This creamy and flavorful seasonal soup is finished in the blender. It has few ingredients, and some can be easily substituted, so you can probably make it now if you have fresh green asparagus in your fridge. It keeps well for a few days in the refrigerator.
Eat it hot or cold
In my kitchen, asparagus fall under seasonal, finger food, which means I lightly roast them and eat them straight up.
Fresh and shaved in a salad is another fantastic way to eat it. But the keyword is seasonal. As Alain Ducasse said, How do you make the best peach tart? with the best peaches.
This means I can eat the whole stalk; I don't have to bend to see where it breaks and discard most of it.
You can also make this soup. Even with end-of-season vegetables that are not great to eat raw in a salad, it's simple and good.
Another dish we love is asparagus pasta, but that's not our main focus here.
How to choose green asparagus
When choosing green asparagus, consider the following tips to ensure you get the best quality:
- Color and appearance: look for vibrant green stalks with tightly closed, firm tips. Some spears might have a purple tinge, which is fine, but avoid those with yellowing or browning.
- Firmness: the stalks should be firm and straight. Gently bend the asparagus; it should snap easily without being limp.
- Size: while size can be a matter of preference, thicker stalks tend to be more tender and flavorful. Thinner stalks can be more fibrous and tough.
- Moisture: check the ends of the asparagus. Fresh asparagus should be moist and not dried out. The ends shouldn't be too woody or desiccated.
- Smell: fresh asparagus have a mild, pleasant smell.
Peeled or unpeeled asparagus?
That depends on how in season and good the skin is.
- Peeling asparagus is a tad laborious and an extra step, and for me, depends a lot on the bright green (or not) color the vegetables have by themselves.
- Unpeeled asparagus: in the end, you can strain the soup after it's blended to discard any hard parts that might've remained.
Bright color
The way to keep that beautiful color is to immerse the peeled asparagus in ice water while you prep and cook the rest of the ingredients.
This step can be avoided if you have everything ready and peel them at the last moment.
Steps to make asparagus soup
The last stop is the blender, where the asparagus mixture becomes creamy and smooth. This is a necessary step that I don't recommend you skip. I recommend you use an immersion blender and mix it in the pot you cooked it.
Whole or peeled asparagus?
That depends on how in season and good the skin is.
Peeling asparagus is a tad laborious and an extra step, and for me, depends a lot on the bright green (or not) color the vegetables have by themselves.
Unpeeled asparagus: in the end, you can strain the soup after it's blended to discard any hard parts that might've remained.
Blend and strain
The last stop is blending or processing the soup to make it creamy and smooth. I use an immersion blender and blend it directly in the pot. If using a blender, be careful as very hot mixtures might crack the jar.
After that, strain the mixture through a sieve to discard pieces that have not dissolved.
Creamy finish
Use a splash of cream to serve. Keep in mind that drizzling it over very hot soup will make the cream separate a little and the drizzle not be as sharp. Still tasty though.
Serving asparagus soup
A dollop of whipped cream (no sugar), sour cream, or creme fraiche is the way to go together with a few roasted asparagus tips, which should be added at the last moment as they tend to sink pretty quickly.
This soup can be served either warm or at room temperature.
An extra bonus is that this recipe is good with average, out-of-season asparagus; with very good, seasonal ones, it's fantastic.
Croutons: they make great soup toppers adding crunch to a creamy soup. I toast bread cubes with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper in a medium-low oven (300°F/150°C), so they dry out and become wonderfully crunchy.
Vintage Kitchen Tip
If drizzling heavy cream when serving it, it will dissolve and open pretty quickly if the soup is too hot. So serve it warm.
Related recipes you might like:
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my disclosure policy.
Fresh Asparagus Soup
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds fresh green asparagus
- 5 to 6 cups vegetable broth, homemade or store-bought
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup chopped leeks
- ⅓ cup onion, thinly sliced
- 1 shallot, sliced
- 1 garlic clove, sliced
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bend 2 ½ pounds fresh green asparagus stalks until they snap. Keep the parts with the tips. Discard the rest.
- Have 5 to 6 cups vegetable broth simmering slowly in a medium pot.
- In a large pot over medium-low heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter until they meld, and add ½ cup chopped leeks, ⅓ cup onion, 1 shallot and 1 garlic clove.
- Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and cook until they soften but not letting them brown, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the asparagus pieces, stir, and add 4 cups of the broth.
- Let it simmer and cook, covered, for about 10 minutes. Uncover the pot and let it cook for 5 more minutes or until the asparagus are soft. Check for seasonings and adjust.
- Remove from the heat and blend in the pot using the immersion blender. If using a regular blender, work in batches. Be careful, as some blender jars do not admit very hot mixtures. If that is the case for you, you'll have to wait until the mixture has cooled down. I cracked a glass blender jar once with hot soup.
- Check again for seasonings and adjust and add more broth until you have the consistency you like.
- Serve with some unsweetened whipped cream or a dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche.
Notes
This asparagus soup is a recipe adapted from cookbook author and baker extraordinaire Dorie Greenspan.
Lizzie @ Strayed from the Table says
mmm asparagus soup, looks so beautiful and the flavour must be so fresh. I can't wait to grow my own, but I heard it takes two years before you can start picking your first crop.
Patty Price says
I don't think asparagus soup has ever looked so good ....
mividaenundulce says
Soup comes perfect during this season, yes, autumn is here, and this is just perfect for a hot soup, specially if it's a cream.
Ok, maybe it's not the perfect time for asparagus, but eating roasted or in soup is better than in a salad.
acookingmizer says
but what better to do with aspargus thats out of season but to make soup?? 🙂 you did great! and mine didnt look too fantastic either so dont worry! 🙂
dulceshome.com says
I'm with you - great asparagus deserves something better than soup - my go to is grilled. But any way is fine with me. Soup is a pretty good alternative when that's not the case. I think mine turned out more green because I skipped the step of pre-cooking the "good" part of the asparagus. Served mine with corn muffins - turned out to be a pretty tasty meal.
As always, your photos are gorgeous!
Cocoa and Lavender says
That does sounds bit laborious! Paula, check out my mother's asparagus soup in her cookbook - much simpler and it works well for out of season spears! No peeling necessary! 🙂 Oh, and I am glad someone asked about those beautiful crackers... They look perfect to go with soups! ~ David
Mary Hirsch says
You even peeled your out-of-season/winter asparagus?You are a marvel, Paula. Although I don't think your asparagus looks all that bad. Here we go again. As we head into the fresh fruits and vegetables season you are enjoying a lovely autumn/fall. Again, those of you who are living on the other side of the equator are good sports. Hopefully when I get my List of What We Haven't Cooked Yet completed, we can come up with a switcheroo and pick a FFWD recipe that favors the Doristas in the Southern Hemisphere. Then those of us up north can scramble to find fresh ingredients. Turn about is fair play. Really, your soup looks pretty and tasty. I also noticed the Sailor's Crackers. They look perfect with your soup.
Mardi Michels says
Your pictures in this post are so gorgeous Paula! I didn't do all the difficult bits in this soup and it turned out just as well 🙂
laurasmess.me says
This looks delicious Paula, even though it sounds like it was laborious to make!! I get frustrated when a particular recipe calls for out-of-season vegetables. Frozen and imported produce just isn't the same! Great job with the food prep though. You've made the soup look beautiful x
Laura Dembowski says
I'm loving soup lately and the asparagus is perfect here right now. I can't wait to make this Paula!
yummychunklet says
Your soup does look delicious, and I love the bright color as well!
Betsy says
I wish I'd thought to save some tips to garnish the soup. I do have to admit that I didn't have the patience to peel all those spears so I ended up skipping that step. I thought this soup was a good one, just the right texture. Sometimes I think Dorie's soups are way too think. Sorry you had to eat this one out of season, Paula.
Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says
Fall asparagus or not, that soup looks so delicious! Asparagus is at it's peak here, I can't wait to try this!
Nana says
Beautiful presentation as usual. This is definitely a recipe that I will do again, we all loved it. Have
a happy weekend.