Asparagus Soup

I know I’m supposed to live in the moment, but I am always looking forward to spring (and all the delicious produce that comes with it!) This budget-friendly Asparagus Soup is light and creamy yet fresh and bright—it’s springtime in a bowl! You can use fresh asparagus while it’s in season, but frozen works just as well the rest of the year. I love to serve it as a light lunch with crusty bread or as a simple starter for a spring dinner!

All recipes are rigorously tested in our Nashville Test Kitchen to ensure they are easy, affordable, and delicious. “Why wasn’t I already making this recipe? it’s so so tasty and a fun alternative use of asparagus beyond sauteing it in a pan.

My only complaint is the method makes only about 3 bowls so I will def be doubling it next time.”

Easy Recipe for Asparagus Soup

This asparagus soup method is deliciously fresh, creamy, and easy to make.

I sauté asparagus and green onions before simmering them in vegetable broth with a squeeze of lemon for brightness. Then, most of the soup is blended until smooth with cream cheese (and spinach for some added nutrients!), but I always reserve some asparagus and green onion to stir in at the end for a bit of texture.

Finish each bowl with a sprinkle of Parmesan, and you’ve got a delicious homemade soup that will knock ANY canned soup out of the water!

Asparagus Soup Recipe

- 1 bunch asparagus* ($3.67)

- 3 green onions, 1 reserved for garnish ($0.32) - 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.21) - ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.08)

- ½ tsp garlic powder ($0.03) - ½ tsp onion powder ($0.03)

- 3 cups vegetable broth** ($0.30) - 2 Tbsp lemon juice, typically half a lemon ($0.29) - ¼ cup fresh parsley ($0.13)

- ¼ cup cream cheese ($0.48) - ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated ($0.15)

- Wash and trim asparagus, if needed.* Chop the prepped asparagus. - Chop green onion, reserving one for garnish.

I mince this reserved green onion a bit finer than the others that will be cooked with my asparagus. - Toss asparagus and 2 of the green onions with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small stock pot. - Sauté in stock pot for about 8 minutes on medium heat until asparagus are bright green.

Reserve a few spears worth of cooked asparagus to chop for garnish!! I kept ¼ cup off to the side.

- Next, add vegetable broth and lemon juice and bring everything to a simmer on medium low. - Mince parsley and gather the reserved asparagus and green onion. Dice the asparagus a little smaller so you get some pieces in every bite of your otherwise smooth soup!

- Remove asparagus from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Then, add to blender with cream cheese, spinach, and half of the parsley.

- Blend until completely smooth. - Return to stock pot with dill, remaining parsley, reserved green onion, and reserved asparagus.

- Whisk everything together to combine. Taste to adjust salt and pepper as needed. (I find bouillon to be salty enough where I don’t need to add much extra salt!) Simmer on medium-low for 5 more minutes. - Serve hot with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Information

how to make Asparagus Soup step-by-step photos Gather all of your components.

Prep the asparagus: Wash and trim 1 bunch of asparagus, if needed. I cut off any woody ends that are too tough to cook properly. If any of the spears are more tender from tip to end, I will simply use a vegetable peeler to remove some of the skin from the end to make sure it cooks consistently and isn’t chewy.

Now, chop the asparagus into smaller pieces. Chop the green onions: Chop up 3 green onions, but reserve one for garnish.

Mince the reserved green onion finely and set it aside for now. Sauté the veggies: Add the chopped asparagus and green onions (minus the minced green onion you have set aside) to a small stock pot.

Toss them with 1 Tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp garlic powder, and ½ tsp onion powder. Sauté the seasoned asparagus and green onion in the stock pot for about 8 minutes over medium heat until the asparagus turns bright green.

Remove some of the asparagus from the pot and set it aside (I reserved ¼ cup off to the side). Simmer: Add 3 cups vegetable broth and 2 Tbsp lemon juice to the stock pot with the sautéed asparagus and green onions. Bring everything to a simmer over medium-low heat.

Prep the garnishes: While you wait for the soup to come to a simmer, mince ¼ cup parsley and gather the reserved minced green onion and asparagus. Dice the asparagus a little smaller so you get some pieces in every bite of your otherwise smooth soup!

Blend the soup: Remove the asparagus from the heat and allow it to cool for 5 minutes (this is VERY key since the steam from the hot liquid can expand in the blender and cause the lid to come loose! Be sure to cool it for 5 minutes first). Once cooled, add the contents of the stock pot to the blender with ¼ cup cream cheese, 1 cup spinach, and half of the minced parsley.

Blend the soup until completely smooth. Finish the soup: Add the blended soup back to your stock pot with 1 tsp dill, the remaining parsley, the reserved minced green onion, and the reserved chopped asparagus. Whisk to combine and adjust the salt and black pepper to taste.

Simmer your asparagus soup over medium-low for 5 more minutes. Serve it hot with a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

A note on blending hot soups

I blend the majority of my asparagus soup to give it a creamy, smooth, velvety texture, but you do have to take care when blending hot liquids. It’s very important that you let your soup cool for 5 minutes before adding it to the blender.

NEVER fill your blender with a hot liquid you’ve taken straight off the stove. The steam can cause pressure to build up in the blender and may cause the lid to pop off (which could lead to a hot, messy disaster!).

Let your soup cool a bit before blending, and blend in batches if you have a small blender.

Serving Suggestions

Along with the shredded Parmesan, I sometimes drizzle a little olive oil on top of each bowl.

A few toasted pine nuts would as well be delicious! And, as I mentioned earlier, this soup is amazing with crusty bread.

I usually go for a simple baguette, sourdough, or focaccia. I as well like to serve it with a fresh salad, such as a caprese salad.

The fresh mozzarella and basil add a nice contrast to the warm, creamy asparagus soup! A classic chicken club sandwich would make this a more substantial meal, too.

Storage & Reheating

Once cooled, store this fresh asparagus soup in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop, stirring occasionally until heated through.

As this recipe contains cream cheese, there’s a chance your soup will separate if frozen and then thawed. If you really want to freeze it, portion it into individual freezer-safe containers and freeze it for up to 3 months.

Let it thaw in the fridge before reheating.