When asparagus season rolls round, this is one of the first things we make. Asparagus Soup is a light and fresh soup, that is perfect for Spring. This creamy soup is low in calories and fat, but full of flavour.
Asparagus is such an underrated vegetable, and there is so much that you can do with it. We are going to be sharing more asparagus recipes, but this soup is one our our favourites. At just 115 calories for a big bowl, this plant based soup feels much more indulgent than it actually it.
Looking for some other ways to eat asparagus? Why not try our Easy Asparagus Tart, Roasted Lemon Asparagus, Feta and Asparagus Frittata.
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Ingredients needed
- Asparagus - To get the perfect asparagus, look for spears that are firm and a nice bright green colour. The tips should be dry and held tightly to the stalk. Thinner asparagus spears are younger and therefore more tender.
- Shallots - Shallots add a nice bit of sweetness, but If you don't have shallots, a standard onion will work.
- Garlic - Everything tastes better with garlic in our opinion. Feel free to adjust the amount up or down to suit your own taste.
- Stock - We used a standard vegetable stock cube for convenience, however you can make your own asparagus stock - see below for details.
- Oil - To cook the vegetables in - use a good quality vegetable oil.
- Cream - To make it creamier and to add a little indulgence. You can leave this out or see below for more tips on how to make soup creamier.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
How to make asparagus soup - Step by step
One: Gently fry the shallots, garlic and asparagus until softened
Two: Pour in the stock and simmer for 10 minutes.
Three: Add the cream.
Four: Blend until smooth.
Why should you try it?
- A great way to use asparagus - If you want to make the most of asparagus season, or you have lots to use up, then this recipe is for you.
- Low calories -Less than 180 calories per portion and it's really filling too.
- Can be eaten cold too - Cold soup? Yep, you heard right. This is perfect for summer as it can be eaten chilled too.
Health benefits of asparagus
A member of the lily family, asparagus is a nutrient dense vegetable and definitely one you should be trying to include in your diet more often. It is high in fibre, vitamins A, C, E and K and packed full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.
There is evidence that the cultivation of asparagus dates back over 2,000 years to Greece, where they believed in its medicinal properties and that it could be used for curing tooth ache. It has been grown in England since the 16th century.
How to store asparagus
You should try to use asparagus on the day that it is bought, but if that isn't possible then we have some tips on how to keep it fresh for up to 7 days in the fridge. Take a look at this comprehensive post on How To Store Asparagus.
Asparagus stock
Whilst you could use a standard vegetable stock for this soup, why not use the stalks that are cut off the asparagus to make a stock - it's a great way to reduce food waste. Add them to a pan with other vegetable cuttings and the amount of water needed and simmer for 30 minutes.
Variations
The asparagus really is the star of the show here, so you don't want to over power it with too many other flavours. However, we add a generous amount of spinach because it makes it a super green colour. Fresh herbs are a must in a homemade soup too and we went with chives, as they add a nice onion-y flavour.
We love to add toppings to soups, just to make them even more delicious and Parmesan and pine nuts work really in this soup. The Parmesan makes it more creamy and the pine nuts adds extra texture.
Storage
Store: You can make the soup in advance and store it in the fridge in an air tight container and it will be good for 2 days. You can also just make the stock in advance and then make the soup from fresh.
Freeze: You can freeze the soup for up to 3 months. Make sure it is cooled, and then put in a freezable container.
Defrost: Defrost it in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: You can reheat through on the hob.
FAQs
A few slices of buttered, warm sourdough bread always go well with asparagus soup. However, you can use your favourite bread. I think something crusty like a French loaf or tiger bread are good too.
Why not also try our Homemade Flatbreads or Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia.
If you find your asparagus soup is too stringy, even after blending it up, then you are choosing asparagus spears that are too thick. Don't choose ones that are too thin either,
Use the bend and snap method. Take one stalk of asparagus and then gently bend it to the point of breaking and it will snap off at the point where the woody tough part begins. You can carry on snapping them all, or use that as a guide and use a knife to cut them all at the same point.
If you find the soup too thin, then we have a few ways to thicken it. You can use a cornflour slurry, however that will change the colour and taste. Try cooking it for a little longer and cook of some extra water. But that would have to be done before blending.
Adding a little coconut milk can thicken it up, however, that will give it a coconut flavour. You could also blend some chickpeas in to it to thicken it.
This version isn't vegan, as we have added some double cream to make it extra creamy. However, you could either leave it out or use a vegan alternative.
If you use a gluten free stock and make sure there is no cross contamination, then this is a delicious gluten free soup.
More soup recipes
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Recipe
Asparagus soup
Ingredients
- 320 g asparagus woody ends trimmed and chopped into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 shallots chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 425 ml vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoon chives chopped
- 2 tablespoon double cream (optional)
- 1 pinch sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Gently fry the shallots, garlic and asparagus until softened.
- Pour in the stock and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the cream and season.
- Blend until smooth.
- Serve topped with chopped chives.
Notes
- Try to use a stick blender to blend this soup. You could use a jug blender, but you would have to wait until it was completely cooled before blender, as the jug could explode when hot liquid is blender. Try to do it in batches in the blender.
- You could swap the chives for parsley or basil.
- A dollop of creme fraiche adds some extra creaminess to this soup.
- Weight Watchers SmartPoints: 1
Andrea Metlika
It looks so creamy and delicious! I can't wait to try this!
Michelle
I love asparagus. I never would have thought to put it in a soup.
Erika
This soup looks so creamy and delicious! This is a great way to utilize all parts of the asparagus.
Alison
This recipe looks so creamy, luscious, and healthy at the same time! I'm so ready for soup season! Ready to dig into this one!
Angela
Perfect way to use up all of the asparagus I have on hand! This soup is so good, and the dash of cream is a must! YUM!!
Sarah
We are HUGE fans of asparagus soup! thank you for this recipe!
Beth
Yum! This looks so delicious and full of flavor! My husband is going to love this recipe!
Jacqueline Meldrum
That looks lush Dannii. We have eaten so much asparagus this year (it's on my son's like list), but I never thought of making soup. YUM!
Erica
I've never tried asparagus soup but it sounds so cozy right now. The photos are beautiful!
Beth Sachs
Perfect for a light lunch. Love the colour of this soup. Such a tasty recipe.
Helen of Fuss Free Flavours
I love the flavour of asparagus, so making soup is a great way of enjoying it. Great for when you have a large quantity and just can't keep having it with meals.
Christian Guzman
This is fantastic! I am always cutting off the tops of asparagus for quiche and I never knew what to do with the stalks. Thanks so much for a great idea instead of trashing them.