March may herald the start of spring, but I can still feel the lingering residue of winter calling me toward this rich and comforting soup. Asparagus, with its season running from early March into June, becomes its most flavorful just as the sun starts to shine again. This elegant asparagus soup, with its medley of spring vegetables, is ideal for the slow transition from the slumber of winter to the busy and bright summer months. But I need little excuse to make a spring soup–I love to enjoy soups and stews until the temperature reaches a level that my Middle Eastern bones consider warm! With this 30-minute recipe, I play on the sweet and savory nature of spring peas and asparagus with leeks, garlic, and onions. There’s no cream to dull the flavor, so the vegetables get their chance to shine. It’s also very versatile: Serve as a first course for a dinner party—either seated or in small cups for sipping in between cocktails. Or alongside crusty bread, pita bread, or focaccia for a light lunch.
Asparagus Soup Ingredients
This vegan soup may be packed with veggies, but the dominant flavor is the buttery, sweet and earthy asparagus. You’ll also need:
Extra virgin olive oil: Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil to cook the vegetables and drizzle as garnish for this soup. Onions, leek, celery, and garlic: Provide the base aromatics for the soup, complementing but not overpowering the asparagus, which is the true star of the show. Asparagus: Look for stalks that are firm and bright green with tight tips. Reserve the tips to add to the blended soup to add texture and a nice presentation. Frozen peas: Frozen peas are available year round, with no need to shuck. Fresh peas come into season in late spring-early summer–feel free to use fresh shucked peas if you prefer, which come into season in the late spring and early summer. Bay leaf: These leaves, in fresh or dry form, impart a beautiful perfume and peppery flavor to the soup. Vegetable broth: A low-sodium homemade vegetable broth contains a perfect combination of flavors to complement this soup, or you can substitute with store bought or homemade chicken stock but that obviously no longer makes this soup vegan. Remember to reduce added salt when seasoning if you are not using a low-sodium vegetable broth. Lemon: A true friend of asparagus, fresh lemon juice enhances the flavor with complementary citrus notes. Salt and pepper: Seasoning for the soup.
How to Cook Asparagus Soup
This asparagus soup recipe is very simple yet elegant, so it’s great for a healthy lunch or dinner party first course. Here’s how you make it:
Cook the aromatics: In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the oil shimmers, follow with 1 finely diced onion and cook until it turns golden. Add a pressed garlic clove and bay leaf and stir until the aroma from the garlic is released. Add 2 finely chopped celery stalks and 1 finely diced leek (white and tender green part only). Cook until they soften. Add the broth, peas and asparagus: Add 6 cups vegetable broth and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer. Add 1 1/2 pounds of trimmed and chopped asparagus stalks (reserve the tips), and 4 cups of frozen peas. Simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Finish the soup: Remove the bay leaf and blend the soup using an immersion blender until smooth. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Add reserved asparagus tips and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle olive oil, and sprinkle freshly chopped chives on top before serving with some crusty bread.
Variations
You can vary the flavor of this asparagus soup by adding chopped fresh mint and stirring through just before serving to give this soup an even fresher and lighter flavor profile. To make the soup more filling, sprinkle on some feta as a garnish and/or add a poached egg on top–see our technique for poaching eggs in our Çılbır: Turkish Poached Eggs recipe. And if you love vibrant green soups that scream “springtime,” try our Watercress Soup with Peas and Mint.
What to Serve with this Asparagus Soup Recipe
The recipe below includes a simple garnish of a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of finely chopped fresh chives. You can also add some croutons for a lovely crunch. Alternatively, you can serve this soup with some crusty bread or Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia or Garlic Bread. For an elegant yet casual dinner party, serve as an appetizer for Shrimp Salad.
Storage
This asparagus soup recipe keeps well in both the refrigerator and freezer.
To refrigerate, wait for the soup to cool, then seal and store for up to 3 days. To freeze, allow the soup to fully cool. Seal in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months, leaving space to allow it to expand in your freezer. If you’re reheating from frozen, defrost the soup in the fridge overnight. Reheat thawed or refrigerated soup in the microwave or over medium heat on your stove, adding more broth or water as necessary.
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