Description
Make use of your asparagus by making this delicious springtime soup. It is super rich and creamy without any milk or cream.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 bunches of asparagus (about 2 pounds), washed and dried
- 1 yellow onion, cut into wedges and layers separated
- 2 tablespoons grape seed oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil*
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- Juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare the asparagus by snapping off each end where it naturally breaks. Discard the woody, tough ends; we don’t want that in our soup. Snap the remainder of the asparagus into 1 inch pieces. Place them onto a large rimmed baking sheet along with the onion wedges.
- Add the grapeseed oil, sea salt and pepper and toss the veggies with your hands until they are well coated with the oil and seasonings. Spread the veggies evenly onto the baking sheet. They can be snug but not on top of each other; otherwise they will steam. Separate them onto two separate baking sheets if needed.
- Roast in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping the asparagus halfway through to ensure even cooking. The asparagus should be slightly charred and tender, but not overcooked and mushy. Once they are done cooking pull the veggies out of the oven and set aside.
- Heat up a medium-sized stock pot on medium-low heat and melt the butter. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant and slightly browned. Do not allow the garlic to burn. Once the garlic is done sautéing, immediately add in the vegetable stock and turn the heat up to high.
- Add the asparagus and onion mixture. Reserve a few tips of the asparagus for garnish, if desired. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the large asparagus pieces are tender enough to be smashed against the wall of the pot with a wooden spoon.
- Once the asparagus is tender remove the pot from the heat. Using an immersion blender puree the soup until thoroughly smooth.
- Alternately, you can transfer the soup to a blender, pureeing in batches if needed. Make sure that you only fill the blender half full. Leave the lid askew and cover with a kitchen towel to prevent any splashing. These precautions help to prevent the lid from blowing off when the air in the blender expands after being sucked down by the blades and heated by the hot liquid. Puree until smooth and return to the stock pot.
- Turn the heat back on to medium-low. Stir in the freshly grated Parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Add sea salt and pepper to taste, very gradually. The veggies were well seasoned before roasting them, so you may not need to add much salt. I added plenty of black pepper!
- Once the soup is heated through serve immediately and garnish with the reserved asparagus tips and black pepper, if desired. This soup is perfect served as an appetizer or side soup to any meal.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days.
Notes
*Do not use olive oil for roasting the veggies. Olive oil has a low smoke point and will not hold up to the high heat of the oven. Grape seed oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil all have higher smoke points.
