Asparagus soup is one of my favorite ways to enjoy asparagus in the spring. It’s light, fresh, and becomes silky smooth without any cream.
Why You’ll Love This Asparagus Soup
In the spring, I always look for fresh bundles of asparagus at the farmer’s markets so I can make roasted asparagus, asparagus salad, and especially this creamy asparagus soup. Think of it as my seasonal variation of fall’s butternut squash soup or summer’s tomato soup. But this creamy asparagus soup also includes zesty lemon juice and fresh herbs, which are the little things I love about this season. Bright and fresh flavor! Here’s what else you’ll love about my recipe:
- It’s completely dairy-free. Instead of heavy cream, I’ve swapped in a small amount of avocado for a healthier twist that adds a silky, creamy feel to the soup. If you have my Healthy Meal Prep cookbook, I did the same thing for my white gazpacho!
- It’s great for spring meal prep. I always reach for this soup in my fridge (or freezer) when I need a quick, light, and healthy meal that can easily be reheated.
Asparagus Soup Ingredients
- Asparagus: Grab firm, bright green spears with closed, compact tips. I also try to avoid bundles where the ends look dry or overly woody.
- Onion & Celery: While asparagus makes up 80% of this soup, but I’m adding a yellow onion and celery stalks for a well-rounded, fresh and sweet flavor.
- Avocado: There are several ways you can thicken soups without dairy including avocado, raw cashews, white beans, potatoes, and more! In my zucchini soup I used cashews, and in my white chicken chili I used blended white beans, but I opted for avocado here. It’s quick and easy (and I usually have avocados on hand), but feel free to use your favorite method!
- Aromatics & Fresh Herbs: The blend of garlic, zesty lemon juice, and fresh herbs gives this soup that bright, aromatic spring flavor. I’m using a mix of parsley and dill, but use any tender herbs you love.
- Vegetable Broth: I’m using vegetable broth to keep this vegetarian, but you can also use chicken broth if you have that on hand.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below
How To Make Asparagus Soup
Sauté the veggies. Sauté the onion and celery for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened. Then, add the garlic, salt, and pepper, and stir until fragrant.
Add the asparagus and broth. Bring everything to a boil, turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until the asparagus is tender. Keep in mind that the simmering time will depend on the thickness of your asparagus.
Finish and blend it up. Add the avocado, lemon juice, and herbs, then use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth, or transfer the soup to a high-powered blender, and blend for 15 to 30 seconds, until smooth.
Pair This Asparagus Soup With…
- The best soup toppings! I love adding a drizzle of olive oil and sliced asparagus tips for a quick topping. But if you want to go the extra step, roasted chickpeas, parmesan crisps, or toasted pine nuts would be amazing for a crunchy texture.
- Delicious spring proteins. My go-to pairings are baked chicken breast, baked salmon, or baked cod for an easy, hands-off dish I can toss in the oven. But this lemon pepper chicken and shrimp scampi are great to cook on the stovetop simultaneously.
- Fresh spring salads. For the ultimate spring meal, pair this with a Caesar salad, Mediterranean chickpea salad, egg salad wrap, or chicken salad wrap!
Storage Tips
- To store in the fridge: Leftovers will last for 4 to 5 days.
- To freeze for later: For longer storage, pour the soup into a freezer-safe container, like my favorite Weck Jars, or use these amazing silicone Souper Cubes. Just pop them out into a bowl and reheat! Either way, the soup will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- For reheating: When you’re ready to enjoy it, let it thaw in the fridge and reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop until warm.
More Asparagus Recipes
- Air Fryer Asparagus: Such a quick and easy way to cook asparagus!
- Spring Vegetable Frittata: The perfect spring breakfast or brunch.
- Vietnamese Spring Rolls: The freshest dinner or lunch idea.
- Salmon Asparagus Salad: A great way to add asparagus to a salad.
If you make this asparagus soup recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.
Description
Equipment
- Le Creuset Dutch Oven My favorite pot for cooking all my soup recipes!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 pounds asparagus (about 2 bunches), woody ends trimmed and stalks chopped (reserve some of the tips for garnish)
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh herbs (parsley, basil, dill, chives, etc)
- ¼ small avocado, diced
Instructions
- Saute the veggies. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add the asparagus and broth. Add the asparagus and broth, bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until the asparagus is very tender.
- Finish and blend it up. Add the avocado, lemon juice, and herbs, then use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth, or transfer the soup to a high-powered blender, and blend for about 30 seconds, until smooth.
- Garnish and serve. Ladle portions of the asparagus soup into bowls and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and some asparagus tips.
Lisa’s Tips
- Storage tips: You can store this in the fridge for 4 to 5 days in a sealed container. For longer storage, pour the soup into a freezer-safe container, like my favorite Weck Jars, or use these amazing silicone Souper Cubes. Just pop them out into a bowl and reheat! Either way, the soup will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- I was asked if the soup would turn brown in the fridge, given the avocado. And the answer is no! It never turned brown for me. The amount of avocado added is quite minimal.
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Behind The Scenes
Look at how much my testing photo looks like the profesh photo from my fabulous photographer Gayle! A promise I’ll always make to you, my team will never use “food styling” tricks to make my food look magazine worthy and unattainable. I want YOU to be able to recreate my recipes at home to look exactly like they look on my website. 😊
I don’t have an avocado. Could I use silken tofu instead?! If so, how much please?
Hi Vanessa – I haven’t tried this with tofu, but I think it could work! Let us know how it turns out.
I needed a fresh, healthy, dairy free spring recipe when my niece came to town. This froze well and was delicious and creamy!! Next time I’ll sauté some spicy pumpkin seeds for garnish.
Toasted pumkin seeds on top sound amazing! Glad you enjoyed this spring soup, Lorie.
This soup is absolutely delicious!! And I even cheated with bottled lemon juice and dried parsley. With eating gluten and dairy free, it’s so nice to find a “normal” recipe that I can make without modifications. I will definitely be making this again!
Hi Dee – Happy to hear you found the perfect asparagus soup you can enjoy with simple ingredients!
I so love your asparagus soup it’s my favorite when I purchased a bunch or two. As well your air fryer salmon my favorite method to prepare. Love your book 📖
Happy to hear you’re loving this asparagus soup recipe, along with the air fryer salmon, Katie!
Made your cabbage soup delicious thank you so much for the recipe.
Hi Cat – do you mean this asparagus soup or my other recipe for cabbage soup?
Can this be done in a crockpot?
This was one of the EASIEST and most flavorful recipes I’ve made yet! It was such a relief I had all the staples ingredients on hand so no special grocery store runs needed. My husband couldn’t stop raving about the creamy deliciousness he was enjoying and couldn’t believe it was milk free. We both tried it on the cooler side like a gazpacho, 100% recommend. Topped with few pepitas , olive oil, parsley and asparagus sprigs, oh my… my mouth is watering!
Hi Raina – Thrilled to hear you and your husband are loving this asparagus soup! Also, thanks for the tip on enjoying this like a gazpacho—that sounds delicious!
I was admittedly surprised at how good this soup turned out! And how, with just a few ingredients, you can have spring-in-a-bowl. Not only that, but my kids loved it too, and asked for seconds. This is my #1 site for Lent recipes, and this one is an absolute keeper, thanks Lisa!
Hi Catalina – Thrilled to hear everyone enjoyed this asparagus soup, and that I’m able to provide several delicious lent recipes for you to enjoy!
This recipe is perfect for spring! The whole family really loved it. I personally like the fact that the soup is made creamy with avocado, such an ingenious idea, never would have thought of that. Definitely gonna make this one again!
There’s always a creative way you can make soups creamy, whether it’s avocado, cashews, or other ingredients! Glad the whole family loved this asparagus soup, Ines.
Made this recipe last night! The soup came out a beautiful creamy texture and I would liken it to pea soup. I made bacon bits and threw a dollop of sour cream on top to finish it off.
Thrilled to hear you loved this asparagus soup, Veronica! I’m sure the bacon bits were the cherry on top.
I can’t believe how good this soup is! So glad asparagus is in season here. I did cut the recipe in half and it made 2 pints. Yum! Next time I’ll make an entire batch and freeze the extra.
Yes, asparagus season is the best! So happy you enjoyed this new recipe, Diana!
Delicious Soup, my son and I enjoyed it very much!
Thank you
Wonderful, I’m so happy to hear that, Suzie!
The best recipe in the world 🌎♥️👍🙏🏼
I’m happy you loved this asparagus soup, Mirna!