Description
A creamy, savory asparagus soup made with fresh asparagus, green onions, spinach, and tangy lemon juice, blended smooth with cream cheese and seasoned with dill and Parmesan for a comforting and healthy starter or light meal.
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 3 green onions, 1 reserved for garnish
- 1 cup spinach
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
Liquids & Oil
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice (about half a lemon)
Cheese & Dairy
- ¼ cup cream cheese
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Seasonings
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dill
Instructions
- Prep: Wash and trim the asparagus, removing tough ends if necessary, then chop into smaller pieces. Chop green onions, reserving one whole green onion for garnish and mincing it finely. Mince fresh parsley and set aside.
- Combine and Sauté: In a small stock pot, toss the chopped asparagus and two of the green onions with olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Sauté over medium heat for about 8 minutes until the asparagus turns bright green. Reserve about ¼ cup of cooked asparagus spears chopped finely for garnish.
- Simmer: Add vegetable broth and lemon juice to the pot, bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat.
- Cool: Remove the pot from heat and allow the mixture to cool for 5 minutes before blending. This helps prevent splattering and preserves flavor.
- Blend: Transfer the asparagus mixture to a blender, adding cream cheese, spinach, and half of the minced parsley. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
- Combine and Heat: Pour the blended soup back into the stock pot, then stir in dill, the remaining parsley, reserved green onion, and reserved chopped asparagus. Whisk everything together and adjust seasoning by tasting and adding more salt or pepper if desired. Simmer on medium-low heat for an additional 5 minutes to meld flavors.
- Serve: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and top each serving with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Garnish with the reserved green onion and chopped asparagus pieces for added texture and visual appeal.
Notes
- For a dairy-free version, substitute cream cheese with a plant-based alternative or silken tofu.
- Use fresh lemon juice for best flavor impact; bottled lemon juice can be used in a pinch but may alter taste slightly.
- Sautéing the asparagus before simmering enhances its natural sweetness and deepens the flavor.
- Adjust salt according to your broth’s saltiness to avoid an overly salty soup.
- Leftover soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
