This creamy asparagus soup is an easy and delicious way to mix vibrant vegetables like asparagus, fennel, and broccoli, and flavorful spices and herbs, into one healthy, satisfying meal. Unlike many cream of asparagus soups, this one is dairy-free, getting it’s silky texture from a small amount of potatoes. Serve it warm or chilled, as a light meal or alongside your favorite protein.
I don’t know if a better way to include more vegetables into your diet than cooking and mixing them into a delicious, creamy, and satisfying soup. Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables to cook with, and when in season, this is one of the recipes I like to make.
What you need to make this soup
Vegetables: Onion or shallots, fennel, celery, asparagus, broccoli or broccolini, garlic, and a small amount of pre-cooked white potato. Reserve some asparagus tips to add after blending, for a little extra texture and a nice garnishing touch.
Spices and herbs: Fennel seeds, cumin seeds, a bay leaf, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper build flavor as the vegetables cook. Fresh cilantro makes a lovely finishing touch.
To finish: Extra virgin olive oil and lime zest and juice brighten the soup. I usually cook the vegetables in water; vegetable broth also works. If I have homemade vegetable bouillon cubes on hand, I sometimes add one or two.
A note about the potato: I use one heaping cup of pre-cooked, pressure-cooked white potato that has been cooled in the refrigerator, usually from a batch cooked the day before. It gives the soup its silky texture. Cooking and cooling potatoes increases some of their resistant starch, and preparing them in a pressure cooker fits how I occasionally include potatoes in my otherwise low-lectin cooking. If you prefer to avoid them, you can use white-fleshed Japanese sweet potato.
How to make creamy asparagus soup
Start by gently cooking the onion, fennel, and celery in olive oil with the fennel and cumin seeds. Give them about 10 minutes to soften without browning — this creates the flavor base of the soup.
Add the asparagus, reserving the tips, along with the broccoli, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme. Cook for another five minutes, stirring often. Add the cooked potato and enough hot water to just cover the vegetables, then simmer until the asparagus and broccoli are tender.
Remove the bay leaf and thyme stems, and blend until smooth. A high-powered blender gives the soup its silkiest texture, though an immersion blender works if you don’t mind a slightly more rustic finish. Return the soup to the pot, simmer the reserved asparagus tips for a couple of minutes, then season with lime zest, lime juice, salt, and pepper.
How to serve it
I like this soup with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, fresh cilantro, flaky sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and a little more lime. It’s lovely on its own, with gluten-free sourdough toast, or served as a starter.
To make it a more substantial meal, add chicken or sausage on the side. We’ve even topped leftovers with taco meat, which is surprisingly good. Croutons, crispy bacon, or grated cheese are other options if you’re serving people who don’t need the soup to remain vegan or dairy-free.
More asparagus recipes
- Chicken and Tahini Salad with Chickpeas and Asparagus
- Asparagus and Chickpea Salad with Black Rice
- Creamy Asparagus, Cauliflower, and Broccoli Casserole
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Creamy Asparagus Soup with Fennel and Broccoli
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free
Description
This creamy asparagus soup is an easy and delicious way to mix vibrant vegetables like asparagus, fennel, and broccoli, and flavorful spices and herbs, into one healthy, satisfying meal. Unlike many cream of asparagus soups, this one is dairy-free, getting it’s silky texture from a small amount of potatoes. Serve it warm or chilled, as a light meal or alongside your favorite protein.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion or 2 shallots, chopped
- 1/2 fennel bulb, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided, plus more to taste
- 1 bunch asparagus (about 2 cups chopped), with tips reserved
- 3 cups chopped broccoli or broccolini
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 2–3 fresh thyme sprigs
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 heaping cup pressure-cooked and cooled white potatoes, roughly chopped
- About 4 cups hot water, enough to just cover the vegetables
- Lime zest and juice, to taste
- Fresh cilantro, extra virgin olive oil, and flaky sea salt, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion or shallots, fennel, celery, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned.
- Add the chopped asparagus, reserving the tips, along with the broccoli, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the cooked potatoes and enough hot water to just cover the vegetables, about 4 cups. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender but not overcooked.
- Remove the bay leaf and thyme stems. Blend the soup until smooth and creamy, working in batches if needed. Return it to the pot over low heat.
- Add the reserved asparagus tips and simmer for a couple of minutes, until tender. Season to taste with salt, pepper, lime zest, and lime juice.
- Serve with fresh cilantro, a drizzle of olive oil, and flaky sea salt.
Notes
Potatoes: Pressure cook and chill them in advance. Measure one heaping cup of cooked potato for the soup.
Alternatives: Use cubed white-fleshed Japanese sweet potato in place of the cooked white potato, adding it early enough to cook through before blending. Cauliflower also works but gives a less silky texture.
Blending: A high-powered blender makes the soup especially smooth. An immersion blender gives a slightly more textured result.
4 Comments
Debby
January 16, 2023 at 4:59 pmHi Claudia! I’m on a low lectin diet. Unfortunately, this is nott a low lectin soup. Potatoes are part of the nightshade family and contain high levels of lectins. I’m going to try adding mashed cauliflower instead of the potatoes and see how that works out.
Claudia
January 17, 2023 at 4:06 amHi Debby, the results of the Plant Paradox is what led me to become a health coach and have this blog. I started almost 6 years ago, and I read and listened to everything Dr. Steven Gundry has published. Nightshades, beans, and legumes can be made low-lectin. You can read more about this in The Plant Paradox Family Cookbook but also many articles online, including an article on this blog – How to Remove Lectins From Your Favorite High Lectins Foods. Phase 1 and 2 are certainly strict regarding foods high in lectins (But Phase 1 is 3 days and Phase 2 is 6 weeks). But Phase 3, which is the maintenance phase, allows reintroductions. Many of Dr. Gundry’s recipes include appropriately cooked nightshades, beans, and legumes. Also, A big part of this post includes a chapter on white potatoes and how to serve them to maximize their nutrient content and minimize anti-nutrients. I hope this helps.
Chef John
August 8, 2022 at 1:52 pmI love asparagus. Thanks for the soup recipe. I will definitely try.
Claudia
August 9, 2022 at 4:48 amHi John, asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables too. I hope you love this soup.