Spring Asparagus Soup

Spring Asparagus Soup is a super simple homemade soup made with fresh seasonal asparagus!  In just 35 minutes, it's simmered on the stovetop, and then blended until silky smooth with a touch of cream.  Top it with Parmesan cheese and homemade garlic croutons or crusty bread for the perfect vegetarian spring dish!

Why We Love It!

• Spring is Here!  Well, at least the co-op got its first spring asparagus!  Really, it's March in Minnesota and still very much winter.  But, that first seasonal asparagus is a sign of spring right around the corner.  I haven't grown my own garden fresh asparagus...yet! I do plan to.

• Asparagus is a perennial, so if you get an asparagus patch growing, you'll have spring asparagus for life! It's definitely one of my gardening goals! Like watermelon, sweet corn and green beans, asparagus is one of those foods that is truly at its best when in season.  Any other time of year, not so much! 

• Creamy Asparagus Soup is back to basics in soup making! - Super simple with only 7 pantry-staple ingredients, that spring asparagus really is the star! This creamy asparagus soup is light, easy to make, and ready in just 35 minutes. It's delicious served with garlic croutons, Homemade Bread, grilled cheese, or even BLT's with Cheese and Avocado to make a heartier family dinner.

• If You're Ready for Spring like me, we'll be planting our veggie garden soon, and try my Creamy Asparagus Ravioli and Spring Asparagus Salad with Crispy Prosciutto!

Ingredients

Seasonal, fresh and simple, this ingredient list is short and sweet!

• Butter - While 3 Tablespoons may seem like more butter than necessary, use the full amount! The butter will combine with an equal amount of flour to form a roux. This is the thickening agent for the soup.

• Onion - A very basic layer of flavor to start your soup, you can use a regular yellow onion, or 2 shallots would be a nice substitute.

• Flour - Flour combines with the butter to thicken the soup.

• Italian Seasoning - A simple seasoning, you could also substitute an equal amount of dried oregano or thyme. Fresh chives would also be a fine garnish for the soup, also in season in spring.

• Asparagus - The star of the show! Use 2 bunches of fresh spring asparagus. We also love this similar spring soup, Asparagus Broccoli Soup with Crispy Prosciutto. Give this Balsamic Glazed Asparagus with Crispy Prosciutto a try too!

• Vegetable or Chicken Stock - To make this a vegetarian asparagus soup, use vegetable stock. If it doesn't matter to you, we always have our own Homemade Chicken Stock for the Freezer on hand too!

• Salt and Pepper - This soup features just a few very simple ingredients, so salt and pepper are important to season them properly to enhance their flavors.

• Cream - The cream brings it all together! This Creamy Asparagus Soup combines the pureed asparagus with heavy cream for a silky, velvety texture!

• Parmesan Cheese shavings - We love this cream of asparagus soup with Parmesan cheese over the top! Use a vegetable peeler to get big shavings from a block of Parmesan cheese.

• Garlic Croutons - Making your own homemade garlic croutons is the way to go! Any crusty loaf of bread, like a baguette, ciabatta, or French bread, or even something pulled from the freezer works great. Just chop it into cubes, simply season and bake. The croutons take this soup to the next level! I don't specify an amount, so make as many croutons as you like!

Instructions

Step 1 - Start by sautéing the onions in butter until golden brown. 

Whisk the flour and seasoning into the buttery onions for about a minute to cook out the raw flour taste. This forms a roux, the thickening agent for the soup.

Meanwhile, wash and chop your asparagus.

Step 2 - Add in your asparagus and stock and whisk it together as you bring it to a boil.  Your roux will begin thickening the stock while softening the asparagus. 

Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to medium low, cover it and simmer for 15 minutes. 

While it's simmering you can clean up, shave your Parmesan cheese, and make Garlic Croutons or sandwiches.

Step 3 - Add your cream and then puree the soup using a hand-held immersion blender or transferring it to a blender in batches. 

Be careful when pureeing hot soup!  Remove the middle piece of your blender's lid so the steam can escape, but firmly hold a clean kitchen towel over the lid while blending.  Really let it blend well, the smoother the better!

If using a hand-held immersion blender, try lifting one side of the pot with your left hand while blending with your right hand, creating a deeper well of the soup at one side of the pot.  This gives you more room and helps the blender create a whirlpool effect. 

Using a hand-held blender can take a bit of patience to get all the asparagus broken down, so just keep blending until super smooth. 

Simmer your blended soup a few more minutes and it's ready to serve.

Step 4 - To make Garlic Croutons, preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut French bread or a baguette into cubes and set on a sheet pan. Drizzle with a little olive oil and a pinch of garlic powder, salt and pepper and toss together.

Bake about 5 to 10 minutes, shake and flip half way through. Croutons can be made anytime or while the soup is first simmering.

Top your soup with shaved Parmesan cheese and your homemade Garlic Croutons.

Chef Tips

• Adjusting the Consistency - Remember this is a quick cooking soup that takes just 35 minutes. However, if you want it thicker, let it simmer longer, stirring often. The steam will escape and the soup will condense and thicken. If the soup becomes too thick, you can add a bit of water or stock to thin.

• Asparagus Spears to Garnish - If you'd like to garnish your soup with a few asparagus spears, just pull them out after they have simmered before you blend the soup. Croutons, Parmesan cheese shavings, fresh ground black pepper, and fresh herbs such as parsley, chives, thyme or basil are also nice garnishes.

• Storage - Store leftover asparagus soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store extra croutons in an airtight container on the counter for up to one week. Extra croutons are also delicious on a Chopped Dinner Salad with Roasted Potatoes.

• Freezing Asparagus Soup - I like to freeze asparagus soup in pint size glass jars. They are the perfect size to thaw for a quick and easy lunch. When freezing in glass jars, just follow a few simple precautions. Let the soup cool slightly before adding it to the jars. Fill them only ¾'s of the way full to allow for expansion as they freeze. Cool them completely in the fridge first before transferring them to the freezer. Freeze asparagus soup for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Serving Suggestions and Pairings

Spring Asparagus Soup topped with homemade croutons and Parmesan cheese is a meal on its own, but it is on the lighter side. You can round out the meal to feed a larger family by pairing it with:

• Sandwich Night - Try these Easy French Dip Sandwiches or Classic BLT's with Avocado and Cheese or Italian Subs with Giardiniera.

• Soup and Salad Night - Add a Blueberry Goat Cheese Salad, an Italian Mixed Greens Salad with Crispy Prosciutto, or this Tomato Feta White Bean Salad.

• Add a hearty snack dip to the table like Mediterranean Hummus or Roasted Carrot Hummus. Or keep it all green around St. Patrick's Day with Cilantro Lime Hummus!

• Honey Skillet Cornbread with Zucchini and Peppers

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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