Light Spring Asparagus Soup (Printable)

Silky asparagus soup with cream, showcasing delicate spring flavors. Ready in 40 minutes, vegetarian-friendly.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 17.6 oz fresh green asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3/4 inch pieces, tips reserved separately
02 - 1 medium leek, white and light green parts only, sliced
03 - 1 small onion, chopped
04 - 1 medium potato, peeled and diced

→ Liquids

05 - 4 cups vegetable broth
06 - 5 fl oz heavy cream

→ Seasonings

07 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
08 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
09 - Pinch of nutmeg, optional
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

→ Garnish

11 - Reserved asparagus tips, blanched
12 - Chopped fresh chives or parsley, optional

# Directions:

01 - In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, leek, and potato, sautéing for 4-5 minutes until softened but not browned.
02 - Add asparagus stalks, reserving tips for garnish, and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
03 - Pour in vegetable broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until vegetables are tender.
04 - While soup simmers, blanch reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water for 1-2 minutes until just tender. Drain and reserve for garnish.
05 - Using an immersion blender, puree soup until smooth. Alternatively, blend in batches using a countertop blender.
06 - Stir in cream and bring soup to a gentle simmer. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg if desired. Add lemon juice to brighten flavor.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with blanched asparagus tips and fresh herbs.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes fancy enough to serve at dinner but comes together in under an hour on an ordinary Tuesday night.
  • The soup teaches you that sometimes less is more, letting the asparagus shine without heavy cream drowning it out.
02 -
  • Blending hot soup can be dangerous if you're not careful, so never fill the blender more than halfway and always hold the lid slightly loose to let steam escape.
  • The real secret is blanching those asparagus tips separately, which keeps them bright and tender instead of mushy like the rest of the vegetables.
03 -
  • Save the asparagus tips for blanching instead of using them in the base soup, because they turn brown and bitter after too much cooking, but staying bright and tender makes all the difference visually and in taste.
  • A tiny pinch of nutmeg is optional, but once you discover how it wakes up the soup without announcing itself, you'll add it every time.
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