Easy Asparagus Soup

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 6 servings

This asparagus soup recipe is a great example of the less-is-more school of cooking. It's just a simple puree of asparagus and broth with a bit of heavy cream. The result is a delicious and creamy asparagus soup that tastes like spring.

You'll only need a few ingredients to make this soup and just twenty minutes of time. Asparagus soup makes a nice light lunch when paired with crusty bread, or a delicious first course for an elegant dinner. For a pretty presentation, top each bowl with a drizzle of cream and some cooked asparagus tips.

Easy Asparagus Soup

The Spruce / Danielle Moore

Ingredients

  • 2 bunches asparagus, washed, woody bottoms trimmed off

  • 1 tablespoon butter

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 1 quart chicken or vegetable stock

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Cayenne pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Easy Asparagus Soup ingredients

    The Spruce / Danielle Moore

  2. Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces and set aside; reserve a few tips for garnish, if desired.

    Cut the asparagus into 1-inch pieces and set aside

    The Spruce / Danielle Moore

  3. In a soup pot, melt butter over medium heat. When it begins to foam, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

    butter and garlic cooking in a pot

    The Spruce / Danielle Moore

  4. Add stock and asparagus and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until asparagus is tender but still green.

    asparagus and stock added to the pot with garlic and butter

    The Spruce / Danielle Moore

  5. Remove from heat and puree mixture using an immersion blender, or place in a regular blender. Process until smooth.

    asparagus soup blended with an immersion blender

    The Spruce / Danielle Moore

  6. If using a blender, pour soup back into pot. Stir in cream and cook on low until heated through. Season to taste with salt and cayenne pepper.

    add cream, salt and cayenne pepper to the asparagus soup

    The Spruce / Danielle Moore

  7. If using the asparagus tips as a garnish, quickly blanch them.

  8. Ladle asparagus soup into bowls.

    Easy Asparagus Soup in a bowl

    The Spruce / Danielle Moore

  9. Garnish with the blanched asparagus tips, if using, and enjoy.

Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

Steam expands quickly in a standard blender and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.

Immersion Blender Tip

When using an immersion blender, make sure the entire mechanism is submerged in the liquid; if the blades are too close to the surface, the hot soup will splatter around. Move the wand in kind of a figure-eight to make sure all of the asparagus becomes pureed.

How to Store

This asparagus soup can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for three to four days. Because of the cream, the soup does not freeze well. If you'd like to make it ahead of time, leave out the cream and add it after the soup has defrosted.

Recipe Variations

  • For an herbal note, try adding a small handful of fresh parsley, dill, or tarragon in the last minute of cooking the asparagus.
  • Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or top the soup with a dollop of sour cream before serving for a bit of tang.
  • Top with a little crumbled crispy bacon for a salty finish.
  • To make this dish vegetarian, use vegetable broth instead of the chicken broth.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
102 Calories
10g Fat
2g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 102
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 12%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 29mg 10%
Sodium 131mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 2g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 1mg 5%
Calcium 17mg 1%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 81mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)