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.
You may also like
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- Spring Pea and Basil Soup
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.
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
- 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 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.
- 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
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- 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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This is really, really good! I like that doesn’t have cream in it. And the cheese and Parmesan makes it a little less asparagusy! I will definitely make again!
Loved this. I added lemon zest also. I will try switching parmesan with ricotta next time for a variation. I did find the soup stringy, even after blending, but that points to my asparagus, not the recipe! I added some savoury thyme on the top for serving & blended the parmesan into the soup. A nice alteration would be to use cauliflower for creaminess also.
Excellent soup. Not too asparagusy yet balanced with parmesan.
Simple, fairly quick recipe was good for a work night with a good grainy buttered bread. I was just cooking for 2 so I just cooked and blended the tips with the rest. We are vegetarian so replaced the chicken broth with veggie. I also zested the lemon before juicing and added to the onions. As always this is my go-to blog for dinner ideas. Thank you!
This soup was AMAZING! I halved the recipe and there was more than enough for two people, since we also had a side salad. The only changes I made were to add a little more garlic and, instead of chicken broth, I added chicken Better Than Bouillon (which, in my opinion, enhances everything I use it in). I also put a dollop of sour cream on the top after putting it in bowls. My husband went crazy over the soup.
I love that I was able to put this soup in the refrigerator after blending it, so I could cook it later and add the lemon and cheese after heating it up. So easy and convenient! Thank you!
What a delicious soup. We bought a huge bunch of asparagus on our way home from Eastern Washington. The soup is delicious and the lemon juice gives a nice taste
Really delicious soup that I am definitely making again! I think you need to reduce the soup a bit to have the asparagus tips stay suspended, but it didn’t affect the taste. I also enjoyed adding some mixed seeds on top as a garnish for some crunch. Beautiful recipe, thanks!
Super simple and delicious! I didn’t bother using the tips as a garnish since it was only for me.
I used my own chicken bone broth that already had lemon in it so I didn’t add more. Really flavorful and so healthy!
Only changes were olive oil instead of butter and no salt (low salt diet) and, since I hate to waste things, I zested the lemon and added it too. Halved the recipe (just 2 of us) and it was perfect. Just enough salt from the cheese and a nice, bright lemony tint. Even with the zest it was perfect. My wife says it’s the best she ever had. Can’t wait to make it again.
Simple and clean. Loved it!
Perfect Springtime recipe when asparagus is at its optimum. Rich tasting but without cream or milk. Had better luck with the blender then with immersion blender For complete smoothness. Good Parmesan cheese is essential. Family loved it. Thank you, Jenn.
So…..if someone else made this soup for me I would swear it had cream in it. This soup is a keeper! Easy, healthy and SO good! I used the immersion blender and it was super creamy! Thank you for this healthy recipe!
This recipe is soooo good and very easy. I’ve made it three times already and am about to start number four.
This is the best asparagus soup I’ve ever had . If you doubt me, believe my son with autism who won’t eat any veggies. Even knowing it contained a vegetable, he gave it a 9/10. It made my taste buds AND my heart happy. I did have to substitute asiago as I was out of parmesan.
This is a lovely soup – easy to make and delicious. The little tip about using the spears for garnish was appreciated. I always fall down when it comes to the final step – presentation – and this didn’t require extreme dexterity with a sharp knife and a huge amount of time – so I was able to do the task. Thanks. Another great keeper recipe for my files..
This is the second time I’m making this soup and it’s fantastic! Last time, my fiance and I ate the whole pot on the first night.
Thanks so much for this delicious, easy recipe. I scaled it down for 1 bunch of asparagus since I am the only one eating it. I will be making the FULL recipe the next time. I didnt have any fresh grated parm on hand, but I am never without the rinds from the cheese pieces in my freezer. I threw that in at the beginning and just blitzed it in at the end. Scrumptious!! Thanks again!
Jenn,
We cannot get enough of this delicious soup! Asparagus has been so good, plentiful and inexpensive this spring….I have been preparing your recipe over and over. No cream means
we can eat as much and as often as we desire…which is frequently.
The only addition I make is a pinch of nutmeg, just because we like it, not because the recipe needs it.
Thank you for all of your great recipes!
I’d love to try this soup, as everything I’ve EVER made from OnceUponAChef has been a hit. (I tell everyone I know about this site!) Only thing is I’m now a vegan (13 months and counting)…are suggestions on a substitution for the parmesan? I noticed you have a zucchini soup recipe that uses walnuts to thicken the soup. Would that be a good workaround? Thanks for any advice you can give!
So glad you like the recipes, CC! It’s fine to omit the cheese here – you’ll still really enjoy it!
I just made this soup tonight as I had lovely spring asparagus. I only had about a pound with 2 bunches, so I added the balance in broccoli. I used salted butter to soften the onions with the garlic but I had no salt chicken stock, so I added Kosher salt to taste along with some ground corriander. I took the advice of 2 comments and added a little extra lemon juice and some fresh dill which totally put this over the top for me! It’s a 10 in my book! Thanks for another great soup recipe Jenn! I will definitely be making more of this and your other pea soup recipe as more asparagus and sweet spring peas come in.
I have made this soup numerous times and it is so perfectly balanced and flavourful. One of my all time favourite soups.
Terrific. If it didn’t turn out well you probably didn’t do it right.
This recipe is really delicious! I made it the day after Easter with leftover asparagus. We all loved this recipe.
I made the soup exactly as the directions said. It was easy. I find that it has no flavor. I’ve added more salt and herbs with no salt but still there’s not much flavor at all. I don’t plan on making this again I’m sorry to say. My ingredients were fresh. The ends of my asparagus were cut off. Disappointment with this one.
Sounds like the quality of the asparagus was not good regardless of whether it was fresh or not,I suggest using Organic asparagus as I find it has better flavor and home made stock.
Another person is right. Organic is better tasting in this recipe. But also try washing the Asparagus off. Could have been a shipping/ storage issue.?? Fresh asparagus should snap when broken, not bend. Maybe your asparagus picked up too much moisture along the way….just a guess. Too bad, it is a really good soup.
Wow, the lemon juice sets the flavors off perfectly! Delish. Doesn’t even need the cheese, but that’s yum too.
Just made this Asparagus and lemon soup for me and ‘She who must be obeyed’. Easy-peasy recipe to follow. Stunning taste and texture. I added about 25% more lemon juice for sharpness and a drizzle of Kalamata Virgin Olive Oil for garnish. Next time I might mix Pecorino in with the Parmesan. Nothing else needs changing. Lovely recipe. Even She liked it and She’s fussy.
This is the first of this lady’s recipes that I have tried. I’m now going to spend ages looking into every nook and cranny of this website.
This was delicious and so simple to make! The lemon and parm went wonderfully together and I added a little dill which took it up a notch more. Thank you!
Hubby and I love this soup. Thanks for another great recipe.
Can you substitute olive oil instead of butter?
Sure – hope you enjoy!
It’s asparagus season and I just finished making this soup. I love how beautifully it comes together, and with such simplicity. Thank you for this!
Now, for all of the negative reviewers: while I can understand that not all palates are created equal, some of your comments need hardline replies because honestly, you don’t get much simpler than this recipe. So if it came out tasting inedible it’s most likely because you botched the recipe somewhere along the way. That, or your ingredients were simply of poor quality. If you’re complaining because the soup was “stringy”, it’s probably because you didn’t trim the asparagus correctly, or because you’re using them out-of-season and they’re just not good. All in all, if you made this and “hated it” you probably don’t even like asparagus to begin with. So, why were you even making this soup? Really, though.
Delicious Soup. Thank you for the recipe. Easy, quick and healthy. Don’t need to add salt.
Just made this soup and added baby Bella mushrooms that I needed to use up. Really delicious soup . Can’t wait to eat it with some garlic bread later.
No… just no. Uncharacteristically, I made this pretty much exactly according to the recipe. My husband and I both agreed it wasn’t bad, but it just wasn’t right. My husband said, “the soup doesn’t know what it wants to be.” The lemon juice was all wrong, especially with the parmesan. Maybe less lemon juice? I will not make this recipe again.
I followed this recipe exactly as written, topped it with a little fresh thyme, the asparagus tips and grated Parmesan, and it was fantastic. It was very easy to prepare, and perfect for a Sunday evening supper.
Not only was the recipe super easy but was also the best asparagus soup I’ve ever had! We ate ours both hot and cold & it was delicious both ways!
Awesome recipe! I leave out the salt and use low-salt or unsalted broth, and the soup still tastes great — the salt in the Parmesan cheese is all it really needs. Dried dill weed has been a good substitute for the fresh herbs.
I trim the ends by bending the lower portion of each stalk until it breaks — so no tough fibers go into the soup. Time permitting, I drop the tough ends into the broth pot.
Thank you, Jenn!
Decided to try this out. Did a half batch and it was delicious. Small issue with too many asparagus ‘hairs’.
Immediately went out and bought the ingredients for a full batch. Ran it through my vitamix 2 times intensely.
This is seriously the best soup I’ve ever tasted. Only modifications were to use 1/3 low-fat milk & 2/3 broth. Also added lots of red pepper flakes.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Easy to make. Healthy and absolutely delicious.
This soup is simply fantastic! I have sent it to everyone who tried it & loved it. So easy to make! My only alterations (because of diet) I did was I added 1 cup of defrosted peas to the soup before I pureed it and garnished it with crispy mushrooms. Love your recipes!
I really enjoyed this soup, creamy without cream, it was very easy to make. The rest of my family thought it was just ok. I will make again if I have an abundance of asparagus
I loved the flavor but the strings on the asparagus were terrible. I had to finally strain the soup through a fine strainer to make it edible. Even the hand immersion got stuck with the strings. Should I have peeled the asparagus first? Susan.
Hi Susan, I’m sorry you had such a problem with the asparagus! No, you shouldn’t need to peel them, but did you trim the bottoms?
This soup is simple to make and is absolutely delicious. Truly, it is! My singular comment would be to put in half of the lemon to begin, then increase as it suits your palate. So very good with a crusty bread.
Great recipe, Jenn, I’m making it again tonight.
I agree this is delicious and didn’t need any cream to make it silky and smooth. The lemon and parmesan added just the right touch. I added a bit of kale I had in my fridge, along with a pinch or two of dried basil and thyme, while it was cooking. Will definitely make again.
I make a lot of soup. This has become my favorite! The flavors are wonderful – with the lemon adding just the right amount of tang. It is easy, fast and delicious – what MORE could you want from any recipe?? Thank you, thank you!!
Excellent recipe. Easy to follow. Foolproof. Tasty. Thank you!
We loved this!!! So simple to make and so full of flavor we couldn’t believe there was no cream.
Divine
My family adopted this soup immediately as a favourite. Sheer admiration.
I prefer this recipe to those using heavy dairy products. I followed the recipe using Parmesan but actually prefer it without, since this cheese has a very strong flavor and tends to overpower the dish.
This is a terrific recipe. I did increase the chicken stock to 8 cups and added one medium russet potato, cubed and a leek, thinly sliced along with the asparagus because I needed enough soup for 8 people. Otherwise I followed the recipe and it was lovely, delicately flavourful, beautifully coloured and smooth textured. Yum.
Thank you!!! I have used this recipe exactly as written many times and it’s amazing. I also have adjusted it many times based on what I had on hand. Tonight it was two bunches of asparagus, two heads of broccoli and a large bunch of Kale for the green portion. The only other thing I adjusted was using three lemons from the tree. The rest of the recipe I kept as is and even with adding veggies and lemon it still tasted decadent with other given measurements. I share this recipe whenever I can because it is an absolute winner!!! Thank you!
Don’t even bother looking at other asparagus soup recipes. This is THE one. Easy, delicious and so good I eat it for breakfast.
WOW!!! This is delicious!!! So easy and very tasty. Thank you!
I love this soup. It tastes so very rich and it is so healthy! Thanks for another great recipe.