Vegan Asparagus Soup

When asparagus hits the markets, it's a sign spring has arrived, and this delicious Vegan Asparagus Soup celebrates its vibrant flavor to the fullest. Served hot or cold, with a quick trick, you can keep the asparagus its vibrant green color -- even after it's cooked and blended.

What makes this Vegan Asparagus Soup unique? Well for starters, it's bright green!

Let me explain . . .

I used to make this soup in one pot, cooking the asparagus with the other ingredients and simmering it in the stock, the way many asparagus soups are made. The result was a lovely and tasty soup, but the color was dull and yellowish.

I've since tested the recipe several ways before mastering how to keep the beautiful bright color. Without compromising on the delicious refreshing flavor, of course.

In this version the asparagus is steamed on its own, and then "shocked" in ice water before it combines with the other ingredients. This keeps the gorgeous bright green color and stops the cooking process.

Unlike the majority of my recipes, it's not made in just one pot. It's a two-pot recipe. 😉

Jump to:

• The Ingredients
• Substitutions and Variations
• Recipe Tips
• Making it Ahead
• Serving Suggestions
• How to Make it
• More Vegan Asparagus Recipes
• Vegan Asparagus Soup Recipe

The Ingredients

• fresh asparagus - You can use either thin or thick asparagus spears for this soup. However, the steaming times in the recipe card below are for thick asparagus. For thinner asparagus, the steaming time will be shorter. Select spears that are firm with closed tips.
• extra virgin olive oil
• onion - Try to choose onions that are firm, heavy for their size and without bruises.
• garlic - Look for firm heads of garlic without any soft spots or green shoots, which are an indication it's old and likely bitter. (Pro tip: if there are green shoots in your garlic cloves, slice them in half, lengthwise, and remove the green root with the tip of a knife. The rest of the clove should still be good.)
• Russet potato - The potato helps to thicken the soup. Choose potatoes that are firm, smooth and free of sprouts. (You'll only need a small one for this recipe.)
• sherry - Dry, medium or cream are all okay. It's used to deglaze the pan after the onions, garlic and potatoes cook. It also adds a delicious nut-like sweet flavor.
• vegetable stock - For asparagus soup recipe, the lighter the stock the better. This helps the asparagus flavor shine, and with a stock that's rich and dark, the color of the soup will be darker.
• sherry vinegar - A splash of vinegar adds both brightness and depth of flavor.
• lemon juice - I always use Meyer lemons when given the option. Meyer lemons are a touch less tart and a touch sweeter. And with a thinner skin and fewer seeds, they are incredibly juicy. Like the vinegar, citrus adds depth and brightness.
• cashew cream - This is optional. While keeping the soup vegan, it adds a rich and creamy element to the texture, and a subtle nutty flavor. Here's how to make it.
• salt
• black pepper - Preferably freshly ground.

(See recipe card below for quantities.)

Substitutions and Variations

• Russet potato. Yukon Golds or Dutch Yellows are also good potato options.
• Sherry. The sherry can be replaced with white wine. If you'd like to omit it all together, make up the difference with more vegetable stock.
• Vegetable stock. While I think vegetable stock is best, it's okay to substitute with water if you don't have it. And if keeping it vegan isn't important to you, chicken stock is a great alternative.
• Sherry vinegar. Either red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar can be used instead of the sherry vinegar.
• Cashew Cream. Coconut cream is a really nice vegan alternative for this soup.
• Non vegan version. If you're going for the extra creamy vibe and it doesn't matter if it's vegan, instead of cashew cream, you can use heavy cream.
• Add-ins. Caramelized onion, crispy quinoa, Sherry Mushrooms, roasted peppers and roasted parsnips, would all be delicious things to add into the soup.

Recipe Tips

• The color of the vegetable stock you use will in part determine the color of you soup. If you're using a darker stock, dilute it with water (1 part stock, 1 part water). The final color of the soup will likely vary slightly from cook to cook.
• If the asparagus steams for too long, it looses its brightness. So it's important to check it on the early side. With the prongs of a fork, it's easy to test how tender it is. We want it just tender, not soft.
• As I mentioned in the Ingredients above, the cashew cream is optional. It will make the soup a bit thicker, richer, and slightly creamier. I think it's delicious both ways.

Making it Ahead

• This soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days, and in the freezer for up to a month.
• I actually like the flavor best the day after it's made.
• Please keep in mind the bright green color will dull over time.

Serving Suggestions

It's a great first course soup, part of a meal or a light meal on it's own.

• You can make a lovely meal by adding a hearty salad, like Mexican Chopped Salad or Cucumber Grapefruit Avocado Salad.
• Vegan Mushroom Pasta and this garbanzo bean dish with charred broccoli are also excellent choices for an even heartier meal.
• And if keeping the meal vegan isn't important to you, it's fantastic with a light bread like Cauliflower Bread or Garlic-Herb Bread.

How to Make it

- Wash and dry the asparagus. Cut off the tough ends of the asparagus spears -- about 3-inches or so. It should actually "snap" off at the right place if you use your hands. Discard the tough portions, roughly chop the spears. 



- Set up a steamer on the stove with water just beneath a rack and bring it to a boil. Add the chopped asparagus to the rack, turn the heat to low and cover. Steam only until they're tender, about 8 minutes, depending on how thick the spears are.

- While the asparagus is steaming, prepare a large bowl of ice water. 



- Drain the asparagus and "shock" it by placing it in the bowl of ice-water for about 3 minutes. (This stops the cooking process and help to keep the bright color.)

- Drain again and pat dry with a kitchen towel. 



- Lightly coat the bottom of a large soup pot with olive oil and place it over medium high heat. Add the onions and garlic, and stirring often, cook until soft, about 5 minutes. 



- Add the potatoes, stir, and cook for about 1 minute. Then add 2 tablespoons of water, turn the heat to low, cover, and steam for about 6 minutes. Test the potatoes with a fork -- they should be tender.



- Add the sherry, turn the heat up and stir. Cook until the sherry is just about gone, about 2 minutes. 



- Add the prepared asparagus to a powerful blender. Pour in the vegetable stock and add the potato-onion mixture. Blend on high until it's very smooth and then pour it back into the pot where the potatoes cooked, and place it over medium heat.

- Heat just until hot. Stir in the lemon juice and sherry vinegar, and then season to taste with salt and pepper.

- Serve hot, warm or chilled.

* If desired, add the cashew cream when you add the lemon and vinegar, for a thicker, richer texture, more like a cream of asparagus.



More Vegan Asparagus Recipes

• Purple Asparagus with Lime and Shallots
• White Asparagus with Lemon and Dill
• Grilled Lemon Asparagus in Foil

I hope you try and love Vegan Asparagus Soup as much as I do!

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