Cream of Asparagus Soup

Asparagus has so many uses, but that old standby Cream of Asparagus Soup has to be my favorite. Elegant without being intimidating, and impressive without being hard to get right. After trying this recipe just once, you’ll see what you’ve been missing if you’ve never had the homemade version before, and you’ll never go back to canned soup again!. 

Winter is Over-

For me, there are not many things that usher in the arrival of Spring quite like fresh asparagus. It’s debut this year was most welcome, after an unusually cold winter. I have always loved Cream of Asparagus Soup, and this seemed like as good a time as any to make some!

I really wanted to showcase the asparagus flavor in this recipe. This is definitely not the Cream of Asparagus soup you’ve eaten from a can, and its so easy to make! This soup has few ingredients, but I think most often it’s the simplest of dishes that shine the most.

What You Will Love About This Recipe

I think the best thing about this soup is how much flavor you can get out of so few ingredients. It’s light without leaving you hungry, but hearty without being heavy. 

Recipe Ingredients

Asparagus

I like using thin asparagus for this recipe, you don’t want anything too thick because it can have a woody texture. If you can’t find thinner asparagus, you can cut the stalks in half lengthwise before roasting them.

Roasting the Asparagus really boosts the overall flavor of this soup. Don’t skip this step! If you need to roast it ahead of time, it will store just fine in the fridge for a couple of days until you are ready to use it.

Chicken Stock

Homemade or store bought chicken stock can be used here. If you don’t have any homemade stock, it’s better to use the low sodium variety of the store bought to ensure the soup isn’t overly salty. If you want this soup to be vegetarian, a simple swap to vegetable stock is all you need. 

Shallots

Don’t substitute the delicate flavor of shallots for a stronger yellow onion here. It will overpower the other flavors. The shallots add just enough to the overall flavor profile without being too overbearing.

Heavy Cream

The cream adds a richness and rounds out the whole soup. I have not tested this recipe with any non dairy half and half, milk, or non dairy heavy cream so I am unsure how it would turn out using any of those as an alternative.

Helpful Tips for Cream of Asparagus Soup

• If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can run this through the blender to puree, just be sure to do it in batches so you don’t overload your blender.
• This soup can be pureed as smooth as you like, or you can leave it a little chunky for added texture if you prefer.
• This will keep in the refrigerator for about five days tightly covered. It reheats nicely!
• You can freeze the soup, just be sure to let it cool down first. Once cooled, place in an airtight container or good quality freezer bag and get as much air out as you can before sealing, and be sure not to overfill the freezer bag to allow for expansion as the soup freezes. Try to use it within a month for maximum freshness.
• To defrost, place a bag in the fridge to defrost there. Once it is defrosted, reheat slowly in a saucepan, stirring constantly to make sure the cream in the soup won’t curdle.

Serving Suggestions

This soup makes a wonderful light dinner served with a salad, and the addition of creme fraiche and fresh chives lend a little acidity and round out the flavor profile quite nicely. You can eat this Cream of Asparagus Soup without them, but the extra layer of flavors really make this pop.

I love to eat this with my Farro Salad with Spring Vegetables or Rigatoni Primavera. They pair really nicely together. The fresh simplicity of this soup makes it a great soup course for a dinner party too!

This recipe is easily doubled or even tripled. It makes a wonderful meal prep idea for a workday lunch. Just bring a small container to work and reheat!

You can make creme fraiche to serve with the soup, and I show exactly how in my post How to Make Creme Fraiche. It’s surprisingly easy!

I hope you enjoy this simple and lovely Cream of Asparagus Soup. If you tried this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Just leave a rating or comment below, or take a picture and tag me @thecoppertable on Instagram, pin to a board on Pinterest or share with your friends on social media! If you have not signed up for my weekly newsletter, you can do that below. I have all sorts of exclusive content just for newsletter subscribers, and I’d love for you to join. Happy Cooking!