My asparagus soup is incredibly smooth and creamy, yet it’s made without a drop of cream. Instead, we blend asparagus, potatoes, and an easy homemade broth that’s light and flavorful. It’s healthy, satisfying, and naturally vegetarian.
This asparagus soup recipe screams spring and is one of my favorites Asparagus recipes! It’s light on calories, but has the most delicious, fresh flavor. While I adore rich, cream-based soups, that’s where this recipe shines the same silky texture without the extra calories.The same trick I use in ours creamy vegetable soup and: Broccoli Cheddar Soup!
What’s even more impressive is that this soup is incredibly inventive. We use the often discarded parts of asparagus and leeks (the tough ends and dark green tops) to create a flavorful stock that forms the base of the soup. It’s a delicious way to minimize waste and maximize for more ways to cook with asparagus, see our garlic roasted asparagus or my beloved Asparagus Omelet.
Main ingredients:
- Asparagus. Look for bright green spears with tightly closed, compact tips. A purple hue on the tips is also a welcome sign. Avoid asparagus that has dull, yellowed or open bloom tips. they should feel firm and snap easily when bent. Asparagus that is limp or bent is past its prime.
- Leek. Think of the leeks as sweet, tender onions. We’ll use the white and light green parts for our asparagus stock. To clean the leeks, cut off the root end and the dark green tops. Then, slice the leeks lengthwise and rinse thoroughly under running water , so that the stem between the layers is removed. See my article how to clean leeks for more tips.
- Carrot. A single carrot adds sweetness and color to our broth.
- Garlic. I use garlic cloves both for the broth and in the soup itself.
- Potato. These are the secret to a super creamy, silky asparagus soup.We skip the cream altogether and use potatoes like russet or Yukon Gold to add body and silky texture.
- Spinach. A handful of baby spinach is perfect for adding extra bright green color and nutrients to the soup.We add this right at the end.
- Lemon. I like to serve asparagus soup with fresh lemon juice on top, it brightens everything up and makes it taste incredible.
- Cheese (optional). We used parmesan in our photos, but a spoonful of ricotta or mascarpone cheese is amazing.
How to make asparagus soup
My Asparagus Soup is a simple two-part process. First, we’ll make our simple asparagus stock using the parts of asparagus and leeks that you normally throw away. Then we’ll use that simple stock to make our creamy soup.
The broth takes about 30 minutes and tastes light and fresh. It’s made with leek tops, asparagus stalks, carrots, and bay leaves. Simple!
The soup comes together quickly. Cook the white and light green parts of the leek in a little oil until tender, then use the garlic cloves used to make the stock, potatoes and asparagus. Then, right at the end, add a handful of spinach . Blend until smooth and serve with a squeeze of lemon and some cheese (optional, but delicious).
Perfect Asparagus Soup!
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This simple asparagus soup is delicious, vegetarian, and minimizes waste. Instead of using stock to make the soup, we make a quick asparagus stock using chunks of asparagus and leeks :
6 servings
You will need it
2 pounds of asparagus
1 large leek
1 medium carrot
2 cloves of garlic, finely crushed
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced, about 1 pound
3 cups of baby spinach
Half a lemon, cut into wedges
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese, ricotta or mascarpone for garnish, as desired
Directions:
- Prepare asparagus broth
1:Cut off the dry, woody bottom of the asparagus. To find where to cut, bend the stems until they split naturally. Cut or crack at that point. Save the tops for the soup.
2:Cut off the dark green tops from the leeks and rinse them well to remove the skin. Add them to the pot with the asparagus stalks. Wash the lighter green and white parts of the leeks and set aside.
3:Add carrots, crushed garlic, bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to the pot.
4:Pour 9 cups of water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Season to taste with salt, adding a little at a time until you can taste the flavors in the broth without it being too salty.Strain the broth and reserve the garlic cloves.
- Prepare asparagus soup
1:Thinly slice the preserved white and light green parts of the leek.
2:Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
3:Add the sliced leeks and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until tender and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
4:Stir in the reserved garlic cloves and cook for another minute. Add the potatoes and 6 cups of the asparagus stock (reserving the rest for thinning later.) Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are very tender, about 20 minutes.
5:00Meanwhile, cut the ends off 12 asparagus spears, about 1 ½ inches from the top. Set these aside for garnish. Roughly chop the remaining asparagus.
6 o’clockOnce the potatoes are tender, stir in the chopped asparagus (not the reserved ends) and cook until crisp and bright green.
7:00Remove from heat and blend spinach until wilted but still bright green, about 1 minute.Blend soup until smooth using an immersion blender (or a regular blender in batches).
8 o’clockTaste and season with more salt and pepper as needed. If the soup is too thick, thin it with reserved asparagus stock, 1/4 cup at a time.
9:00Just before serving, cook reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water until crisp and bright green (about 3 minutes). Rinse with cold water to stop cooking.
10:00Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with asparagus tips and cheese (optional). Serve with a lemon wedge for a squeeze.
Advice from Adam and Joan
- Storage. The bright green color of the soup may fade slightly over time, but you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Stirring the soup. I use an immersion blender. If you use a stand blender, remember to blend in batches. If your soup is hot while blending, you want to remove the center tab of the lid and cover it with a kitchen towel while blending to help release some of the steam. prevent the lid from coming off (which can be a big, hot mess).
- Remainder of the broth. Use it in other soups, to cook rice or grains, or to make risotto.
- The nutrition facts below are estimates. We have included 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese per serving (total of 6 servings). We have omitted salt from the calculations, as you should add to your taste.
Nutrition per serving
Calories
149:
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Proteins
6 g
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Carbohydrate
20 g
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Dietary fiber
4 g
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Sugars
3 g
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Total fat
6 g
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Saturated fats
2 g
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Cholesterol
3 mg
