The perfect recipe for spring! Aunt Bee’s light and fresh Creamy Asparagus Soup recipe takes advantage of the season’s best produce for an easy and healthy dinner or lunch that comes together in about 30 minutes.
My Great Aunt Bee (who just turned 100!), used to serve this Creamy Asparagus Soup for spring luncheons each year. I loved the dish, even as a kid, so one year I asked her for the recipe and wrote it down in a little notebook. I was a child — with no plans to actually do any cooking of my own — so I have no idea why I felt compelled to get the recipe from her. A foreshadow to my future food blogging days, perhaps!
Anyway, when my mom mentioned that she was making Aunt Bee’s Asparagus Soup recipe last week, I instantly pulled my little notebook off of the shelf, added the ingredients to my shopping list, and whipped up a batch of my own. I’m so excited to share this old-fashioned family favorite with you today!
What is Creamy Asparagus Soup?
Creamy Asparagus Soup (or Cream of Asparagus Soup) is a simple soup made with asparagus, broth or stock, and milk or cream. Different versions of the soup exist, and many recipes include finishing the asparagus soup with chives, crème fraîche or sour cream.
Aunt Bee’s easy Creamy Asparagus Soup recipe requires a simple blend of fresh asparagus, potato, chicken broth and onion. The pureed soup is then finished with heavy cream, half-and-half or sour cream and garnished with fresh chives or dill. Serve it warm or cold for a light and healthy spring treat!
How to make Creamy Asparagus Soup from Scratch:
This recipe for Creamy Asparagus Soup comes together from start to finish in about 30 minutes — making it an ideal prep-ahead lunch or dinner option when the fresh vegetables are in season.
Ingredients:
- Fresh asparagus
- Chicken broth
- Onion
- Potato
- Heavy cream, half-and-half, or sour cream
- Salt and pepper
Step 1: Simmer Vegetables and Broth in a Pot
Combine the asparagus, broth, onion and potato in a large, heavy pot. Season with salt and pepper, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes. You want the asparagus very tender, but still bright green.
Step 2: Puree the Soup
Remove the potato chunks, and then use an immersion blender (or a regular blender) to puree the soup until smooth.
Step 3: Add Cream, Half-and-Half or Sour Cream
Stir in the cream, season with salt and pepper, and warm the soup over low heat.
How to serve Cream of Asparagus Soup:
This soup can be served warm, cold or at room temperature. Garnish each bowl with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, croutons, cooked asparagus tips, or chopped fresh herbs (such as chives or dill). You can also add an extra swirl of cream or a dollop of sour cream on top.
Here are a few easy sides that go well with asparagus soup:
- Cheddar Bay Biscuits
- Aunt Bee’s 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits
- 3-Ingredient Beer Bread or a crusty loaf of French baguette
- A simple green salad dressed with Lemon Vinaigrette
- Cornbread or corn muffins
- Grilled cheese sandwiches
- Tuna Melt Sliders
- Baked Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
Health Benefits:
This light and healthy creamy asparagus soup is a bowl full of nutrition! Asparagus is a very good source of fiber, folate, vitamins A, C, E and K, as well as chromium, a trace mineral that enhances the ability of insulin to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells (good news if you’re watching your blood sugar). You can also control the amount of sodium in the dish, making it far healthier than traditional canned soups.
Even with a little bit of half-and-half stirred in at the end, each cup of asparagus soup contains just 86 calories, 6 grams of protein, 12 grams of carbohydrates, and about 3 grams of fat.
Preparation and Storage Tips:
- Make Ahead: You can prepare this soup in advance and then just reheat it when you’re ready to serve. The cooked soup will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- How to freeze Creamy Asparagus Soup: Cream-based soups don’t freeze well, so if you’d like to freeze this soup, I recommend doing so before adding the cream. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, simply defrost the soup overnight in the refrigerator, reheat and add cream before serving.
- How to reheat Cream of Asparagus Soup: You can reheat the soup in the microwave or on the stovetop. It’s important to warm the soup over low heat, being careful not to boil or the cream could curdle.
Cook’s Tips and Recipe Variations:
- Asparagus Potato Soup: You have two choices here — you can either remove the potatoes from the soup before pureeing (like Aunt Bee does), or you can dice the potatoes into smaller pieces and leave them in the soup to puree with the asparagus. Both options are delicious, but leaving the potatoes in the soup will yield a thicker, richer dish.
- Asparagus Soup without Cream: You can make the soup without adding the cream at the end. Aunt Bee and my mom often serve it this way! If omitting the cream, I recommend dicing the potato into smaller pieces and leaving the potato in the soup when you puree the asparagus. This will give the soup a thicker consistency without the need for cream or milk.
- We have made the soup without cream (as mentioned above), but we have also tested it with heavy cream, half-and-half and sour cream. Any option works, so pick your favorite (or use whatever is on hand). I typically use half-and-half, since that’s usually in my refrigerator. Make sure that your cream, half-and-half or sour cream is at room temperature before stirring it into the soup. You don’t want it to be really cold, or it will not blend smoothly into the dish.
- Adjust the amount of cream to suit your taste. You can stir in more for an even creamier soup!
- If you like some texture in your soup, you can set aside some of the cooked asparagus tips before you puree the soup. Use these asparagus tips to garnish the soup just before serving, or stir the asparagus tips back into the soup at the end when you add the cream.
More asparagus recipes that you might enjoy:
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Creamy Asparagus Soup
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. fresh asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 russet potato, peeled and cut into 6-8 large chunks (see note below — cut into smaller pieces if you plan to leave the potato in the soup)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ cup half-and-half, heavy cream or sour cream (at room temperature)
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh chives or fresh dill; croutons; freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a heavy pot, combine asparagus, chicken broth, onion and potato. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, until asparagus is very tender but still green, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the potato chunks.
- Using an immersion or regular blender, puree soup. If using a regular blender, be sure to pause and remove the lid a few times to allow the steam to escape (so that it doesn’t explode). Return pureed soup to the pot, stir in the cream, and warm over low heat (do not boil). Season with salt and pepper to taste; garnish with herbs or other optional toppings.
Notes
- Asparagus Potato Soup: You have two choices here — you can either remove the potatoes from the soup before pureeing (like Aunt Bee does), or you can dice the potatoes into smaller pieces and leave them in the soup to puree with the asparagus. Both options are delicious, but leaving the potatoes in the soup will yield a thicker, richer dish.
- Asparagus Soup without Cream: You can make the soup without adding the cream at the end. Aunt Bee and my mom often serve it this way! If omitting the cream, I recommend dicing the potato into smaller pieces and leaving the potato in the soup when you puree the asparagus. This will give the soup a thicker consistency without the need for cream or milk.
- We have made the soup without cream (as mentioned above), but we have also tested it with heavy cream, half-and-half and sour cream. Any option works, so pick your favorite (or use whatever is on hand). I typically use half-and-half, since that’s usually in my refrigerator. Make sure that your cream, half-and-half or sour cream is at room temperature before stirring it into the soup. You don’t want it to be really cold, or it will not blend smoothly into the dish.
- Adjust the amount of cream to suit your taste. You can stir in more for an even creamier soup!
- If you like some texture in your soup, you can set aside some of the cooked asparagus tips before you puree the soup. Use these asparagus tips to garnish the soup just before serving, or stir the asparagus tips back into the soup at the end when you add the cream.
YUM! I kept in the potatoes (because I love potatoes.) Everyone in my family liked it! Including my picky eater 🙂
That’s awesome, Gabrielle! So glad that it was a hit. Thanks for taking the time to come back here and let me know. 🙂
Lisa Bryan and her website is a real keeper and I am so grateful to her for her knowledge and expertise as an excellent chef.
Thank you so much for your comment and rating!
Amazing! It was simply delicious with the potatoes.
Thank you, Maria!
I have made this recipe several times using different variations on the cream or half & half and with or without potatoes. It is a great spring soup! This spring, Blair, I am wondering if I can adapt the recipe for either the slow cooker or instant pot.
Hi, Annabel! I’m so glad that you enjoy it! You can definitely use the slow cooker to cook the ingredients before pureeing; however, it will be a challenge to cook the asparagus until it’s tender but still green. You will likely end up with an asparagus that’s more of a brownish-green color, unless you’re keeping a very close eye on the slow cooker (which probably defeats the purpose of using the slow cooker to begin with). If you still want to go that route, I would place the asparagus, chicken broth, chopped onion, and potato into the slow cooker; season with salt and pepper. Cook on HIGH for 1-2 hours or LOW for 2-4 hours (those times are just a guess), until the veggies are really tender. Then puree, add the cream, etc.
Thanks, Blair! Any advice on using the Instant Pot?
Use the sauté function to cook the onion and asparagus. Then, pressure cook for 5 minutes, natural release for 10 minutes, and release the pressure manually.
We hope this helps!
Thanks, Blair! Would the instant pot be a better choice?
Hi, Annabel! I haven’t used the IP myself, but you can certainly give it a shot. I would use the sauté function to cook the onion and asparagus. Then, pressure cook for 5 minutes, natural release for 10 minutes, and release the pressure manually.
Outstanding and so yummy! Love the ease of making this soup and not time consuming which is always a plus. This is the 3rd time making it and it’s so tasty my mom-in-law has loved it as well. Thanks for a wonderful recipe. 5 star and beyond
Thank you for such a kind review, Sue! We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe.