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Cream of Asparagus Soup

This Cream of Asparagus Soup recipe is restaurant elegant, rich and creamy, yet made without any heavy cream or flour!  It's simple, make-ahead friendly, and can be served as a warm, cozy, comforting appetizer, light lunch or dinner without ANY guilt! This Asparagus Soup recipe is made by simmering asparagus with sautéed onions, garlic and broth, puréeing to rich and silky-smooth perfection, then elevating with nutty, freshly grated Parmesan, a touch of vibrant lemon juice, fresh dill, fresh basil (may sub dried), and a generous dose of Greek yogurt for a velvety finish.  It's a taste of spring in every spoonful and sure to be a crowd pleaser!
Course Appetizer, Main Dish
Cuisine French
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
  • 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • 2 bunches asparagus (about 2 pounds) woody ends discarded, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (may sub vegetable broth)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 tsp EACH pepper, dried thyme
  • 1 TBS EACH minced fresh dill, minced fresh basil (may sub 1 tsp EACH dried)
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup 2% or full fat Greek yogurt (do not use fat free or it's likely to curdle)

Instructions

  • Melt the butter in the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. We are sweating the onions, they shouldn’t brown, reduce the heat if necessary. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté 30 seconds.
  • Add the asparagus, chicken broth, salt, pepper and dried thyme. If using dried dill and/or basil, add now; if using fresh, hold for later. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 35-45 minutes, or until the asparagus is very tender.
  • Working in batches, transfer the soup to a high powered blender and puree until smooth, being careful to let smoke escape or it will explode (I remove the fill cap and cover with a paper towel). ***Using a blender will give you a MUCH smoother, creamier soup than an immersion blender, but you may use an immersion blender if you wish.
  • Transfer the pureed soup back to the pot and turn heat to low. Add the Parmesan, followed by the fresh herbs; stir until the Parmesan has melted. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice until smooth, followed by the Greek yogurt.
  • Season to taste with additional salt/pepper/lemon juice etc. If you'd like the soup thinner, stir in additional broth. Serve warm.

Notes

  • Reserve some asparagus tips for garnish: This is optional, but I like to reserve some asparagus tips, blanch them for a couple minutes, then transfer to a water bath so they stop cooking and retain their vibrant color.
  • Choose fresh, thin or medium asparagus: Fresh asparagus will give your soup a bright, vibrant flavor. Look for stalks that are firm and bright green and thin to medium in thickness for the best flavor and texture. Thicker asparagus have a tendency to become stingy when pureed.
  • Discard the woody tough ends: Bend the asparagus and discard the woody ends at the snapping point. If you don't discard all of the tough ends, the soup will be stringy, even after pureeing.
  • Don't overcook the asparagus: Cook the asparagus until tender, but not beyond that. Overcooking asparagus can cause it to lose its flavor.
  • Use fresh aromatics: While powders are a usually great shortcut, onion powder does not work in this recipe. We need fresh onions because their natural sweetness is enhanced as they are sweated until softened.
  • Use higher fat Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt works best in this recipe because it’s much thicker than regular yogurt. You’ll need to use either 2% or full-fat Greek yogurt for the richest, creamiest soup. Low-fat Greek yogurt will curdle and the soup won’t become as creamy. 
  • To store and reheat:  Store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The soup can also be frozen for up to 3 months.  Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then gently reheat on the stove.