prefer, use dairy heavy cream. Both work great.
- Lemon: Fresh squeezed lemon juice lifts or brightens the flavor of asparagus soup.
See the recipe card for measurements plus salt and white or black pepper.
Chef's Tip: How to store asparagus. When you get asparagus home, trim a little off the bottom and stand the bundles in a tall container with an inch of water in the bottom to keep the ends moist. Treat asparagus like flowers. Cover loosely with plastic wrap until ready to use. Alternatively, wet a paper towel with water and wrap the ends, then place in a plastic bag. Asparagus will last a couple of days stored this way.
Substitutions and Variations
Can I make cream of asparagus soup without cream?
Yes, you can make it without cream. For an asparagus soup without cream, swap full fat canned coconut milk for heavy cream. And truly, it does not taste like coconut! This swap works for other cream-based soups too.
Broth options
While I use chicken broth, if you're vegan or vegetarian, cream of asparagus soup is a great place to use homemade vegetable broth. It's easy to make in short time and the flavor is far superior to canned or boxed stuff.
Recipe Instructions
Chef's Tip: The cold water ice bath stops the cooking process and sets the color of the asparagus to keep the soup a bright green.
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Blender Tips
If you you don't have a regular blender, use an immersion blender to puree asparagus soup. Place the pot in the sink to reduce splatter. Remember to be extra careful when blending hot liquids.
Serving Suggestions: Great Garnishes
Here's a list of terrific garnishes for cream of asparagus soup, for both dairy and non-dairy diners. Be sure to serve lemon wedges alongside. One more thing, this asparagus soup recipe is delightful served either hot, at room temperature, or chilled. A slice of crusty bread is good alongside.
- First and foremost, the reserved asparagus tips (the best part).
- Chopped herbs such fresh dill, chives, parsley, or fennel fronds.
- Garlicky croutons (can be made GF and DF if needed).
- Crisp crumbled bacon.
- Chopped or grated hard boiled egg.
- Grated Parmesan cheese.
- A dollop of sour cream (dairy or non-dairy), or creme fraiche.
- Homemade toasted pumpkin seeds add a nice crunch.
- A drizzle of good lemon olive oil (or basil).
- Fresh lemon zest.
- Sliced green onion.
- Cold tiny bay shrimp.
Here's a super fun serving idea for a get together appetizer: asparagus soup shooters! Serve them chilled.
Recipe FAQs
While many sites say you can freeze for 3-6 months, soups with cream or milk don't freeze well and tend to separate upon thawing. They can become grainy and lose their taste. I don't recommend freezing asparagus soup. If you want to try freezing, try re-heating gently on the stovetop and briefly blending again.
Cream of asparagus lasts 3-4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. For more information check out this food chart from the FDA.
Asparagus packs a dose of vitamins C, E and K, folate and minerals like zinc, manganese, and selenium. Plus, asparagus is anti-inflammatory and a source of glutathione, the master antioxidant.
Eating asparagus also gives you inulin, a fiber that acts as a prebiotic, providing a feast for the good bacteria in our gut that help with digestion. But of course, there is all of the fat in cream or coconut milk to weigh in the balance. Read more at this link.
Cream of asparagus soup goes with just about anything. Try it as a starter before a ham, pork roast, roast chicken, or beef dinner. Serve it alone as a soup shooter for an appetizer. It makes a nice light meal with a grilled cheese sandwich.
More Creamy Soup Recipes
For another creamy soup recipe, try creamy cauliflower soup, roasted red pepper, or creamy broccoli.
⭐️Did you Make This Recipe?
If you make cream of asparagus soup, please add your comment. I appreciate your feedback and enjoy hearing from you. If you loved it, please give it a 5-star rating! They really help other readers.
📖 Recipe
Cream of Asparagus Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 bunches fresh asparagus 2 pounds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter unsalted dairy butter or unsalted plant butter
- ½ medium onion ¾ cup, chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves finely chopped or zested
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves (or tarragon) or ¾ teaspoon dried
- 1 ½ cups low sodium broth Chicken or vegetable
- 1 cup canned coconut milk or dairy cream
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper I use white pepper
Optional Garnishes (non-dairy and dairy)
- 4 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 tablespoons sour cream or creme fraiche
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, parsley, or chives
- 4 pieces crisply crumbled bacon
- 2-4 hardboiled eggs chopped or grated
- 4 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds
- 4 teaspoons lemon olive oil
- 1 cup garlicky croutons DF or GF
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Instructions
Set up
- Fill a large pot (5 quarts) three-quarters full with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Fill a medium bowl half full of ice, then fill with cold water. This creates an ice bath. While water is coming to a boil, prep the asparagus.
Blanch and chill
- Chop the tough ends off of the bottom of the asparagus spears. Trim off the tips, then chop the rest of the spears into 1" pieces. Drop all of the asparagus into boiling salted water and cook for 2 minutes (this is called blanching). Strain asparagus through a sieve into the sink and add the asparagus immediately to the ice batch to stop the cooking process. Chill until cold then drain again. Separate out enough asparagus tips for garnish (12-20 pieces).
Make the soup
- In the same pan, cook onion in olive oil or butter over medium to medium heat until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and cook 1 minute longer. Add asparagus, broth and coconut milk. Simmer for 7-10 minutes for flavors to blend. Puree in a blender until smooth. Depending on the capacity of your blender container, you may need to do it in two batches. Adjust seasoning to taste with more salt and pepper if needed. Serve asparagus soup hot, warm, or chilled with cooked asparagus tips and other preferred garnishes.
Notes
- For broth, homemade really shines in soup, especially vegetable broth. Make this easy homemade vegetable broth recipe ahead of time and freeze. The Instant Pot chicken broth recipe is also easy to make ahead and freeze.
- Garnish ideas: Chopped fresh herbs like dill, parsley, chives, or chervil, crisp crumbled bacon, grated or chopped hard boiled eggs, a drizzle of lemon olive oil, grated Parmesan cheese, garlicky croutons, a dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche, even cold bay shrimp.
- Optional garnishes are not figured into the nutrition calculation.
Rach's Recipes says
Wow this looks really refreshing! I love upgrading my soups by adding lots of different herbs though, what else do you think would go well with this aside from thyme? Thanks for sharing.
Sally Cameron says
Hi Rach, It is good and so easy. You could try tarragon, parsley, chervil, not sure how cilantro would be but you could try it. Please report back what you choose. I'd love to know. Hope you enjoy!
Anne Foster says
Sally's nephew (my son, Luke) does NOT like asparagus, but he loves this soup!
Anne Foster says
Sally's nephew Luke is not an asparagus fan - but he loved this soup!!
Sally Cameron says
Yeah...love to hear that Anne. Makes me smile 😉
Denise says
It is so green. Wonder if any of the kids will ever eat this. I will give it a try because it looks so delicious and healthy. Thank you!
Sally Cameron says
Get them to help make it Denise. When kids get involved, they are more likely to try it.