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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I just finished making this and found it a little “flat” tasting even after the lemon juice. I added a teaspoon of powdered chicken boullion as well as a couple of teaspoons of white balsamic vinegar. The combination added a bit more flavor (salt as well as msg), and also amped up the acidity. I found they made the soup really pop.
This is such a wonderful simple yet delicious soup, it really tastes like spring and doesn’t feel heavy at all!
This was lovely the lemon really added a pop! And the parm gave it a subtle salty creaminess.
Question…how big is a “serving”, or how many cups/quart/liters does this recipe yield?
Comment…why can’t I just make it and find out? Because I’m getting the asparagus tomorrow (on sale for .99/lb!), and want to can as much as I can to have it throughout the year (and give it as food gifts 🙂 My freezer space is ‘all used up’.
Thank you!
(and yes, of course, I’ll leave the parmesan out when I can it – and add it when I warm/serve the soup)
Hi Kristi, That’s a great price for asparagus! I would guesstimate that a serving of this would be about 2 cups. Hope you enjoy!
This is a very good healthy soup. As usual, Jenn has given us a wonderful canvas to work with but the soup is excellent as is. I get the feeling she spends more time testing her recipes than most people or organizations who cater to cooks. Thank you.
Simple and fantastic!! Made it once and we’ve decided it will be an ongoing staple in this house. My brother came over and had some and went home with the recipe!
I’ve printed this out and made it a few times. it is fantastic!! Thank y ou!
I have made this soup multiple times and it always turns out great! It’s super easy, healthy and very tasty. It was fantastic by itself or paired with grilled cheese sandwiches. I also served this with the kale salad attached to the recipe (also delicious). Would love to know if your have other similar soup recipes.
Glad you like it, Lourdes! This post has a number of other soups that may appeal to you. Also, feel free to browse through all my soup recipes to supplement what you see.
I first tasted this soup January 2021 when I contracted Covid. I lost my sense of taste and smell but loved the texture. I am making this almost weekly since the cold weather hit. Its so simple and freezes well. Thank you!!
Jenn, a basic cooking question. Sorry! If I saute the garlic with the onion at the same time, how do I avoid browning the garlic? Sauteing at medium low?
No worries at all! Yes, if you see the garlic starting to brown, just reduce the heat a little.
I ended up sauteing the onion first and then adding the garlic right at the end. It worked well, because I chop my garlic super fine and it would be too brown by the time the onions were done.