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Creamy and vibrant, this Asparagus Broccoli Soup with Crispy Prosciutto and croutons is a spring favorite! Made with lots of fresh veggies and blended until silky smooth, this nourishing soup is a perfect light dinner, lunch or starter course!
Spring is Asparagus Season!
- Seasonal and Healthy! - This Creamy Asparagus Broccoli Soup is brimming with fresh seasonal vegetables! You can get broccoli any time of year, but this recipe is best in the spring when you see that first fresh asparagus hit the market!
- Quick and Easy! - This is a very simple soup recipe that takes just over half an hour. It doesn't need to simmer all afternoon and shouldn't be make in a crockpot! You want those veggies still bright and fresh and not overcooked to mush!
- Spring is in the Air! Give my other asparagus recipes a try like this Asparagus Ravioli with Sausage, Spring Asparagus Salad with Crispy Prosciutto, and this Balsamic Glazed Asparagus.
Ingredients
Fresh seasonal and beautifully green, this soup features real ingredients, simple and healthy!
- Potato - The potato and onion sautéed in butter form the base layer of flavor in this soup. The potatoes main job however, is to thicken the soup and turn it velvety smooth when blended. You don't need much potato, and you aren't meant to taste it, but it's there for texture. I prefer Yukon gold potatoes and I used 3 tiny ones. You can use 1 regular sized or really any type of potato you have.
- Asparagus and Broccoli - Make this soup in the spring when asparagus is in season! The broccoli asparagus combination makes for a vibrantly green color, perfect around St. Patrick's Day too!
- Salt and Pepper - In a simple soup like this, you want the main vegetables flavor to shine, enhanced only with salt and pepper.
- Stock - Use vegetable or chicken stock.
- Cream - Real heavy cream gives this broccoli asparagus soup its rich, silky smooth consistency. But, if it's too rich for you, you could use a bit less, or sub half & half or even whole milk.
- Fresh Thyme - Fresh herbs are delicious in this soup! I chose thyme, but chives, parsley, oregano or even rosemary would work but will give you different flavors. You could substitute ½ teaspoon of dried thyme if you don't have fresh.
- Prosciutto - We LOVE prosciutto and crispy prosciutto is just as amazing! I've found the best quality and price by getting prosciutto freshly sliced at the deli counter. Ask them to slice it very thin and not put paper between each slice. Prosciutto is expensive per pound but you don't need very much, no need to pay for paper! If you love crispy prosciutto, try my Cauliflower White Bean Soup, this Mushroom Zucchini Pasta and this Italian Mixed Greens Salad!
- Baguette - You can use any type of crusty bread to make the croutons. I like to toss them with olive oil and a bit of garlic powder. You could also use store-bought croutons.
- Parmesan Cheese - I recommend buying a block of Parmesan cheese for the best quality and price. It lasts so much longer than pre-shredded cheese! Use a vegetable peel to get big shavings and then crumble them over your soup!
See recipe card for full recipe and quantities.
Recipe Variations
Asparagus is the star ingredient of this soup, but there are a few ways to vary the other ingredients to make it your own!
- Leeks - You could swap the regular onion for leeks or spring onions.
- Zucchini or Peas - Broccoli is the other big green vegetable flavor, but you could substitute a zucchini sauteed with the onions, or a cup of fresh or frozen peas added with the stock.
- Goat Cheese - I strongly debated whether this Asparagus Broccoli Soup should be topped with Parmesan or goat cheese. I concluded that both are delicious! Feta would be good too.
- Toppings - You could top this soup with chopped bacon, or serve it with crusty bread or grilled cheese sandwiches instead of the croutons. Or make it a soup and sandwich night with Overnight Dutch Oven Bread, a BLT with Avocado and Cheese or an Italian Sub Giardiniera Sandwich.
Instructions
This soup goes back to the very basics of soup making, saute the veggies, simmer in stock, add cream, and blend!
Step 1 - Chop the onion and potato, no need to peel.
Step 2 - Wash your veggies well and discard the bottom inch of both the broccoli and the asparagus.
Roughly chop the veggies including the rest of the broccoli stem.
Step 3 - Saute the onion and potato in butter, about 5 minutes.
Step 4 - Add the green veggies, season with salt and pepper and continue to saute for 10 minutes.
Step 5 - Add the garlic and stir about a minute until fragrant.
Add the stock and thyme, cover, and simmer 5 to 10 minutes.
Step 6 - Taste a potato to see if they are soft. If they are, add the cream.
Turn off the heat and stir well to combine.
Step 7 - At any time, or while the soup simmers, preheat the oven to 400°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the thinly sliced prosciutto to one side and the cubed baguette with olive oil and garlic powder to the other.
Step 8 - Bake for 10 minutes until the croutons are toasted and the prosciutto is shriveled and crispy.
It will crisp up more as it cools.
Step 9 - Blend the soup in batches. Use a high speed and blend for at least a minute or 2 until very smooth.
Step 10 - Add the soup back to the pot and serve keep over a low burner. Top with crumbled crispy prosciutto, croutons, Parmesan cheese shavings and fresh thyme leaves.
Recipe Tips
- Just 40 Minutes! This soup takes just over half an hour to make and is not the kind of soup that should simmer away all day or be made in a crockpot. You want your veggies just cooked al dente, so they are still vibrantly green and not turned to stringy mush! The finished soup can sit over a very low burner for a half hour or so until you're ready to serve, but don't go longer than that!
- No Need for Perfect Chopping - This soup gets blended so don't worry about chopping the veggies perfectly. You do want them relatively the same size so they cook evenly. Chop your potato smaller so it doesn't need too long to soften.
- Check the Potato - When you aren't sure if the soup is done and ready to be blended, just taste a potato and see if it's soft. The green veggies will cook by first sauteing and then simmering in the stock. So by the time the potato is soft, everything else is ready to add the cream and blend.
- Blend Very Well - This soup is thickened just by blending! There's no flour or cornstarch, just a LOT of veggies and that potato that make it silky smooth. So you'll really want to blend it on a fairly high speed for at least a minute or 2 to really get everything smooth. A high speed blender is better, but you can use a hand-held immersion blender, but really blend awhile until very smooth! Asparagus can be stringy if you don't blend it enough!
- Adjusting the Consistency of the Soup - If you find your blended soup is too thin, just let it simmer over a low burner. Stir it often, it will thicken as the steam escapes. If it gets too thick, just add a bit of stock or water.
- Make Ahead - You can easily make this soup up and store it in the fridge for dinner or to meal prep lunches for the week! The croutons and crispy prosciutto can be made at any time before, during or after making the soup!
- Storage and Freezing - Store soup in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 4 months. I like to freeze this soup in glass jars for perfect individual servings to thaw overnight in the fridge. If freezing in glass jars, only fill them ¾'s full to allow room for expansion and cool them completely in the fridge first before moving to the freezer.
- How to Store Extra Crispy Prosciutto and Croutons - Store extra croutons in a separate airtight container on the counter. Store extra crispy prosciutto in the fridge. You can microwave it about 10 seconds to reheat before topping your soup.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! To make this broccoli asparagus soup vegetarian, just use vegetable stock and leave off the crispy prosciutto.
Yes, one cup of heavy cream may be too rich for some people. You can use less, like a half a cup, or substitute half & half or even whole milk.
Yes, the main soup is gluten-free because it does not use flour as a thicker but instead is thickened by simply blending so many veggies, especially the potato. Make sure to use a gluten-free bread to make the croutons.
You could swap frozen broccoli for this soup but definitely use seasonal fresh spring asparagus for the best flavor!
Try these Spring Recipes Next!
If you made this recipe, I'd love to hear how you liked it! Be sure to leave a star rating by clicking the stars in the recipe card, or leave a comment below!
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Asparagus Broccoli Soup with Crispy Prosciutto
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Print Pin RateIngredients
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 to 3 small potatoes chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 head broccoli chopped (1 pound)
- 2 bunches asparagus chopped (2 pounds)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 grinds fresh black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
For the Topping
- 5 slices prosciutto very thin
- 4 cups baguette (about half) cubed
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder optional
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese shaved with a vegetable peeler and crumbled
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium to medium low heat, melt the butter and saute the onion and potato, about 5 minutes.
- Wash and chop the broccoli and asparagus, discarding the bottom inch from the stems. The rest of the broccoli stem can be chopped and used. Add to saute with the veggies, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add stock and thyme, COVER, increase heat to medium and simmer about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Continue to simmer until the potatoes are soft (taste one!), then add cream.
- Transfer to a high speed blender and blend in batches. Blend at least a minute or 2 until very smooth. Return to the pot.
For the Topping
- The topping can be made at any time or while the soup is simmering. Preheat oven to 400°F convection bake.
- Line a large sheet pan (or use 2 smaller pans) with parchment paper. Lay 5 thin slices of prosciutto on one side. Toss the baguette cubes with olive oil and garlic powder on the other side.
- Bake about 10 minutes until the croutons are toasted and golden and the prosciutto is shriveled and crisp. It will crisp more as it cools.
- Serve the soup topped with croutons, crumbled pieces of the crispy prosciutto, Parmesan cheese shaved with a vegetable peeler and crumbled, and more fresh thyme leaves.
Notes
- Veggies - I used about 2 pounds of asparagus and about 1 pound of broccoli for this recipe. These amounts don't need to be exact.
- Potatoes - I used 3 very small Yukon gold potatoes. You can use 1 large Yukon gold, or really any type of potato will work.
- Cream Alternatives - If you want to cut back on the richness, you can use ½ cup of cream or 1 cup of half & half.
- To adjust the consistency, add water or stock if the soup is too thick. Simmer over low heat and stir or whisk to allow steam to escape if it is too thin.
- Blend - Make sure to blend this soup very well on high speed until ultra smooth.
Ann says
Just made this for dinner tonight. So easy following Meryl's directions! I don't even have the toppings on yet, but tasting it-----it is soooooo delicious.!!!! It blended beautifully. Try it, you won't be disappointed.
Meryl Downing says
Thanks Ann, so glad you liked it! I love this one too!