Name: Creamy Asparagus Soup Recipe
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: New Zealand
Ingredients: 12 thick asparagus spears; 2 cups water; 1 medium spring onion, chopped; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; ¼ cup to 1 cup thickened cream or light cream; salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste

An especially luscious and velvety creamy Asparagus soup recipe.
Variations include a richer version, light, & making cream of asparagus soup vegan.

This creamy asparagus soup may be served hot or cold, and the soup may be finished with various garnishes.

Yield: 4 Entree Serves

Creamy Asparagus Soup Recipe

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Asparagus is a wonderful flavour when cooked from fresh.
This recipe for Creamy Asparagus Soup is the best use of fresh asparagus!

Silky smooth and rich, it is absolutely wonderful and so easy to create a lighter, richer or vegan version.

Ingredients

12 thick asparagus spears
2 cups water
1 medium spring onion, chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup to 1 cup thickened cream or light cream
salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste

Instructions

Give your asparagus spears a good wash.
Snap the tough ends off the asparagus spears and discard.
Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan, salt the water lightly, and add the asparagus spears. Cook at a lively simmer for 10 minutes.
Lift out with tongs and set aside and reserve the cooking water.
In a separate saucepan large enough to hold the finished soup, heat the butter, add the chopped spring onion, and cook gently until soft but not browned.
Add the cooked asparagus spears and one cup of the cooking water and bring to a boil.
Cook at a lively simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and strain the soup through a medium sieve into a bowl, reserving the liquid.
Purée the solids in a food processor with enough of the reserved liquid to allow the mixture to purée smoothly.
Strain the purée through the sieve back into the non-reactive saucepan.
Rubbing the mixture through with a flexible scraper or wooden spoon and leaving the fibrous parts in the sieve.
Discard the contents of the sieve.
Add the cream and enough of the remaining asparagus cooking water to give the soup the consistency you want.
Season to taste with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Reheat gently over low heat, making sure not to let the soup boil.
Ready to serve

Notes

Important! Don't be tempted to omit the final straining of the soup!
If you leave the bits of fibrous asparagus skin in the soup, they give it a very unpleasant texture.

Use a sieve with a medium mesh, not too coarse and not too fine: too coarse will let too much of the fiber through, too fine will make the job of straining too difficult.

Asparagus Soup Serving Suggestions

Serve hot or chilled.
If you want to serve it chilled, let it cool, then refrigerate it uncovered until thoroughly cold, then cover with plastic wrap.
You can keep it refrigerated for up to 2 days.
A side dish of plain scones buttered goes well with your Asparagus soup.

Asparagus Soup Recipe Variations

A richer version
For the richest version of this recipe, use a full cup of thickened cream, produces an especially luscious and velvety soup.
A lighter version
For a lighter soup with fewer calories, use the smaller amount of whipping cream or substitute light cream.
If you're planning to use only ¼ cup of cream, cook the asparagus in 3 cups of water so that you'll have enough cooking water to add to the finished soup to achieve the right consistency.
Cream of Asparagus Soup Vegan
To make cream of asparagus soup vegan, cook the asparagus in 3 cups of water, omit the cream, and use oil instead of butter to cook the spring onion.