Asparagus Soup
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Rich and creamy Asparagus Soup on the table in 30 minutes – made with whole asparagus spears, shredded parmesan, and a hint of lemon!
For more delicious soup recipes, head on over to my posts for Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Parmesan Tortellini Soup, Easy Creamy Potato Soup, Split Pea Soup, and Creamy Butternut Squash Soup.
Why This Recipe Works
Perfect cold-weather soup — This asparagus soup recipe is about to be your new best cold-weather friend. If its beautiful, bright green-yellow color isn’t enough to get you on board, just wait til you hear that there’s parmesan cheese and a hint of lemon in that soup. Warm, cheesy, pretty, delicious — what more could you ask for?
Great for leftovers — You may want to double this asparagus soup recipe because it’s sooo yummy as leftovers. It heats up well in the microwave but I think it is a little bit better when heated up on the stove. In addition, if you have leftover asparagus or asparagus you need to use up, well, this soup is great for that too!
Cheesy goodness — You know what’s great in vegetable soup? Cheese of course! And, not just any cheese but nutty, deep, rich, delicious parmesan cheese. There’s not a lot of cream in this soup so adding the parmesan really helps elevate the creaminess. (Add more on top after portioning into soup bowls if you want even more cheesy goodness.)
Lemon — Add lemon juice for a wonderful brightness and subtle tanginess that pairs perfectly with the asparagus and parmesan. I like to include lemon wedges on the side in case anyone wants an extra squeeze of lemon juice in their soup before eating.
Ingredients
Asparagus Spears — I use medium-sized asparagus spears. If you can only find small, skinny stems, you may want to buy two bunches just in case to make sure you have enough asparagus to make this cream of asparagus soup as flavorful as it can be.
Lemon — Fresh lemon juice is best in this soup but if you only have bottled, that’s okay too.
Milk — For this recipe you can either use milk or fat free half & half, depending on how creamy you’d like the soup to be. The thicker the dairy, the thicker the soup.
Here’s How You Make It
- Melt the butter in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the diced white or yellow onion and the minced garlic and sauté them both in the butter for a couple minutes or until the onions are translucent and tender. (photos 1-2)
- Add in the asparagus, fresh lemon juice, and broth, bring the soup to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer, allowing it to cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender. (photos 3-5)
- Blend the soup either by transferring it to a blender for blending and then back to the stock pot or using an immersion blender right in the soup. (photos 6-7)
- After blending, add in the milk, cheese, salt, and pepper and stir the soup until the parmesan is completely melted and incorporated. Top with additional parmesan cheese and another squeeze of lemon if desired. (photos 8-10)
Frequently Asked Questions
Larger asparagus stems can taste more on the bitter end, which is why it’s best to go with medium-sized stems if you can find them. If your asparagus is on the larger end, be sure to snap off the rough bottom part of the stems and/or peel some of the tough outer layers of the bottom of the stems before cooking.
– I don’t know about you but I love a good soup and salad combo. From a simple salad to a more elaborate one, like my Kale Salad, nothing complements a soup like a salad…except…
– Okay adding a sandwich with soup is pretty darn good too. (Like this Healthy Chicken Salad Sandwich)
– If you love a side of crusty, soft, warm bread, may I suggest my Olive Garden Breadsticks?
– If you like bread with a little texture, try my super moist cornbread.
– Finally, I’ve found that a lovely baked potato is great with this soup as well!
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Whether you are using milk or half and half, it’s best to let it come to room temperature before making the soup to help prevent it from curdling. (If you forget or don’t have time, that’s okay, the soup will still taste great, it just may not be as smooth in texture as you’d like.)
- This soup will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. (Although it’s best the first couple of days after you make it.)
- If you’re using a blender to blend up the soup, do it carefully as the soup is very hot. Also, let the lid of the blender vent as you blend to let steam escape. Then, of course, pour the soup back into the pot carefully as well.
More Recipes
- Roasted Asparagus
- Air Fryer Asparagus
- One Pan Garlic Herb Chicken and Asparagus
- Herb Butter Salmon and Asparagus Foil Packs
Did you make this recipe? FANTASTIC. Please rate the recipe below and be sure to tag me on social when you share a photo on social – I love seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
Asparagus Parmesan Soup
Ingredients
- 2 pounds asparagus spears, chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ white or yellow onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- juice of ½ medium lemon
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup milk , I used fat free half & half, (see note)
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons salt , (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a large stock pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes until onions are translucent and tender. Add asparagus, lemon juice, and chicken/vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes until asparagus is very tender.
- Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Transfer back to stock pot.
- Add milk, cheese, salt, and pepper and stir until cheese is completely melted and incorporated. Serve with additional parmesan cheese as desired – enjoy!
Notes
- Whether you are using milk or half and half, it’s best to let it come to room temperature before making the soup to help prevent it from curdling. (If you forget or don’t have time, that’s okay, the soup will still taste great, it just may not be as smooth in texture as you’d like.)
- This soup will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. (Although it’s best the first couple of days after you make it.)
- If you’re using a blender to blend up the soup, do it carefully as the soup is very hot. Also, let the lid of the blender vent as you blend to let steam escape. Then, of course, pour the soup back into the pot carefully as well.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I make ahead and freeze?
Hi Ed- I personally haven’t done that with this recipe but I don’t see why not!!
Very tasty and easy. I used unsweetened almond milk!!!
Best asparagus soup ever! WOW, an explosion of flavors for the palate! I added a splash of white wine, omitted the salt, used my immersion blender (LOVE IT), and added fresh ground pepper. OMG! Thank you, thank you thank you!!! My first time making asparagus soup simply because it needed to be used, and it didn’t seem fresh enough for the usual recipes. Since I have trouble throwing away food, I opted to make soup. SO glad I did!
I fixed this for dinner today and it was FANTASTIC! I didn’t have half and half on hand so I used evaporated milk.
I made a version of this recipe tonight that was so delicious!! I may post the version I made on my blog, if I do, I will be sure to link back to here for the original recipe. Thank You for sharing!!
I made this mostly according to your recipe. Had a big bunch of asparagus that really needed to be cooked up. I adjusted slightly just due to what I had on hand. Used about 1/2 as much cheese and added some fresh thyme. It was super delicious…. Really fresh tasting. I made it for dinner on its own. But, would be a great starter soup. What a delicious way to eat more veggies. Thanks for the recipe.
Since I had everything on hand, I figured I would make this soup. I was very skeptical at first, especially with how few reviews the recipe had. It turned out absolutely amazing! I will definitely be making this again. I topped with crumbled bacon and served with a garlic loaf. Delish!
Maybe invest in a good stick or immersion blender and eliminate the need for transferring hot liquid to blender and back. I make broccoli soup and butternut squash soup this same way.
I want to seriously eat a big bowl of this weekly over Fall. It sounds and looks incredible!
Thanks Matt! I’m SO on board with fall soups right now.
This is worth trying!