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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.

Bowl of asparagus soup with lemon and parmesan.

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

Soup ingredients including chicken broth, lemon, and onion.

How To Make Asparagus Soup

Begin by melting the butter in a large pot. Add the onions and garlic.

Wooden spoon stirring onions in a Dutch oven.

Cook until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.

Dutch oven of cooked onions.

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.

Knife on a cutting board with asparagus tips.

Add the chopped asparagus to the pot, along with the chicken broth, salt, and pepper.

Chopped asparagus floating in a Dutch oven of chicken broth.

Bring to a boil.

Chicken broth boiling in a Dutch oven.

Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are very tender.

Dutch oven of simmering soup.

Purée the soup with a hand-held immersion blender until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, you can blend the soup in batches in a blender.

Immersion blender in a Dutch oven of soup.

 

Return the soup to the pot and stir in the fresh lemon juice and grated Parmesan cheese.

Grated parmesan in a Dutch oven of soup.

Finally, cook the asparagus tips in salted boiling water for a few minutes until tender-crisp.

Asparagus tips in a small pot of water.

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.

Asparagus tips in a bowl of ice and water.

Finally, ladle the soup into bowls and top with the asparagus tips, Parmesan cheese, fresh herbs (if using), and freshly ground black pepper.

Bowl of asparagus soup with lemon and parmesan.

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Asparagus Soup with Lemon and Parmesan

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.

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients

  • 2 bunches asparagus (about 2¼ pounds), 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

  1. 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.
  2. 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 pieces.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Ladle the soup into bowls, then top each bowl with asparagus tips, Parmigiano-Reggiano, herbs (if using), and freshly ground black pepper.
  7. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: You can freeze the soup for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. (The soup will freeze best if you add the cheese when reheating.)

Pair with

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (6 servings)
  • Calories: 160
  • Fat: 10 g
  • Saturated fat: 6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 10 g
  • Sugar: 3 g
  • Fiber: 2 g
  • Protein: 10 g
  • Sodium: 593 mg
  • Cholesterol: 22 mg

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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Comments

  • Wow! Absolutely delicious! I make a lot of soup and try many different recipes. This was one of the best I’ve ever made and my family agreed. It was also super easy to make and healthy. Will be making again. Thanks

  • Yummy!! So delicious!! I couldn’t resist to add some dry Sherry wine, a teaspoon of Rosemary, and and a tsp of smoked paprika. Soooo good and creamy, everyone would think you added cream. Key- make sure you allow enough time for the vegetables and Broth to cook down. That’s where the creamy texture occurs! With the lid off!

    • — SHERRY CUMMINS
    • Reply
  • Absolutely delicious! I served this with garlic toast and could not have been more pleased.It was surprising easy to make.
    I am looking forward to trying another one of your recipes soon!

  • I loved this soup! The asparagus tips remained green and delicious thanks to the cold water “shock.” I used soft goat cheese (I’m avoiding cow dairy) and it was really delicious! I’ll definitely try this recipe again! Thank you for sharing this awesome soup!

  • So good! Substituted it with veggie broth and added some Trader Joe’s umami seasoning – came out absolutely delicious!

  • This is a great recipe and healthy option for a light dinner. Fresh parm is the best to use.

  • To tell you the truth I was not a big fan of soups. I would open a can when I was in the mood. This soup and Jenn’s site changed all of that. I loved this soup! It was so easy to make and it tastes DELICIOUS! I have since made it many times and I am hoarding my last frozen quart of it as we speak. I’m thinking of Valentine’s day maybe! It really is an elegant start to any meal.

    • — Michele Roberts
    • Reply
  • First, thank you for sharing your delicious recipes. It is much appreciated. I made your asparagus soup yesterday with fresh asparagus and organic chicken broth. Once I made the soup as instructed, I decided it needed more flavor, so I added 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper. This gave it a bit of a zip as it seemed to be needing. Also, next time I make this soup, I am either going to add milk/cream to thicken it or I am going to add some pasta or meat (or both). The consistency as made per the recipe, is between a broth and a soup. I am giving the soup three stars as I think it needs more flavor and could be a bit thicker. I hope you don’t mind honest feedback since you are kind enough to share all your recipes.

  • Love this recipe and so easy. I froze asparagus when it was in season and it is wonderful to enjoy this rich fresh tasting soup on a cold winter day. An elegant soup to serve for a dinner party too. Another Soup from this website that is going on my favourite recipe list.

    • Forgot to add five stars to this review.

  • So easy and delicious! This recipe is a perfectly balanced, light fresh soup. I will make a pot and portion it out for my lunches. It leaves me satisfied and I can also log a win for the healthy category, too! Highly recommend.

  • OMG – this soup was so easy to put together and oh the flavor!! I have made this soup several times and served it to some friends who I know are don’t like asparagus. They loved it, asked for the recipe and now serve it at their get togethers! Thank you Jen!!

  • I’ve made this asparagus soup several times. DH and 2 teenage boys loved it. I didn’t make any adjustment. I was skeptical at first without cream but it’s flavorful and the cream is definitely not needed. It’s easy to make, definitely not bland and makes beautiful presentation.

  • I love love love this soup. Made it many times. Just bought more asparagus and will be making it this week. Love that it uses broth instead of cream. Thanks so much for this delish recipe.

  • This recipe is fabulous even without the parm. I like it both ways. I’ve used fresh and frozen asparagus (or a combo) which can be kept on hand. Such a healthy soup that feels more caloric than it is…. thanks Jen.

  • This soup is simple perfection. Clean, balanced, delicious.

  • OMG! My sister requests that I make this soup in place of birthday and Christmas gifts! This soup is so easy and delicious! Another winner, winner Asparagus dinner! Thank you!

  • I found this recipe during the beginning of the shut down earlier this year and it has become our household favorite soup since. I’ve made it many times with asparagus (I usually add some grated zucchini in too), but most recently swapped asparagus for broccoli (and zucchini) and it was AWESOME too. The best part for my family is that it’s not a cream based soup, as we have dairy intolerances here. Thank you for an amazing soup—I have shared it with many of my friends and family now too.

    • — Jessica Gandhi
    • Reply
  • just made this as per recipe. was fairly thin. would try a 1/2 cup less broth. my asparagus heads didn’t float. they sunk. lol. but flavorful. 🙂

    • — Bruce from Texas
    • Reply
  • Excellent! I will definitely make it again.

  • This turned out great. I cut the broth by about a 1/2 cup and used dry sherry to make up the difference in liquid.

  • Bland one-note soup. It needs the tartness of soup cream to fill out the flavor.

  • Followed your recipe exactly; delicious. I love that it is creamy w/out any cream! Thanks for sharing and Happy Holidays!

  • This is delicious! I made it exactly as you shared. Thank you!

  • Delicious! Was looking for a recipe without cream. Put everything in my Ninja and it came out so light and creamy. I added a 1/4 cup of cashews to the simmering broth and a small handful of cilantro leaves right before the purée.

    • — Teri Lucchetti
    • Reply
  • I love, love cream based soups and I promise you, you will not miss it in this soup. Fab recipe that will be in my recipe binder forever, thank-you Jenn! Make sure you only blanche the asparagus tips for about three minutes and immediately immerse in an ice bath to keep their vibrant green colour. Because I had so many tips (more than I needed for garnish) I blended the remaining tips with about a cup of the broth and put back into the soup – what you get is a prettier, very appealing to the eye, beautiful green soup – You’re welcome 🙂

  • I love this recipe! I like to add a parmesan rind with the broth. Delicious!

  • Wondering if anyone threw in some squash? I have a small acorn squash that is in the oven as we speak. The soup is cooked, just have to puree it….but would like to use the squash too. Any thoughts?

    • — Jennifer Myers
    • Reply
    • Hi Jennifer, I think it should work. You may just need to adjust the seasoning a little before serving. Enjoy!

  • Made a few adjustments, based on what we had on hand, but it turned out great! The original recipe sounded exceptional, and I’m sure it’s just as delicious if not more so. Awesome job!

  • I was looking for a puréed soup recipe to help me not waste a dozen leftover stalks (without tips) of formerly frozen asparagus spears. When I saw that peas were combined with asparagus in this recipe, I thought that could possibly be the perfect “extender” to make enough soup for two people. Even better, the combination, scaled down proportionally with the other ingredients, was a perfect blend of flavors! My only modifications were substituting a bit of shredded Parmesan for the asparagus tips garnish and substituting vegetable broth I prepared from a concentrate to avoid ending up with another leftover—a partially consumed can of chicken broth.

  • I’ve never had Asparagus soup before and I had my doubts. But this soup was awesome! I will definitely make it again.

  • I just made this soup in the Instant pot. It is absolutely delicious & so easy. I used the sauté function of the IP to till I added the broth & the asparagus. Then I closed the lid & cooked with the soup function making sure that my vent was closed. Thank you for this super easy, healthy & delicious soup🙏🏽😋

  • This by far is the nicest refreshing Asparagus Soup, I have ever made and in restaurants.
    I love the fact that there is no cream or flower in it. i will absolutely make it again and again.
    Easy to make as well. Thanks for the recipe,
    Linda Deakins Toronto Canada

  • How long would you cook this in an instant pot?

    • Hi Cara, I don’t have enough experience with it to tell you confidently whether or not/how to convert this recipe to an instant pot, so you may want to take a peek at these tips. It looks like they could be useful. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!

    • Just cook it with the soup function. I just made it in the IP..it was yummy & easy

  • Lovely soup…one of the best soups I have ever tasted. Make sure you add the garnishes as it really takes the soup up a level! Thankyou for a great recipe!

  • Delicious! I am the only person in my family who eats asparagus but I had a hankering for something made with asparagus so I tried this soup. It was easy to make and tasted so good I didn’t mind eating leftover for two days (I made only 1/2 a recipe) for lunch!!!!

  • Perfect Soup
    Added some King Prawns for protein. Drained and washed them first so not fishy. Adds a nice little surprise for the unaware.

    • — Ross Maclennan
    • Reply
  • Would white onions be okay for this dish? That’s all I have =(

    • Sure, Tanuja, that will work. Hope you enjoy!

  • someone posted to another recipe on this site that they noticed only positive reviews, which I’d noticed and questioned also. so i have taken it upon myself to try a few of the recipes on the site and i have been so pleasantly surprised. this soup was perfect – lighter without the cream, the lemon gave it a touch of brightness and it was a perfect, easy summer soup. this is the 3rd recipe on this site that I have tried and so far all three are great – simple, delicious keepers!

  • Meh..Recipe substitutes cream with 1/2 cup Parmigiano cheese, which is a lot saltier.

    Soup doesn’t have the richness of a cream based recipe.

  • Totally delicious.

    • This soup was fabulous. Major hit with the whole family including the little ones.
      Thank you!

      • — Rudresh Mahanthappa
      • Reply
  • Clare loved it!

  • I was skeptical at the sound of asparagus soup but the other reviews convinced me… and boy were they so true! I served this to guests and they all asked for the recipe. So simple and so good.

  • This soup was FABULOUS,,!!!!!

  • This was a huge hit! I took it chilled (summer solstice evening) for a first course, where we physically distanced out of doors for a lovely dinner. The soup is very easy, super healthy, and absolutely delicious. I followed the recipe without changing anything. The asparagus shines through, enhanced by the parmesan and lemon. A keeper. Thank you!

  • Adjusted a bit because we only had a pound and a half of asparagus and used only five cups of our homemade vegetable stock and still came out excellent! Will be saving this recipe and make it again!

    • — Russell Dempsey
    • Reply
  • Love, love this healthier version! It’s actually better without the cream and my entire family loves it!! Have made it several times since finding the recipe a couple of months back. Thank you!!

  • Omg this is so much better than the creamed versions of asparagus soup. I did my own version but used your basic recipe. I found some frozen wild asparagus from last year. It wasn’t enough so I had a partial turnip. I add small chopped to the recipe along with a bit of white wine. Omg this soup was delicious. Thank you so much for your recipe. It was delicious 😋

  • Wonderful soup recipe. Easy and quick with simple ingredients. I would serve this to anyone!

  • My friends and I love the soup. I had been given a bunch of asparagus and some of them were really thick and had big stalks, so I tried this recipe and used them all. It’s a light soup so it’s great in the spring and summer, too.
    I’ll definitely make this again!

  • I originally bought asparagus to pickle, but time has gotten away from me so I thought I would try this soup recipe. I was hoping to have enough for lunches this week, but my adult daughter finished off the pot when I was sleeping. She is a very fussy eater so this is a real compliment. Absolutely delicious. Thank you as I continue to be awed by your recipes.

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