Delicious Cream of Asparagus Soup Recipe

When I think of a good asparagus soup, I think of it being the starter to a very special meal. After watching Hell’s Kitchen religiously and seeing all of the special soups made as starters, I’ve always wanted to make my own! If you’ve also had it on your bucket list to make a special and wholesome soup, then I definitely encourage you to try this Cream of Asparagus recipe as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! You can get started on your cooking journey for free today by signing up to my free email newsletter, plus all of my latest recipes will be sent straight to your inbox!

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Creamy asparagus soup in a white bowl, garnished with sour cream swirl, fresh asparagus spear, and chopped chives.

Why You Will Love This Creamy Asparagus Soup Recipe!

Vegetarian
Minimal ingredients
Easy to make
Make-ahead friendly!

Cream of asparagus soup garnished with a swirl of cream, fresh asparagus spear, and chopped chives in a white bowl.

Tools Needed to Make Easy Asparagus Soup

Immersion blender or high-speed blender, like a Vitamix
Butter block
Salt crock
Pepper mill
Garlic press
Ramekins
Pot
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Cutting board
Sharp chef’s knife
Spatula
Wooden spoon
Ladle
Microplane
Squeeze bottle

Cream of asparagus soup garnished with sour cream swirl, fresh asparagus spear, and chopped chives in a white bowl.

Tips for a Rich and Delightful Asparagus Cream Soup

For an even silkier texture, you can replace half the sour cream with heavy cream.
For brownie points, reserve some of the tender asparagus tips for garnish later after you have simmered the asparagus with the vegetable broth.
Experiment with different types of cheese like Parmesan, Gruyère or Pecorino Romano to find the perfect combination of flavors that suits you best.
Adding in some lime zest can help brighten the flavors even further, add it along with the chives while the soup is still simmering in the pot.
For a more flavorful soup and umami flavors, you can use low sodium, good quality chicken broth instead of the mushroom broth. Chicken broth has a more savoury, deeper combination of flavors that will compliment the asparagus well.

Cream of asparagus soup in a white bowl, garnished with sour cream swirl, asparagus spear, and fresh chives.

Ingredients for One-Pot Asparagus Soup

Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card that has all ingredients and their quantities and allows you to save the recipe for later! You can also use the recipe card to scale the recipe based on how many portions of soup you want to make! My recommendation is to make more rather than less so that you can freeze some and have a healthy soup on hand for when you need something nutritious and cozy!

Ingredients for cream of asparagus soup: fresh asparagus, sliced red onion, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, sour cream, and butter.

Butter: You can use either salted butter or unsalted butter.
Asparagus: A must-have for our asparagus soup! You’ll be cutting the woody white part of the asparagus, and then cut the asparagus into half or thirds.
Onions: You can use your favourite type of onion if you would like, but red is my preference. You’ll want to
Chives: Freshly chopped chives.
Garlic: Minced garlic cloves.
Red chilli flakes: A little bit for some heat!
Mushroom broth: I wanted to go for something a little fancier here, so I chose this mushroom broth that had a really nice packaging at the store! However, if you’ve only got regular vegetable broth, then that’s totally fine! As I describe in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!!, if there’s a suitable substitute already in your pantry, then you should use that up instead of going out to make a purchase! I find that the mushroom broth added more flavour and body than regular vegetable broth, but it’s definitely not a make or break for this Creamy Asparagus Soup recipe! You’ll be totally fine with regular vegetable broth, I promise!
Sour cream: I recommend full fat sour cream. We’re not going to use heavy cream in our soup, but this will be the “cream” in our “cream of asparagus” soup. I like the tanginess of sour cream without overpowering the asparagus and making the base too rich.
Cheddar cheese: I used white cheddar, but you can use any type of cheddar cheese you want, including any sort of yellow cheddar.
Lime juice: Freshly squeezed or from a bottle will work just fine. We’ll need some for topping.
Salt and pepper: Essential seasoning that you’ll add to taste.

How to Make Cream of Asparagus Soup

Wash the asparagus well and then break or cut off the hard, whitish end of the asparagus. Cut each asparagus into half or thirds and set aside for now.

Add the butter in a large pot and then add the onions. Mix well to coat the onions with the butter and then add a generous pinch of salt.

Melted butter and diced onions sautéing in a large stainless steel pot on the stovetop.

Diced red and white onions coated with butter in a large stainless steel pot on a stovetop.

Diced onions and red bell peppers sautéing in butter in a large pot on the stove.

Mix and then add the chopped garlic and red chilli flakes. Continue to sauté until the mixture is fragrant, about 1 minute.

Diced red onions and white onions being stirred in a pot with a wooden spoon and melted butter.

Diced pink onions and minced garlic with red chili flakes in melted butter in a pot on stovetop.

Add the asparagus, stir well and then season with some salt and pepper. Pour in the vegetable stock, mix well and cover the pot with a lid. Bring the pot to a simmer and gently cook for 10-12 minutes or until the asparagus becomes tender.

Pot of chopped green asparagus with sautéed garlic and red onions on stovetop, ready to be cooked.

Asparagus and diced ham being stirred in a pot during the sautéing step of soup preparation.

Chopped asparagus and red onions sautéed in a large pot with vegetable stock before blending.

Stirring green asparagus spears with diced red chilli and garlic in a large pot with a wooden spoon.

Cream of asparagus soup simmering in a pot with green asparagus pieces and red chili flakes visible in the creamy broth.

Pot of asparagus soup with lid on, simmering on stovetop before blending.

Remove the lid and add half of the chopped chives.

Pot of cream of asparagus soup with green asparagus pieces and chopped chives in broth, ready to blend.

Stirring asparagus and ham in broth with a wooden spoon in a large pot on the stove.

Stirring chopped chives into a pot of asparagus soup with a wooden spoon.

Then, use an immersion blender or a traditional blender to purée this mixture until completely smooth.

Immersion blender puréeing cream of asparagus soup with visible chives in a metal pot.

Cream of asparagus soup pureed to smooth consistency in a white pot with immersion blender.

Garnish with the remaining chopped chives, taste and adjust for seasonings.

Creamy yellow asparagus soup in a pot garnished with chopped fresh chives.

Immersion blender pureeing cream of asparagus soup to a smooth consistency in a large pot.

Serve hot, topped with lime juice, sour cream, chopped chives and cheddar cheese.

Creamy asparagus soup in a white bowl with a ladle lifting a spoonful, garnished with chives.

Cream of asparagus soup in a white bowl, garnished with a sour cream swirl and chopped chives.

Creamy asparagus soup garnished with sour cream swirl, chopped chives, and grated cheddar cheese in a white bowl.

Optional: Top with reserved asparagus tips and enjoy!

Creamy asparagus soup in a white bowl topped with sour cream, asparagus spears, and fresh chives, with a hand reaching toward it.

Creamy asparagus soup garnished with sour cream swirl, asparagus tips, chives, and cheese in a white bowl.

Serving Suggestions for Creamy Asparagus Soup

Bread: A crusty bread like baguette or Ciabatta will be great here! I also like to serve this soup with pumpernickel bread, sourdough, or Belgian bread. For the ultimate pairing, I recommend you try my Soft and Fluffy Dinner Rolls!
Salad: Arugula Goat Cheese Salad with Roasted Almonds or even a Chicken Caesar Salad will accompany your soup perfectly!
Mains: This soup should definitely be followed by a special entree! I recommend my Traditional Wiener Schnitzel, No-Fail Roast Chicken, Tender Jamaican Pepper Steak, Coq au Vin, Pot Roast, Beef Bourguignon, Pan-Seared Blackened Salmon or Lemon and Herb Baked Salmon.

Storing Leftover Asparagus Soup

In the Fridge

Simply transfer the contents airtight container and place in the fridge. Your asparagus cream soup will last for 3-4 days because the risk of bacterial contamination increases. Due to soups and stews containing lots of moisture, this makes them the perfect environment for spoilage to thrive. The good news is that you can most definitely freeze any portions of the asparagus soup that you don’t plan on eating in this timeframe!

Cream of asparagus soup in white bowl, garnished with asparagus spear, white cream swirl, and fresh chives.

In the Freezer

You can freeze your asparagus soup for up to 4 months. Ensure to thaw overnight before serving.

Reheating Asparagus Soup

If you want to heat up you soup in a jiffy, then the microwave is your best bet, and it will do the job just fine! Simply place in a microwave-safe bowl for 1-2 minutes, stirring at least halfway through the reheat time. I definitely prefer to reheat my soup this way since it’s quick and easy, especially for when I’m hungry! Alternatively, you can transfer the contents into a small saucepan and reheat over the stove on low heat until entirely warmed through. This will give you more even heating, but it will require some patience!

Whichever reheating method you choose, be sure to keep an eye on the thickness of your asparagus soup, and add more mushroom broth if needed to thin it out to the desired consistency. The longer you keep your asparagus soup in the fridge, the thicker it will become.

Cream of asparagus soup in a white bowl garnished with sour cream swirl, chopped chives, and an asparagus spear.

Other Healthy Soups & Stews!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you prepare asparagus for soup?▼

Wash the spears well, then snap or cut off the tough, whitish woody ends — they never soften nicely. Cut what's left into halves or thirds so it cooks evenly and blends smoothly later.

How do you make the soup creamy?▼

The silkiness comes from blending the cooked asparagus completely smooth with an immersion or regular blender, then finishing with sour cream. The purée itself does most of the work, so you get a velvety soup without needing heaps of cream.

Is this soup vegetarian?▼

Yes — it's made with mushroom (or vegetable) broth and finished with sour cream, so it's naturally vegetarian. Just stick with a vegetable-based broth to keep it that way.

Is cream of asparagus soup spicy?▼

It has a gentle warmth from a tablespoon of red chilli flakes, but it's not fiery. Scale the flakes up or down to suit your taste, or leave them out for a milder bowl.

Serve it alongside a grilled cheese sandwich for the ultimate cozy lunch.

Recipe by Anadi Misra