This cream of asparagus soup is creamy, rich, nutritious, and flavorful. Perfectly cooked potatoes and asparagus are blended to make a smooth and savory balanced soup that will leave you satisfied!
Asparagus is finally in season, which means it’s the perfect time of year to use this vegetable in anything an everything.
We typically use this delicious veggie in a quiche, air fryer, stir fry, or a quick saute. However, transforming it into a creamy soup is a game changer.
I don’t know about you, but no matter what time of year it is, I’ll always go for a bowl of soup. Lately, I’ve loved Tuscan white bean soup, ramen, and this asparagus soup.
Table of Contents
Why this recipe works
- Vegetarian and gluten-free. Just like this pumpkin soup, this asparagus soup doesn’t contain any meat or gluten and can easily be made vegan by swapping the cream and butter for vegan substitutes.
- Easy to make. Like cream of celery soup, this takes just a few simple steps to make this soup. I’ve even included instructions for how to cook it using your slow cooker or instant pot.
- Super healthy. Asparagus is loaded with fiber, minerals, and vitamins.
- Budget-friendly. Between the leeks, asparagus, potatoes, and vegetable broth, nothing used in this recipe is terribly expensive, making it a great budget-friendly recipe.
What we love most about this recipe is how easy it is to customize! Just like this 4-ingredient potato soup, you can easily swap or add ingredients to make this soup recipe exactly as you want it. I’ll be sure to give a handful of suggestions below.
Since this recipe is very produce driven, you’ll want to get the freshest ingredients to make this recipe. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Butter. Preferably unsalted so you can control the amount of salt added.
- Leeks. Just the white part, thinly sliced.
- Potato. Peeled and finely diced into equal-sized pieces.
- Garlic. Minced.
- White wine. Any dry white wine will do. For an alcohol-free recipe, swap this for additional vegetable broth.
- Salt and pepper. Added to taste.
- Asparagus. Trimmed and chopped.
- Vegetable broth. Choose a good quality brand that uses minimal flavorings and added salt. You can also use chicken broth.
- Heavy cream. For added richness. If you don’t have double cream, you can use regular cream, milk, or half-and-half.
- Parsley. Freshly chopped for garnishing.
How to make cream of asparagus soup
Making this asparagus soup is surprisingly simple. Here’s how it’s done:
Step 1- Cook the leeks, potatoes, and garlic
First, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the leek, potato, and garlic. Allow this to cook, constantly stirring, for 5 minutes or until the leek begins to soften.
Step 2- Add the rest of the ingredients
Next, add the wine, salt, and black pepper. Bring this to a boil and, stirring occasionally, let it cook for 1-2 minutes or until the wine reduces by half. Follow this by adding the asparagus and vegetable broth and simmer for 5 minutes or until the potatoes and asparagus become tender. Once the veggies are tender, remove the soup from the heat and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.
Step 3- Blend the soup
Up next, transfer the soup to the bowl of a blender and blend until smooth or to your desired consistency. Then, return the blended soup to a clean saucepan and place it over medium heat. Allow the soup to cook, while frequently stirring, for 2 minutes or until the soup has fully warmed.
Then, add the cream and stir to combine. Give the soup a taste and adjust any seasonings as needed before removing it from the heat.
Step 4- Serve the soup
When you’re ready to serve, ladle the soup among the serving bowls. Swirl in additional cream and garnish each soup with fresh parsley.
Slow cooker and Instant pot instructions
This soup can also be made in both a slow cooker and an instant with very few tweaks.
For slow cooker asparagus soup
- Sauté the leeks, potato, and garlic in butter, then add them to the slow cooker.
- Add the wine, salt, pepper, asparagus, and broth.
- Slow-cook the soup on High for 2 hours. If you are cooking on Low, cook for 4 hours.
- When the soup is ready, use an immersion blender to puree it, then stir in the cream.
- Serve the soup with added cream and parsley.
For instant pot asparagus soup
- Sauté the leeks, potato, and garlic in butter, then add them to the slow cooker.
- Add the wine, salt, pepper, asparagus, and broth.
- Slow-cook the soup on High for 2 hours. If you are cooking on Low, cook for 4 hours.
- When the soup is ready, use an immersion blender to puree it, then stir in the cream.
- Serve the soup with added cream and parsley.
- Cut the veggies into the same size. So they cook more evenly.
- Add more liquid if the soup is too thick. Do this incrementally until you’re satisfied with the consistency.
- Break the asparagus. To remove the proper amount of woody stem, bend the asparagus. The point where it breaks will tell you where the chewy part of the stem begins, so you can discard it.
- Don’t overcook the asparagus. Overcooked asparagus can become mushy and lose its flavor. Cook the asparagus until it’s tender but still has some bite.
- Add a touch of citrus. A squeeze of lime or lemon juice will give it some zing that takes it up a notch.
Flavor variations
One of the best things about this soup recipe is how easy it is to customize. Here are some ideas:
- Add protein. You can add shredded chicken, lentils, bacon, or any protein of your choice to increase the heartiness of this soup.
- Make it spicy. Add cayenne pepper to the veggies as they sauté, or blend the soup with a few dashes of hot sauce.
- Add veggies. Pureed soups are the perfect chance to pack in more veggies. You can add spinach, sautéd carrots, or zucchini to this soup.
- Make the soup creamier. While we only add a touch of cream at the end, double the amount of cream for an even creamier soup.
- Use onion. While leeks are preferred, onions can be substituted in a pinch.
Storage instructions
To store: Stored in an airtight container, asparagus soup will stay fresh for up to 5 days.
To freeze: Freeze asparagus soup in portions for easy thawing and to avoid food waste. Transfer the cooled soup into airtight containers or freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat: Transfer the leftovers to a pot and reheat it on low-medium heat. Stir occasionally and add more stock or water if needed.
More soup recipes to try
Frequently asked questions
Your asparagus soup may be stringy if you didn’t thoroughly blend the soup or if you left on too much of the woody part of the stem. Use the snap-and-bend method to make sure you discard all of the tough stems.
While the tough ends of asparagus stalks aren’t particularly tasty, you can boil them for 20-30 minutes. This will help to tenderize them, though the stems of larger spears of asparagus will be too tough to eat, regardless of how long you boil them.
Yes! There is no flour or ingredients that contain gluten in them.
Aim to use asparagus with bright green stalks that are firm to the touch. Avoid any stalks that are limp, soft, or discolored. Thicker stalks will have a more intense flavor and texture, while thinner stalks will be more tender.
Yes! This soup works well with frozen asparagus; however, be sure to thaw it out completely to avoid adding extra moisture.
Swap out the cream for coconut milk or coconut cream for a vegan asparagus soup.
Cream Of Asparagus Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 leek thinly sliced
- 1 large potato peeled and finely sliced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 bunches asparagus trimmed and chopped
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup heavy cream plus more to serve
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leek, potato, and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until leek softens.
- Add the wine, salt, and pepper, and bring to the boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 minutes or until wine reduces by half. Add the asparagus and chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until potato and asparagus are tender. Remove from heat. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly.
- Transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Return to a clean saucepan and place over medium heat and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until heated through. Add the cream and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
- Distribute the soup amongst bowls and serve with extra cream.
Notes
Nutrition
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Can the cream be substituted for a healthier option
Thank you
Helen