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
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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Very good and healthy soup! I used chicken bone broth and also added a couple of potatoes to thicken it a bit. Used my immersion blender only. Topped with homemade croutons and sour cream.
Ok, so I never leave reviews for recipes … until now! It was simply sublime. I tried this recipe this past summer when I had fresh local asparagus that I meant to pickle but couldn’t find an ingredient and I didn’t want it all to go to waste. For the most part, made it as written. I don’t have an immersion blender so I let it cool a bit then transferred to my Vitamix and pureed the living daylights out of it. Didn’t need to strain it. I tasted it and decided it was perfect as it was, no lemon juice or parmesan needed, I just topped it with some slivered almonds and a dash of cayenne pepper. I froze the leftover soup for some quick warm meals during our cold New England winter, knowing I’d thank my summer self for thinking ahead. But I pulled it out of the freezer the next day for lunch. And the next day as well. Now I know I must put it in my basement freezer– out of sight– if I want to reserve any for a later day 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this; it is now a permanent recipe in my write-in recipe book from my late mother.
I actually made this last night! I had a pound of asparagus that I needed to use but I was craving soup – put the two together and found this recipe! The word DELICIOUS does not do it justice and I wasn’t even sure if I would like it! Easy-to-follow recipe but the included step-by-step pictures make it fool-proof. I added some red pepper flake to mine, a pinch of rosemary, a little extra lemon juice and black pepper, sautéed the tips instead of boiling them and skipped the ice bath all together. I also resisted the urge to add cream. It doesn’t need it! I love cheese but I don’t think it needs much parmesan either when I’m usually tempted to add more. One criticism: I felt it was a bit thin so next time I’ll add less broth. I topped it off with a generous handful of Ritz crackers and a drizzle of olive oil and I was good to go! Highly recommend this recipe.
This soup is like a warm hug on a chilly and rainy early spring day. I first made this soup back in April when the asparagus was in season (and not going for $5.99/lb like it is now!). I admit that I was skeptical that it could taste as creamy as it does with only parmesan cheese as its thickener. Was I pleasantly surprised! We had it two nights in a row (and there wasn’t any left!) Not only does it taste fresh and light, but also it’s incredibly easy to put together, even on a weeknight. My husband and I have been trying to eat healthier and that means avoiding butter/cream/etc., so I substituted olive oil for the butter and it was delicious! Goes great with a crunchy baguette, but I’m going to experiment with adding some sauteed scallops, make an asparagus-scallop bisque, if you will!
I’ve just seen this recipe in the sidebar section within your “Peach Cake” posting. This is a slightly time sensitive question for a dinner I am making in 2 days for a night at the Hollywood Bowl. I would love to get your opinion if this soup might be eaten chilled. Thank you so much.
Hi Jeff! I do think this soup would be delicious cold :).
We loved this. This is only the second of your recipes I’ve tried. I’ve made your White Bean Chili maybe 10 times and it is always a hit. This one was also splendid. Asparagus was on sale so I made a whole pot of soup for about $7. I’d go 4.5 stars on this one and will make it again. Endless marvels!
This soup is absolutely amazing! Thank you so much.
Wow. Super flavorful, creamy, and bright. I HAD to comment on this recipe. Absolutely amazing. I bought a bunch of Asparagus from Costco and had no idea how I was going to use it up, and I stumbled across the recipe…this will be my go to.
I added a pinch of red pepper flakes to the cooking veggies, used shaved Parmesan instead of grated, which I tossed in the blender along with a little lemon zest. I thought I would have to throw in a splash of heavy cream, but I’m glad I didn’t have to, it’s perfect as is. Thank you!
Okay, I made this soup and it’s delicious. Forget those recipes with cream, just added calories. Why ruin soup with cream when you can taste the asparagus, light flavor of lemon and if you like, add the Parmesan cheese , but not too much. Won’t be disappointed.
Very good soup! I liked the fact that it is creamy without using heavy cream. I used fresh, young asparagus and strained it as recommended (after using my stick blender). Added toasted pistachios and croutons before serving.
I loved the freshness of this soup, the lemon really brightens the flavor of the asparagus and the parmesan gives the broth some substance. I added a little red pepper (chipiltipin) because I wanted it to have a tiny kick, but I know that’s not for everyone.