Asparagus Soup

5 from 24 votes

This creamy asparagus soup is a terrific way to showcase one of the most lovable vegetables of spring in a slurpable way.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Servings: People

Author: Katie Workman

Equipment

Immersion Blender

Ingredients

2 pounds thin asparagus
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 onions (chopped)
2 stalks celery (sliced)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
1 teaspoon fresh minced thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 small potato (peeled and diced; about 3/4 cup)
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth (preferably less-sodium)
1 cup light or heavy cream or half-and-half
Freshly grated Parmesan (to serve)

Instructions

Trim off the bottom inch of the asparagus stalks or any amount that seems woody, and discard. Place about half of the asparagus in a line and trim off the top 1 inch of the tips. Set those aside. Cut the rest of the asparagus spears into 2-inch pieces.
Melt the butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and celery, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions are soft and lightly golden. Add the thyme, potatoes, and broth. Turn the heat to high, bring the soup to a simmer, add the asparagus, then lower the heat and partially cover the pot (place the lid on the pot so that there is about a 1-inch gap for steam to escape, but so the soup is mostly covered so the liquid doesn’t evaporate too quickly). Simmer the soup until the vegetables are very tender, about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the reserved asparagus tips into a small saucepan with 1/2 cup water. Cover the pot, bring the water to a boil over high heat, simmer for 1 minute, then drain the asparagus tips in a strainer or colander and run them under very cold water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.
Puree the soup with an immersion blender in the pot, or in batches in a food processor or blender. If the soup doesn’t seem silky smooth enough, you can pass it through a mesh strainer, pressing the soup through, discarding any solids that are strained out. Return the soup to the pot, if necessary, add the cream and heat over medium heat. Taste and adjust seasonings as you like.
When the soup is hot throughout (don’t let it come to a boil!), serve in bowls garnished with Parmesan and the blanched asparagus tips. Top with a bit of additional freshly ground pepper, if desired.

Notes

Soups with a cream base tend to separate when they are defrosted and heated. So, if you know you want to freeze some or all of this soup, consider doing so before you add the cream. Just transfer the desired amount into a freezer-proof container, leaving between 1/4- and 1/2-inch of space between the top of the soup and the lid (it will expand as it freezes).

Freeze, then defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat in a pot over medium heat, adding the cream at the end and making sure the whole thing heats through.

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