Bright and Creamy Asparagus Soup (no dairy!)

 What’s not to love about asparagus soup? This one ticks all the boxes being simple, having pantry ingredients and incredibly delicious AND healthy! You don’t need to spend the whole afternoon slaving away over a pot as everything comes together quickly and wonderfully! You’ll enjoy this soup as much as I do!

Wanting to indulge in a healthy, rich and delicious asparagus soup that doesn’t have the added dairy? You’ve come to the right spot! Behold this beautiful soup that’s:

• vegan
• dairy-free
• chock full of minerals and nutrients
• flavorful and creamy

What’s so great about asparagus?

So with any vegetable really they’re always so chock full of minerals and nutrients and this one is no different. It contains potassium which is important to regulate your heart, bones, kidneys and nerve functioning. It also has asparaptine, which helps regulate your blood flow that also may help lower your blood pressure!

Here’s more information about them if you’re interested!

Can you use the woody/stiff ends of an asparagus?

On thin stalks, it’s not necessary. On thicker stalks, I would just remove them because it can make effect the taste of the soup.

What else can you do with asparagus?

I think this would make a great addition to a salad. I would cut up the stems into bite sized pieces and toss it into a pasta salad or a herb and vegetable one. You could put orzo pasta with some leafy greens and season it with your own salad dressing of a lot of lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic, italian seasoning and olive oil!

You could cook it on its own with the same spices above in the oven.

How do you make asparagus soup?

I’m so excited to be on to the creation of this soup! I’m so sure you’re going to love and just feel so good about the simple ingredients that go into it!

Ingredients:

This is just a broad overview of the ingredients, please look below for a more comprehensive list!

• 2 shallots – delicate and sweet flavor but if you don’t have sub any other onion here!
• leek – love this in soup recipes!
• garlic
• potato – for thickening!
• asparagus
• vegetable broth
• spices
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• vegan butter

Method to creating your own asparagus soup

• In a pot, heat oil on medium heat
• Saute the shallots and leak until softened

• add in the chopped asparagus, diced potatoes, garlic, and spices. Saute for another 5-10 minutes

• Cover with the vegetable broth and let it simmer until the vegetables are cooked through – another 10 minutes and check with a fork.
• Add in the lemon juice and vegan butter.

• Add everything into a blender and blend until smooth. I use a blender for an even composition but I’ve also done an immersion blender, which is good for a chunkier soup if you wish!

• Garnish and serve!

How else can you thicken this soup?

The most common way to thicken soup seems to be making a slurry with cornstarch/potato/arrowroot starch. This website talks about the difference between these major thickeners. It’s an interesting read!

Other ways to thicken is to add coconut cream (not a fan in soups) and using vegetables like onions or, in this instance, potato.

Do you need to peel the asparagus before you cook it?

I think with everything if you peel a vegetable you lose some of the nutritional benefits found on the outside. But if you do decide to peel it you would get a sleeker and silkier soup with a bit more of a grassy taste. I would really just keep everything, peel included, except the ends for this soup.

What about roasting your asparagus?

I’m such a fan of roasting vegetables before putting them into a recipe! I think it unlocks such a magical taste and accentuates the beautiful flavors that they have. I would roast them at 400F for no more than 3-5 minutes (depending on your oven heat) or until it’s bright green!

It can go from bright and green to limp and soggy in a matter of seconds. I would encourage you to take it out before you think it’s done and let it rest on the counter to cool.

Overcooking it can also lead to a loss of nutrients like vitamin C and B.

Tips and tricks:

• I would avoid snapping the asparagus to remove the ends. Rather, slice it off with a knife and then use a vegetable peeler to peel the base off a bit more.
• don’t overcook it, it will become bitter. If your soup does taste bitter, add a small amount of white vinegar or lemon. Adjust for taste always.
• If you’re done and it’s lacking somewhat of a flavor you could add tomato paste, mushrooms, soaked seaweed water, soy sauce or miso paste. Always be cautious adding anything with umami flavor profile and add very little and taste to check.
  

What sorts of garnishes do you put on top of your soup?

• dried or fresh lemon slices
• red chili flakes for some heat!
• croutons
• vegan parmesan
• plant based Greek style yogurt that you can dollop on top and swirl with the back of your spoon.

How long can you keep your soup in the fridge for?

I would say you could keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days in an air tight sealed container.

What about freezing your soup?

Sure you can freeze it too! If you prep ahead of time I would keep it in the fridge overnight and allow it to come to room temperature the next day. Follow that with a stove top warming in a pot. Or you can scoop out what you need into a bowl and place it in the microwave.

What can you pair your soup with?

• A delicious crusty Italian bread
• Salads like this one or this one
• Pastas like this one

Loving the soups? Look no further than these recipes to recreate!

• Your Delicious and Easy Lentil Soup Recipe
• Minestrone Barley Soup
• Creamy and Easy Roasted Cauliflower soup with Fennel
• Wild Mushroom Soup

I really appreciate you being here! Thank you for taking the time to read through the recipe! I hope you make it and share your photos and reviews!