Asparagus Soup with Lemon and Parmesan
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
This asparagus soup tastes rich, yet it’s made without heavy cream – just veggies, broth, and a bit of Parmesan cheese puréed to silky perfection.
One of my favorite soup recipes, this creamy asparagus soup is made without heavy cream—just vegetables, broth, and a bit of Parmesan cheese puréed to silky perfection. It’s perfect for early spring when asparagus is in peak season and there’s still a chill in the air. Serve with a focaccia or a good artisan bread.
What you’ll need To Make Asparagus Soup
How To Make Asparagus Soup
Begin by melting the butter in a large pot. Add the onions and garlic. Cook until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.
While that’s going, prep the asparagus. Trim off the tips (you’ll use them for a garnish), then cut the remaining spears into 1/2-inch pieces.
Add the chopped asparagus to the pot, along with the chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are very tender. Purée the soup with a hand-held immersion blender until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, you can blend the soup in batches in a blender.
Return the soup to the pot and stir in the fresh lemon juice and grated Parmesan cheese.
Finally, cook the asparagus tips in salted boiling water for a few minutes until tender-crisp.
The best way to preserve the bright green color of the tips and keep them crisp is to shock them in an ice bath, but you can also refresh the tips under cold running water.
Finally, ladle the soup into bowls and top with the asparagus tips, Parmesan cheese, fresh herbs (if using), and freshly ground black pepper.
More Spring Soups You May like
Asparagus Soup with Lemon and Parmesan
Ingredients
- 2 bunches asparagus (about 2¼ pounds/1 kg), bottom ends trimmed
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from one lemon
- ½ cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Handful fresh herbs, such as thyme, dill or basil (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Do not brown; reduce the heat if necessary.
- In the meantime, cut the tips off of one bunch of the asparagus and set aside (you'll use those for a garnish). Cut the remaining spears and the other bunch of asparagus into ½-inch (13-mm) pieces.
- Add the chopped asparagus to the pot (minus the reserved tips), along with the chicken broth, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender.
- Meanwhile, bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the reserved asparagus tips for a few minutes, or until tender-crisp. Drain the tips and then place them in a bowl of ice water to "shock" them—this stops the cooking process and preserves their bright green color. Once the tips are cool, drain them and set aside.
- Purée the soup with an immersion blender until completely smooth. (Alternatively, use a standard blender to purée the soup in batches, then return the soup to the pot.) Bring the soup back to a simmer and stir in the lemon juice and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. To thicken the soup, allow it to simmer, uncovered, until the desired consistency is reached.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, then top each bowl with asparagus tips, Parmigiano-Reggiano, herbs (if using), and freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
See more recipes:
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
This was so good and easy! I added the tops to the soup and allowed to simmer for a bit on low and they cooked on their own while keeping a tad bit of bite. I also added a touch of 2% milk and allowed it to cook down. It really helped with the consistency. Will be making again but doubling the recipe!
Excellent recipe. This is the first time I have ever commented on a recipe on any website. It was that good. Husband made soup using immersion blender and Meyer lemons. He also used homemade chicken stock.
I loved this soup and brought some over for my neighbor and she raved about it. I gave all credit to Jenn. Thanks!!!! It’s SO good – love the hint of lemon.
Although fresh asparagus would be better, I know, but can frozen asparagus be used instead of fresh ? What would be the outcome using frozen asparagus
Hi Toni, Yes, you could get away with using frozen asparagus.
Excellent!
I didn’t have enough asparagus so I added celery. I also cooked the tips with rest of the veggies.
Here’s what a coworker wrote after she tried some I made. “That soup was awesome! I almost licked the bowl. Can I have the recipe?”
My response was, Thanks. It’s an old family recipe I found on the internet Monday night. I did not strain it through a screen and added a few fresh basil leaves while the asparagus boiled. It helps to be able to go out in the yard and pick a lemon off a tree. 🙂 I also sautéed the spears that were held back in butter instead of water.
Had a couple of bunches of semi withered asparagus and made this soup. Great recipe. Thanks
Mike
Since I am pureeing the asparagus, can I use the whole stem or does it still need to be broken off?
Patti, I think you could probably get away with using the whole spear, but if you feel any particularly woody ends, I would discard those.
I used all but the hardest part of any stems. I did not have much waste. I have a ninja blender so I didn’t have to strain it.
I usually love your recipes but didn’t like this one. It took me a long time to pass the soup through a sieve and the soup didn’t turn out creamy. I had to add some cream to it. It tasted fine.
Next time I will try using the blender instead.
This is fantastic all on its own! I did not strain it and it was smooth and creamy after after pureeing in a standard blender. It needed nothing added or modified, which is really rare for me to say. I almost always modify recipes, but Jen’s are usually an exception! It was delicious after 3 days in the refrigerator.