This cream of asparagus soup uses simple ingredients so the asparagus really shines. This is one of my favorite soups. It’s great to make ahead and have ready in the refrigerator for lunch or a light dinner. This delicious soup is made with fresh asparagus, onion, celery and spices. It’s as easy as it is good.
We go light on the “cream” part of this asparagus soup. Instead of heavy cream we go with just a touch of half and half. The soup is pureed which will give it that creamy texture anyway so we can get away with cutting down on the cream.
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Serving suggestion
My favorite way to serve this soup is with a few asparagus tips and parmesan cheese. The salty, nutty parmesan goes so well with cream of asparagus soup. A little extra black pepper will also pop in this soup. Croutons or crushed saltine crackers will add a little crunch and texture. Or just serve it with plain crusty bread or this homemade garlic bread for dipping.
Ingredients
- Olive oil – Extra virgin or light work well, or use your favorite oil that’s suitable for sautéing.
- Butter – We use regular salted butter
- Vegetables – Asparagus is the star of this show but the onions, celery and garlic add plenty of flavor without taking over.
- Seasoning – Oregano and black pepper work well with the asparagus.
- Broth – We use chicken broth to make this asparagus soup but if you want to keep the soup vegetarian use your favorite vegetable broth.
- Cream – Half and half is used to add a little creaminess to the asparagus soup. You can use heavy cream if that’s what you have on hand.
- Garnish – Good garnish options include asparagus tips, parmesan cheese, croutons, black pepper or use your favorite.
Prep Work
The prep work for this soup is quick and easy.
Trim the asparagus – the asparagus has a thick, woody end that needs to be trimmed off. You can gauge more or less where to trim and cut them off all at once. Or, trim them by hand by holding the bottom end and the middle of the spear and apply a little pressure. The tough end should snap right off. Discard the ends.
Cut the asparagus into roughly 1 inch pieces and reserve the tips of approximately 20 spears for garnish, optional.
Dice the onions and celery, they’re going in the pot at the same time so you can keep them in the same bowl.
Mince the garlic and measure out the remaining ingredients.
Instructions
- Gently sauté the onions, celery in the butter and olive oil until they soften and the onions are translucent.
- Add the garlic, oregano and black pepper.
- Add the asparagus (all but the reserved tips, if using) and the chicken broth.
- Bring the broth to a boil then lower the heat and cook, simmering, for 20 minutes, until the asparagus is very tender.
Take the pot off the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Process the soup in the pot with an immersion blender. Immersion blenders are a fantastic tool for blending hot liquids right in the pot they were cooked in. If you’re a fan of creamy pureed soups, then you should definitely invest in one.
If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a blender to process the asparagus soup. Do not fill it to the top with hot liquid, process in small batches. Remove the center piece (feeder cap) of the blender lid. Replace the lid (without the feeder cap) and cover with a clean, folded kitchen towel. Hold the towel down while blending. Start at a very low speed and increase gradually if necessary.
Finally, add the half and half to the soup and stir to combine. Return the pot to low heat and warm through – do not let the soup come to a boil.
Taste the cream of asparagus soup and add salt, if needed. As a reference we added ½ teaspoon to ours. Garnish the soup with the reserved asparagus tips, parmesan cheese, fresh ground black pepper or your garnish of choice.
Asparagus tips instructions
While the asparagus soup cooks prepare the tips for garnish (if using).
- First prepare a bowl of ice water and set aside. Add 1½ cups of water to a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Add the reserved asparagus tips and cook for 1 minute.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the tips from the boiling water and immediately plunge them in the ice water. Keep them in the ice water until they are completely cold. Remove the tips and place them on a kitchen or paper towel. Pat them dry and reserve until the soup is done.
Storing and reheating
Store the asparagus soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To freeze the soup, store it in an airtight container, remember to leave enough room to allow for expansion when freezing, an inch or two should do it. Freeze the asparagus soup for 2-3 months. Gently, reheat the soup in a saucepan over medium-low to low heat stirring occasionally. Avoid letting the soup come to a full boil as the cream could separate.
You may also like these other creamy soups:
- Broccoli Cauliflower Soup
- Creamy Pumpkin Soup
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Carrot Ginger Soup
- Pumpkin Apple Soup
- Tomato Soup
Cream of Asparagus Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 1 Medium Onion diced
- 1 Celery Rib diced
- 2-3 Garlic Cloves minced
- ¼ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper plus extra for serving
- 2 pounds Asparagus trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- ¼ cup Half and Half
- Salt if needed at the end
- Parmesan Cheese for serving optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat in large pot.
- When the butter is melted and foamy, add the onions and celery. Cook gently for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the garlic, oregano and black pepper, cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Add the asparagus (all but the reserved tips, if using) and the chicken broth. Raise the heat to high; bring to a boil, lower heat to medium-low and cover. Cook the soup for 20 minutes, until the asparagus is very tender, stirring occasionally. Keep the soup at a simmer, raise or lower the heat as needed.
- If using the asparagus tips for garnish – While the asparagus soup cooks prepare the tips for garnish. First prepare a bowl of ice water and set aside. Add 1½ cups of water to a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Add the reserved asparagus tips and cook for 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to remove the tips from the boiling water and immediately plunge them in the ice water. Keep them in the ice water until they are completely cold. Remove the tips and place them on a kitchen or paper towel. Pat them dry and reserve until the soup is done.
- When the asparagus soup is done, remove the pot from the heat. Process the soup with an immersion blender in the pot. If you do not have an immersion blender use a blender (see notes).
- Add the half and half to the soup, stir to combine well. Return the pot to low heat and cook gently until warmed through – do not let the soup come to a boil.
- Taste the soup and add salt, if needed. As a reference we added ½ teaspoon to ours.
- Serve the soup and garnish with the reserved asparagus tips, parmesan cheese or your garnish of choice.
Notes
- Reserve about 20 asparagus tips for garnish before adding the asparagus to the soup, if desired.
- Do not fill the blender to the top with hot liquid, process in small batches. Remove the center piece (feeder cap) of the blender lid. Replace the lid (without the feeder cap) and cover with a clean, folded kitchen towel. Hold the towel down while blending. Start at a very low speed and increase gradually if necessary.
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