Spring Asparagus Soup

5 from 4 votes

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!

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Total Time35

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 390kcal

Author: Meryl Downing

Equipment

blender or immersion blender
soup pot

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons butter
1 small onion chopped
3 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 bunches asparagus ends trimmed and discarded, cut in 1 inch pieces
4 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon kosher salt
8 grinds fresh black pepper
1 cup heavy cream
Parmesan cheese shavings
homemade Garlic Croutons

Instructions

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter and saute onion until softened and just beginning to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Add flour and Italian seasoning and whisk into the butter for about a minute. This forms a roux, which will be the thickener for the soup.
Add asparagus and stock, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and then reduce heat to medium low and simmer about 15 minutes, stir occasionally.
Add the heavy cream and blend. Transfer to a blender (in batches) or puree with a hand-held immersion blender until very smooth. Really let it blend awhile, the smoother the better. If using a blender, make sure the steam can escape by removing the center piece in the lid, but hold a clean kitchen towel over the hole while blending. Be careful when blending hot liquid!
Add puree back to the pot, and simmer a few more minutes. Taste and add another pinch of salt if needed.
To make Garlic Croutons, preheat oven to 400°. 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.
Garnish with Parmesan cheese shavings (use a vegetable peeler) and Garlic Croutons, or serve with sandwiches or crusty bread. Enjoy!

Notes

If using a hand-held 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
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.
Freezing Asparagus Soup - I like to freeze asparagus soup in pint size glass jars for single servings. 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.

Nutrition