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.
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.
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Wonderful recipe!! Very flavorful yet light and refreshing!! Made exactly as the recipe is written. Will definitely be making this again, and again…..
So glad I found this recipe! The fresh lemon brightens up the flavor significantly. I used vegetable broth instead of chicken because that’s what I always have in the pantry and I actually used the grated parmesan and lemon juice as part of the garnish rather than stirring it in so I could do the same with the leftovers and get that fresh taste every time. I added a Parmesan rind when I added the chopped asparagus and broth and removed it before pureeing the soup.
I have been making this recipe for several years. It is superb. I make this for several asparagus-loving friends & they all rave. Can’t wait for asparagus season to begin.
Prior to making your recipe I’ve been making another for decades that I like a lot. That’s now history now that I’ve made yours! It’s superb, plus it has the added benefit of achieving the consistency I prefer by a longer simmer and not having to add any cream. The only changes I made was to reduce the broth to 5 cups and a bit more lemon juice. The next time I might throw in a parmesan rind while boiling the asparagus. Thanks for another winner!
I used a Parmesan rind when boiling the asparagus. Delectable!!
Was apprehensive this was not a cream of asparagus. Surprise! This was delicious, even my husband who’s not fond of asparagus anything, loved this soup. Yay! It’s a keeper. Thank you.
This is so easy and SOOOOOOOOO delish!!!!~. Thank you for this and even the non-asparagus foodies will like it!!!
Jenn,
I love love love ! this soup. I have made it maybe 6 times now and have shared it with every one I know. One of my friends Robin, loves it and she makes it all the time also!
I recently tried your creamy tortilla soup and omg ! So good ! My husband and I like it with out chicken in it and I put plenty of toppings on it, a spoon of sour cream , avocado chunks, cilantro , and some Mexican cheese , So good Robin loved it also !!!
Holy CRAP.
Went to the store today and they had asparagus on sale cheaper than I’ve seen in 15 years – I bought 3 bunches and found this recipe…
Usually recipes like this are meh – but WOW.
I used a whole garlic bulb and 2 big onions because I love those flavors – and tied up a bunch of thyme to simmer during the half hour…
This was an insane soup that I’m going to make OFTEN.
The addition of lemon and an herb of your choice is a very nice addition to what is a pretty standard soup. I use leeks and shallots rather than yellow onion, but I am sure the later tastes just fine. Thanks Jenn, more great ideas from my favorite online cooking blogger!
Can add to the glowing reports from everyone else. 5stars + added some potatoes to extend the soup, and it worked beautifully. Recipe is perfect as it though.
Easy, healthy and delicious. THANKS!!!