Asparagus Soup
One the nice things about Soup (like Asparagus soup), is you can make a great one in very little time, and with just a few ingredients. Soups also provide a great demonstration of various techniques, which is what NoRecipeRequired is all about. In this video, I show you how to make an Asparagus soup, but I can almost guaranteed you, that I’ve never made it exactly like this before. Rather, I use some basic fundamentals of soup making, along with whatever is in my fridge and pantry. Yes, you need asparagus for asparagus soup, and probably an onion, but other than that, you can be pretty loose. Hope you enjoy the version below…and hope you feel free to experiment. Enjoy.
Recipe Overview & Keys to Success
For this asparagus soup (and many other soups) I think you need to watch a few things:
- Use a good chicken stock. Either homemade, of if you buy it, buy the low sodium kind, or your soup may end up being too salty
- Don’t skimp on the asparagus; use a good amount if you really want the flavors to shine through
- Blending the soup gives it a nice creamy, rich texture without much cream. I like that; but you can keep it chunky for a more rustic feel.
- Finally, (and this is a long one) think about layers of flavor for this (and just about any) asparagus soup. At its simplest form, you can make asparagus soup with water and asparagus; and it will taste…like asparagus. But that’s what I’d refer to as “one note”…ie not a rich harmony of flavor, which is really key to great soup. Using a good chicken stock adds another note. In this recipe, some onion, some thyme, some bacon, add other notes. You don’t need to use the same ingredients I use, but do think you need to layer in other flavors to get a more complex and more rewarding flavor.
Ingredients for Asparagus Soup (for 4)
- 1 piece of thick slice bacon cut into lardons
- 1 yellow onion – coarsely chopped
- 1 bunch of fresh asparagus
- ½ tablespoon of thyme
- 2 cloves of garlic coarsely chopped
- 1.5 quarts of chicken stock
- 1/4 cup of heavy cream
- 1 cup of baby spinach
- 1 lemon
- Salt & pepper
Asparagus Soup
- Add about a teaspoon of olive oil to a soup pot over medium heat and add the sliced bacon
- Saute the bacon until crisp
- Add the chopped onion and garlic and continue to sauté until the onions are soft and translucent
- Add the thyme
- Season with salt and pepper
- Remove the bottom 1 – 2 inches of the asparagus, and chop the remaining stalks into pieces about 2 inches long
- Add them to the pot along with the chicken stock
- Bring everything to a simmer, and cook for 4 – 5 minutes, or until the asparagus is just tender
- Add the spinach to the soup; you can omit the spinach if you’d like; however it gives the soup a brighter, green color
- Let the spinach cook until wilted – about a minute
- Blend the soup using a stick blender (or a real blender – but be very careful with hot liquids and work in batches)
- Once blended add the cream, and a squeeze of lemon juice (about a tablespoon spoon) and taste; adjust the salt and pepper if needed
- Serve and enjoy!
This is a great soup in spring when the asparagus is fresh and tasty. You can serve it either hot or cold, with a garnish like garlic croutons, chopped chive, or sour cream….and you can feel good about chowing down, because it’s super healthy too. Leave me a comment and let me know how it goes.
Enjoy!!
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