Cream of asparagus soup is a dish that is often served in fine restaurants, but it’s not commonly made at home. It is prepared with fresh asparagus, chicken stock, and heavy cream. Incredibly rich, this decadent soup can be served hot or cold.
Like most recipes, to achieve the best flavor, be sure to use quality ingredients. In this case, you’ll need a couple of pounds of fresh asparagus stalks.
A good way to tell if the asparagus is good is to lightly squeeze the tip. If it’s mushy, the asparagus has started to break down and isn’t the best quality. Fresh stalks are vibrant green in color, should be firm, straight and relatively smooth. If the stalks limp, dull in color or wrinkled in appearance, discard it in the compost pile.
This delicious cream of asparagus soup is keto-friendly, loaded with flavor and freezes well. Serve it with crusty toasted bread with a touch of garlic butter. If you’re following a keto lifestyle, we recommend this keto bread!
Cream of Asparagus Soup
You’ll Need:
2 pounds Fresh Asparagus
1 large Vidalia onion, diced
1/2 tsp minced garlic
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 to 6 cups of chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream or crème fraîche
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
Salt & Pepper, to taste preference
Cut tips from 12 asparagus 1 1/2 inches from the top and halve tips lengthwise if thick. Reserve several for garnish.
Cut stalks and all remaining asparagus into 1/4-inch pieces.
Saute the onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until they begin to caramelize. Add asparagus pieces, minced garlic, and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add 5 cups broth and simmer, covered, until the asparagus is quite tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
While the soup simmers, cook the reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then drain.
Purée the soup in batches in a blender until smooth, transferring to a bowl (use caution when blending hot liquids), and return to the pan. Stir in the heavy cream, then add additional broth to thin soup to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
Bring soup to a boil. whisking in the remaining tablespoon of butter. Add lemon juice and garnish with the asparagus tips, serve immediately.
