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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Comments
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This was the perfect use for some of the tender, slender asparagus spears I picked up yesterday for $.99/lb (first harbinger of spring!). Added a carrot and a hint of dill while simmering. Pureed the solids in the Vitamin, didn’t bother to strain, and garnished with sliced hearts of palm (because I had some left over in the fridge) and green onion (because I didn’t have chives, which would have been delicious). The lemon complements the asparagus perfectly and brightens and freshens the soup! Yum!
When you give nutrient info you don’t include portion size. Since you say the soup serves 4 to 6 it begs the question what is the portion size being judged for its nutrient listing. I am a new reader but have already enjoyed several of your recipes and really appreciate you adding the nutrient info.
Hi Brooksyne, When I give a range in terms of the number of servings a dish has, I do try to specify what the nutritional info is based on (so, for example, the nutritional info here specifies that it’s for 6 servings). I do need to get better about putting serving sizes for each dish, so I will make an effort to do this with any new recipes I develop. Thanks for your feedback!
I have been enjoying your site since discovering it over a week ago and am recommending it to all my friends. Excellent and varied recipes. My husband was wild about the strawberry muffins. I appreciate your personal responses which takes a lot of your time. I am so pleased that you are planning to develop recipes that include portion size for the serving making it easier and more accurate in calculating the nutrients and calories. Thanks, Jenn.
Delicious! Definitely making this again. We used frozen asparagus and 4 cups of broth and it came out nice and thick. Flavor was spot on!
Delicious. Light and fresh but so tasty. Ideal for a dinner party first course, or cosy meal at home. I’m always searching for soup ideas and this is my favourite so far. Many thanks.
Question: I like to freeze half, when do you suggest adding the parmesan?
Glad you enjoyed it! Regarding freezing, the soup will hold up a little better if you add the cheese after you defrost it.
This is a perfect recipe as is. I exactly used the amounts and turned out to be an awesome soup. Kids loved it. I did not have the cheese so I omitted the cheese but it was still perfect.
This soup was incredible! I added the lemon rind from my lemon before I juiced it. I would consider using a potato or two next time as a healthy way to make it slightly thicker.
This recipe is foolproof. Each ingredient has its’ place and the whole is more than the sum of its parts. The first time I made it for my husband and I, I halved the recipe . . . only to regret that there wasn’t more. Now I always make a double recipe.
Now that fresh asparagus is no longer available in my area, can I use frozen? I’d like to make this for a dinner party as a starter. Thank you.
Sure, Catherine – frozen will work here. I’d love to know how it turns out. 🙂
Another fabulous recipe. Delicious.
This is a very elegant soup, I served it to dinner guests and everyone was quiet eating it cause it was so good! I love recipes that let me use my immersion blender too. Serve this in your prettiest bowls as a course all by itself, you will love the reaction!!!