Asparagus Soup with Lemon and Parmesan
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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.
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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.
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Sorry to say that I did not care for this. My husband and son ended up eating it after they stirred back in the leftovers from my carefully pressed asparagus. This batch of asparagus was crisp and fresh, but the combination of the lemon and the Parmesan was a bit tangy. Maybe I was too conservative on the herbs and garlic? Willing to give it another try with suggestions…
Hi Jane, Sorry the soup didn’t work out. You might try leaving out the lemon if it is too tangy for you.
I made this soup and served it cold (after conferring with Jenn) for my niece’s shower. It was a total hit!
This was a tasty soup and a great healthy dish. I ended up with way too many asparagus tips so ended up just snacking on them the next day.
Would roasting the asparagus bring out more of the asparagus flavor? Would you recommend that?
Hi Elisa, In most cases I agree that it’d be best to roast or grill asparagus to bring out the flavor but I wouldn’t do it for this recipe. It can get a little oily when prepared that way, and blanching the asparagus keeps the flavor clean, which works nicely with the creamy vinaigrette. Hope that helps!
This has become my favorite soup! I have made it three times already and has become a staple in the lunch that I bring to work! I can’t say enough good things about it. I especially love that there is no cream yet it is so creamy. I’ve shared it with numerous people and they all love it too.
We have tons of asparagus in season right now and this is one of the best recipes I’ve found. I had my mother-in-law over for dinner the other night and she raved about this soup. I loved that it was so simple and easy to make!
We love this recipe. It’s creamy but not heavy, and the flavor is wonderful. Easy to make and delicious!
This soup is superb. I loved it so much the first time I made it that I made it again the following week– double batch. Shared with neighbors who also think it is divine.
Sublime! Perfect for May in DC as asparagus is all over the farmers markets!
I made this soup last week also using a Cuisinart immersion blender. It pureed the asparagus to silk and I did not have to strain (although this was only the third time I had used the blender, so the blades are still fresh). It is called the Cuisinart Smart Stick with 200-watt motor.
Sadly, I just finished the last of the soup for lunch today. I can’t wait to make it again!