Creamy Asparagus Soup

White bowl with yellowish-green thick soup, roasted asparagus tips floating in the center, and there is cracked black pepper and croutons sprinkled around. You can see another bowl of the same off to the upper left.

5 from 43 votes

Creamy Asparagus Soup

Healthy asparagus soup is dairy-free and delicious. Creamy vegan soup bulks up using cauliflower and parsnips for a thick and satisfying gluten-free blended soup. Asparagus tips are cooked separately with garlic for a fun garnish that is bursting with flavor.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings: servings

Calories: 144kcal

Author: Debra Klein

Equipment

Ingredients

2 bunches asparagus
2 Tablespoons olive oil* divided
1 yellow onion diced (approximately 1 ½ cups)
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
2 stalks celery sliced, about 1 cup.
¼ head cauliflower chopped, about 2 cups.
2 parsnips peeled and diced, about 1 cup.
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
6 cups veggie broth
2 cloves garlic pressed

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400. If you're using the stovetop method to cook the tips, then skip this step.
Cut off woody ends to asparagus. Trim spears into 1" pieces. Put aside ¾ of the tips to roast and use as a topping.
Prepare remaining veggies: dice onion, slice celery, chop cauliflower and dice parsnips.
Heat olive oil* in stockpot over medium heat. Saute onion and celery, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix well. Continue to cook until onion is translucent.
Add cauliflower, parsnips, asparagus pieces, thyme and mix well.
Stir in broth and gently bring to boil. Reduce heat so soup simmers uncovered for about 25 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
Meanwhile, prepare the asparagus tips for soup garnish.
OVEN ROASTING METHOD: Place asparagus tips on small rimmed baking tray. Drizzle with remaining Tablespoon olive oil, sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and toss to coat. Roast in preheated 400 degree oven. Set timer for 3 minutes. Leave oven on, remove asparagus and add garlic and a pinch of sea salt, tossing to distribute evenly. Roast for an additional 3 minutes. Asparagus should be bright green and still have some bite to them.
STOVETOP METHOD: Heat small skillet over medium heat and swirl olive oil into pan. Add asparagus and toss often for about 3 minutes when they turn bright green. Make sure asparagus still has some bite and then add the pressed garlic, tossing constantly for one minute. Set garlicky asparagus tips aside.
When soup is done---it will take about 25 minutes for all the veggies to become tender---use an immersion blender to puree. You can also transfer in batches to a regular blender.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with some freshly ground black pepper and a few garlicky asparagus tips.
Soup will stay good in the fridge for 5 days or the freezer for 3 months. Gently reheat on the stove over medium-low heat until heated through.

Notes

NO OIL: for a no oil soup, skip the olive oil and saute the veggies in 2 Tablespoons veggie broth, adding more as needed to keep the pan from getting too dry. When roasting the asparagus tips, give them a quick spray of water before putting them in the oven. They should sweat enough to help the garlic stick when you add that in.

VEGGIES: Amounts do not have to be exact for this recipe to taste delicious and have the perfect texture. Use what you have, even if it's a bit more or a little less. The approximate quantities are just for guidance. For example, if you don't have a fresh cauliflower, you can use frozen florets...so it's helpful to know that you need about 2 cups of florets.

FRESH HERBS: If you don't have fresh thyme, you can use ½ teaspoon dried thyme in the recipe. I think fresh herbs add a great burst of flavor in the garnish, so use whatever fresh herbs you DO have. Oregano, basil, parsley or cilantro are all good choices.

Nutrition