Asparagus Soup- a delicious combination of flavors that dazzles the palate. Simple, easy, this soup is elegant enough for spring gatherings and special events, yet easy enough for weeknight meals.
Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.~ Khalil Gibran
This Asparagus Soup with Fennel and Tarragon is such a delicious combination of flavors, the first spoonful, actually stunned me. The fennel and tarragon give the asparagus such a beautiful and unexpected twist.
The soup is lightened-up and made “creamy” with potatoes and a little sour cream, so it’s not overly rich, rather, just rich enough. The fennel oil elevates it to another level. It is not absolutely essential, but it is really tasty. I’m head over heels with this creamy asparagus soup. I think you will be too!
I hope your holiday weekend is filled with joy and connectedness. Wherever you are, may you feel the love that surrounds you. Each opening blossom and every unfurling leaf is a testament to this. Let yourself be bathed in it and held by it.
Each Spring, I feel this overwhelming thankfulness …that yes I get to witness the earth’s stunning rebirth, one more time. It truly is a gift, this being here, isn’t it?
How to Make Asparagus Soup:
- Saute onion and fennel and garlic in oil.
- Add water or stock and sliced potatoes, and simmer covered until potatoes are tender.
- Add asparagus, turn the heat up and return to a boil, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the herbs.
- Using an immersion blender, blend until silky smooth
- Return to the stove and heat gently whisk in Sour Cream.
- Season with salt and pepper
This recipe starts with fresh spring asparagus!
Always remember when blending warm soup, to blend it in small batches, and cover with a kitchen towel and hold the lid down with all your might, when turning the blender on.
Start with the lowest setting and increase speed gradually. This will help prevent a blender explosion.
The white cream is just sour cream thinned out with a bit of water and a pinch of salt, and put in a squeeze bottle ( or use yogurt). The oil drizzle is a fennel-infused oil, made with fennel fronds ( recipe below).
When garnishing, play around with the design, just have fun and create. These purple sprouts are in Trader Joe’s “microgreen mix” — I just pulled out the purple ones for a little pop of color.
You can also just drizzle the soup with a bit of olive oil.
I hope you enjoy this Asparagus soup! let me know what you think in the comments below!
More asparagus recipes you may like!
Asparagus Soup
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: soup
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: French
Description
Creamy Asparagus Soup with Fennel and Tarragon- a delicious combination of flavors that dazzles the palate. Simple, easy, this soup is elegant enough for spring gatherings and special events, yet easy enough for weeknight meals. See notes for vegan.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 large white or yellow onion, diced
- 1 small fennel bulb, cored and diced (or sub 2 cups celery)
- 2–3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic- rough chopped
- 1/2 pound yellow, yukon or white potatoes, sliced, thin skins OK
- 6 cups water or veggie stock or blend of both
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- ———
- 4 cups chopped fresh asparagus ( approx 1 1/2 lbs to start, then trim the tough ends off) plus a few “tips” for garnishing
- ——–
- 2–4 tablespoons fresh tarragon
- 1/4–1/2 cup fresh basil (or Italian parsley)
- 1/2 cup aour cream (don’t use non-fat, or sub 1/3 cup cashews- see notes)
- Garnish: blanched asparagus tips, sour cream ( water it down and whisk to thin it –for better swirling) Fennel oil ( optional–see below, you can also use olive oil)
Optional Fennel oil:
- 1 1/2 cups fennel fronds, chopped
- 1 cup Italian parsley
- 3/4 cup grapeseed or Light olive oil
- pinch salt
Instructions
- In a large heavy bottom pot, saute onion and fennel in 2 T oil over medium high heat, for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn heat to medium and continue cooking until softened, about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and saute for a couple more minutes, until garlic becomes fragrant. Add water or stock, salt and pepper, and sliced potatoes, and bring to a boil. If making this vegan, add 1/3 cup raw cashews to simmer along with potatoes.
- Cover, simmer on low 15-20 minutes until potatoes cooked through and are fork tender.
- Add asparagus, turn heat up and return to a boil, and cook for 2-3 minutes, until tender yet vibrant green. Don’t over cook or you will loose the lovely color. Remove from heat and let cool a bit.
- In batches (see warning above) blend soup until creamy and very very smooth, adding in the herbs. The herbs will give it this glorious color. Blend really well, so there are no specs of herbs but rather, let them tint the soup and make it very green.
- Return to the stove and heat gently (do not boil, or you will lose the lovely color).
- Whisk in ½ C Sour Cream if using. ( seen notes)
- Divide among bowls, garnish with a swirl of sour cream if you like, fennel oil, blanched asparagus tips, or fresh tarragon.
Notes
TIP : If you are using any other substitute for sour cream ( cashews or heavy cream) remember that sour cream has a good bit of tang, so you may need to add a little squeeze of lemon juice or a couple drops of white vinegar to balance the flavors. I have found that sour cream, has just the right balance of fat and acidity.
To make Fennel Oil :
- Place fennel fronds and parsley in a strainer, and dip in large pot of salted boiling water for 45 seconds to blanch. Remove and immediately cool in an ice water bath, to shock ( keeping it green)
- Drain, and squeeze dry with kitchen towels or paper towels to remove as much water as possible. Place in a blender, with just enough oil to cover, about ¾ Cup (or less is fine too), blend, adding a little more oil if necessary, to keep the blade turning. (Keep in mind, the less oil you use, the more flavorful this will be.) Blend for a full minute, until fairly smooth. Let this sit in the fridge, as long as possible, preferably overnight or even for a couple of days. Strain with a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Pour into a squeeze bottle. This keeps for a week or two in the fridge or can be frozen.
Nutrition
- Calories: 225
What is the purple garnish that show above?
Hi Laura, these are microgreens- it was a box of mixed microgreens, not positive of specific variety.
This is very good. I made it last Saturday along with the fennel oil which I am straining today. Have you tried freezing the soup?
Try freezing it without the sour cream. Add it after you thaw and heat up.
I made the soup for supper last night. I did have to substitute celery for the fennel, but my herb garden cooperated and supplied both tarragon and basil plus a bit of parsley! What a lovely soup it is, plus easy to make. We just left the asparagus tips off until the end and added them to the hot soup after blending. It added a nice crunch. Such a nice way to celebrate spring.
Perfect Edith! Love it!
What a great soup! Made it this afternoon and can’t wait til dinner to get to eat it. Thank you! Yet another great recipe from you. You have become a trusted and reliable source of so many of our dinners! Thank you 🙂
Thanks Jennifer- glad you are enjoying the blog!
I made this for St. Patrick’s Day and it was soooo good! In addition to asparagus, I added blanched kale, frozen peas, did leeks instead of onion and added celery in addition to the fennel. I did add lemon as suggested and it was perfect. Definitely a keeper!
Perfect Laura~!
Delicious!
Freezing in NY. We had to put the heat on for the Memorial Day weekend, start of summer. So soup was on order. Had the asparagus and all ingredients but the tarragon, so substituted dill and it turned out wonderful!
Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed!
Absolutely gorgeous and oh so very delicious!!! I agree with you … the combination of flavors dazzles the palette! Your blog and your recipes never fail to inspire and delight us! Thank you so much! I am ever so grateful to you!
thanks Debbie!
Simply delicious! Served with crunchy lentil pepita topping and everyone love it!
thanks Barbara!
Simply delicious!
This was sooooo good! Do you know if it freezes well?
I would freeze it without the sour cream. Add it after you thaw and heat up. 🙂
Yet another of your recipes “saved to PDF”! What I love about your recipes is that you always offer a substitute ingredient. Like in this case, I had everything in except fennel, but i did have celery!!! Perfect. Thank you
Excellent. Everyone loved it.
Really delicious. Wouldn’t change anything.
Thanks Hannah! Glad you enjoyed it!
Nice visiting your blog. Great pictures with informative cooking items. Keep it up!
Great recipe and love the instructions, really on point!
Hi Sylvia
I will like to prepare this gorgeous looking asparagus soup for a diner party . Can I prepare this soup like half a day in advance ? Will the green colour turn dull ?
It should be fine, just don’t boil too long when reheating. 😉
WOW! Looks delicious! Asparagus is a healthy food, I made this last night, exactly as written. It was delicious!
Look so beautiful and tasty, i will try it this weekend <3 Thank for share Sylvia <3
Thanks Susan… let me know how you like it!
this is absolutely gorgeous- that color! do you think this would be okay served chilled?
Thanks Ellen,that is a great question…I’ve never tried it cold! If you do, let me know what you think!!
This is a gorgeous spring soup! I’m always looking for new ways to use tarragon, and I think that this is a great idea!
This is stunning and looks sounds absolutely delicious!
Made this for dinner last night, so delicious! Tried to use an immersion blender and couldn’t get rid of a few flecks of green (still tasted great though). I also added some sautéed shrimp to make it a little heartier. It was really beautiful to look at, too 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
Love that you added shrimp…great idea… I will have try!
And ….I also used an immersion blender …had little bits there too– so I ended up pouring it into regular blender to get it smooth. 😉
This is really gorgeous. The color, the platting, the flavors – I’m in love with it all! And I’m excited to try fennel oil. I bet it’s great on so many things!
What beautiful color – can’t wait to prepare this lovely soup!