With spring in the air, there comes a culinary rite of passage and cream of asparagus soup isn’t far behind. Often crowned the king of vegetables, asparagus commands attention not with boldness, but with a quiet, refined elegance. Its flavor is subtle yet distinctive—grassy, sweet, and ever-so-slightly earthy—utterly unlike anything else the vegetable world has to offer.
The earliest spears of the season are a treasure. They’re slender, tender, and bursting with a buttery sweetness that seems to capture the very essence of new growth. These young shoots, kissed by the spring sun, are far superior to their older, woodier counterparts that emerge as the season matures. It’s in these fleeting weeks that asparagus is at its peak—and there is no better way to honor it than with a luxuriously smooth cream of asparagus soup.
This recipe celebrates the purity of just-picked asparagus, gently simmered until velvety and blended to silk, then enriched with a touch of heavy cream. The result is a soup that’s impossibly delicate, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture and a flavor profile that balances grassy freshness, natural sweetness, and just the faintest whisper of bitterness. It’s spring in a bowl—comforting, elegant, and deeply satisfying.
Let’s Make Cream of Asparagus Soup
Wash and trim the asparagus to remove the bottom woody ends and cut into pieces about 1-1/2″ long. Reserve two asparagus tips about 2-3″ long as garnish for each finished serving.
Add the butter and olive oil to a heavy bottom pot and saute the onion on medium heat until soft, about 4-5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more while stirring occasionally.
Add the asparagus, salt, pepper and cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Raise the heat, pour in the chicken broth, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.
Stir in the parmesan cheese and the lemon juice, then puree everything in a stand blender on high speed until smooth. Add the heavy cream to the blended soup and pulse until it is thoroughly combined (not streaky)
Quickly rinse and wipe out the pot to remove any chunks of onion, garlic or asparagus and pour the soup back into the pot over low heat. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper if necessary, stir gently and keep warm until ready to serve. Blanch the reserved asparagus tips in well salted, rolling, boiling water for 2 minutes then strain out and set aside.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the asparagus spear tips and croutons. Add a garnish of cracked black pepper and a drizzle of heavy cream – optional. Print
Cream of Asparagus Soup
Fresh spring asparagus blended with onion and seasonings, sweetened with heavy cream.
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2–1/2 lbs fresh asparagus spears – washed, trimmed, cut into 1–1/2” pieces
- 1/2 large yellow onion – diced
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup parmigiana-reggiano cheese – finely grated
- 2 cloves garlic – minced
- 1 TBL olive oil
- 2 TBL butter
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper – more to taste
- 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- Garlic and butter croutons – garnish
- Blanched asparagus tips – 2 per serving – garnish
- Freshly cracked black pepper – garnish – optional
- Heavy cream – garnish – optional
Instructions
- Wash and trim the asparagus to remove the bottom woody ends
- Reserve two asparagus tips about 2-3″ long as garnish for each finished serving
- Add the butter and olive oil to a heavy bottom pot and saute the onion on medium heat until soft, about 4-5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more while stirring occasionally
- Add the asparagus, salt, pepper and cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally
- Raise the heat, pour in the chicken broth, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes
- Stir in the parmesan cheese and the lemon juice, then puree everything in a stand blender on high speed until smooth
- Add the heavy cream to the blended soup and pulse until it is thoroughly combined (not streaky)
- Quickly rinse and wipe out the pot to remove any chunks of onion, garlic or asparagus and pour the soup back into the pot over low heat
- Taste and adjust the salt and pepper if necessary, stir gently and keep warm until ready to serve
- Blanch the reserved asparagus tips in well salted, rolling, boiling water for 2 minutes then strain out and set aside
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the asparagus spear tips and croutons.
- Add a garnish of cracked black pepper and a drizzle of heavy cream – optional