Vegan Asparagus Soup Recipe
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.
Servings: 6
Calories: 117kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds asparagus
- extra virgin olive oil for the pan
- ½ cup roughly chopped yellow onion
- 2 teaspoons roughly chopped garlic
- ¾ cup (approximately ⅓ pound) roughly chopped and peeled Russet potato
- 2 tablespoons water
- ¼ cup sherry (dry, medium or cream)
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- ⅓ cup cashew cream (optional)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Prep Asparagus
- Wash and dry the asparagus. Cut off the tough bottom portions of the asparagus spears -- about 3-inches. It should "snap" off at the right place if you use your hands. Discard the tough portions and 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 asparagus to the rack, turn the heat to low and cover. Steam until tender, about 8 minutes, depending on how thick the spears are. (They should not be too soft, just tender.) 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 will stop it from cooking any further and help to keep the bright color. Drain again and pat dry with a kitchen towels.
Cook Onions, Garlic and Potatoes
- 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 the 2 tablespoons of water, turn the heat to low, cover, and let them 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.
Blend
- 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. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and sherry vinegar, and then season to taste with salt and pepper. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)If desired, add the cashew cream when you add the lemon and vinegar, for a thicker, richer texture.
- Serve hot, warm or chilled.
Notes
Nutritional information is only an estimate.
*It's pretty to add a few asparagus tips, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of black pepper for garnish. (The asparagus should be steamed first -- just set a few aside before blending the soup.)
Nutrition
Calories: 117kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 634mg | Potassium: 510mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1478IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 4mg