This delicious Vegan Asparagus Soup is rich and creamy, cream of asparagus soup without cream. It's super easy to make and it's gluten and dairy-free, too.
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Why This Recipe Works
This vegan asparagus soup is:
- Easy to make, all in one pot
- Nutritious
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Delicious
This soup is thick and creamy without using any cream. Instead, potatoes give it that velvety texture when it gets pureed.
What Goes Into This Recipe
- Olive Oil
- Onion
- Celery
- Garlic
- Mustard Seeds
- Bay Leaf
- Thyme Leaf
- Russet Potatoes Or any starchy potato such as Idaho or Yukon Gold. Waxy potatoes won't thicken the soup in the same way.
- Vegetable Stock I prefer to use unsalted or low sodium so that I am able to have more control of how salty I decide to make it.
- Asparagus Freshness counts here. The older the asparagus is, the tougher the stems will be, which can result in stringy soup.
- Lemon Juice Freshly squeezed lemon, rather than bottled juice, is essential.
- Dill Again, fresh is best.
How to Trim Asparagus
Asparagus stalks have a tough, woody portion on the ends that need to be trimmed. This is easy to do and there are two ways.
- You can use a knife to cut off the ends where they turn from green to white (the white portion is the tough, woody part).
- You can use the bend and snap method. Just hold each end of the stalk and gently bend until it snaps. The stalk will snap right at the spot where it turns tough, and you can discard the ends.
How To Make It, Step By Step
- Heat the oil in a large stockpot. Add onion, celery and garlic to the pot and reduce the heat to low-medium. Stir occasionally until these are softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add mustard seeds, bay leaf, thyme leaves and salt to coat. Stir about 1 minute.
- Add the stock, potatoes, asparagus stems and lemon juice to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer for 20 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, puree the soup to a creamy consistency.
- Add the asparagus tips to the soup and simmer, covered for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat, stir in dill and serve, topped with croutons.
Recipe Tips
- If you don't have an immersion blender, you can use a blender to puree the soup in batches, then return to the pot to reheat. Be sure to allow the steam from the soup to vent out of the blender to avoid spilling!
- You can top the soup with croutons for serving, or with Spiced Lemon Roasted Chickpeas which make a perfect crouton substitute. The lemony crunch they add complements the intense asparagus flavour in the soup. (And they're really easy to make).
- If at all possible, use fresh dill for this recipe. If you do need to use dried dill, use 1 teaspoon of dried dill in place of the fresh dill.
- Because the asparagus tips are tender, they are added to the soup in the last five minutes of cooking time. If you prefer, you can add them along with the stalks.
In Season Asparagus
The distinctive flavour of asparagus makes this veggie shine in any dish. It is the quintessential veggie of spring, and although you can buy asparagus year-round, spring is the best time to eat it. Asparagus tastes best when it has been recently harvested. This is because soon after harvest the sugars it contains begin to change to starches. And the sweet, tender flavour is what we all love about asparagus. As asparagus ages, and becomes starchy, and turns into a much blander version of itself. When you can get it, freshly harvested, local asparagus is a treat.
FAQ's
If the asparagus stalks are too thick and not fresh, you can end up with stringy soup. Look for thinner, fresh stalks when buying asparagus.
Yes, this recipe freezes well. Allow the soup to cool completely before portioning it into airtight freezer containers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen soup overnight in the fridge before gently reheating.
You can keep vegan asparagus soup in the fridge for up to 4 days.
You can top your soup with croutons, or with roasted chickpeas. You can add a sprinkle of nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavour, or if you aren't vegan, any cheese at all. You can also try a dollop of non-dairy sour cream and/or a splash of hot sauce.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star review! And I would love to see your creation! Take a photo and share on Instagram tagging @colleenthefoodblog
Recipe
Vegan Asparagus Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 large russet potatoes peeled and quartered
- 8 cups vegetable stock no sodium
- 2 lb asparagus trimmed, tips removed and reserved
- ½ lemon juice of
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.
- Add onion and celery, and garlic to the pot, reducing heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes
- Add mustard seeds, bay leaf, thyme leaves, and salt, stirring to coat, about 1 minute
- Add the stock, potatoes, asparagus stems, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, 20 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, puree the soup to a smooth consistency.
- Add asparagus tips to the soup and simmer a further 5 minutes
- Stir in dill, remove from heat, and serve topped with croutons
Chef Dennis
This Vegan Asparagus Soup looks really scrumptious!
Colleen
Hi Dennis, I would say scrumptious is the right word!
Audrey
This was so creamy and delicious!
Colleen
I'm super happy that you enjoyed it, Audrey!
Raquel
This is a great way to enjoy asparagus! A perfectly creamy soup!
Colleen
Hi Raquel, so happy that you liked it!
Cathy
I love that this soup is creamy without cream!
Asparagus is a great vegetable that we don't eat enough of around here. I grew some once, and the odd stray spear still comes up!
Colleen
Hi Cathy, you know, one of the few things that I've never tried to grow is asparagus. It's cool that you still get some popping up!
Nathalie
I love asparagus , it’s the king of spring veggies! Ans I love soup too! Quite a wonderful mix for me! Can’t wait to cook your recipe!
Colleen
Nathalie, I agree, asparagus really is the veggie king of spring. If you love asparagus, you will love this soup.
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking
I'm all about the asparagus lately, and I have just the right amount left from a recent recipe to make this soup. Love that it's creamy without cream, and those chickpeas are the perfect topping!
Colleen
Hi Leanne, We are all about asparagus right now, too. I hope you love this delicious soup as much as we do!
Amy Nash
I love asparagus but have honestly never tried asparagus soup before! I've printed this recipe and am going to try it soon! And I love how you garnished it with the roasted chickpea croutons! Yummy!
Colleen
Hi Amy. If you love asparagus, you'll love this soup. And the roasted chickpeas are an extra special touch. Enjoy!
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy
I was saying the other day I need to make asparagus soup. This would be perfect for Easter...and with asparagus season right around the corner, this would be so delicious. The roasted chickpeas are a nice addition, and would add treat crunch.
Colleen
Hi Gloria, this soup is so perfect for Easter. We usually have fresh local asparagus available here right in time for that weekend, which is so great!
Natalie Yonan
Wooow this looks sooo yummy and creamy! Can't wait t try it! A warming soup is really needed in here in Sweden right now. 😛 <3
Colleen
It's been a long winter here too, Natalie! This soup is a yummy way to bring on spring! 🙂
Tiffany
This soup looks delicious! Asparagus is one of my favorites. I love how you topped it off with roasted spiced lemon chickpeas and pieces of asparagus.
Colleen
Thanks Tiffany. Asparagus is a favorite for me, too. And the chickpea topping is perfect for this soup!
Meymi-Pastry and Beyond
Sounds so healthy and looks delicious! I love that you use potatoes instead of heavy cream and make this recipe healthier:)
Colleen
Thanks Meymi! Healthy can actually taste best a lot of the time, and this soup is a good example. 🙂