It really seems like in every season you need to have a go-to pureed soup. They’re usually super easy and healthy, and are the perfect companion to a grilled cheese or some crusty french bread. Summer is perfect for a homemade tomato soup, fall is the obvious butternut squash, and in winter you’ve got your thick and creamy potato. So spring may seem like it has to be pea, but if that’s not your vibe, (cough, me), asparagus is where it’s at!
If you’re still not convinced asparagus soup will ever hit the spot, I hear you, but once you put into the equation sweet sautéed onions, broth, parmesan, and white wine, things start to look up! Not to mention, we’ll top this with the crunchiest parmesan-coated and lemony homemade croutons and I promise you this will be more than satisfying.
Now you probably don’t need me to tell you that the main ingredient is asparagus, so you’re going to want to find some extra green and good quality stalks.
One of the essential parts to sweetening up the acidic asparagus is the sautéed onions. While sometimes I catch myself rushing during this step of a recipe, if you really do go by the “low and slow” method you will thank yourself when you bring all that natural sweetness out of the chopped onions. So add a little olive oil to a large dutch oven and sauté away.
Once the garlic and asparagus are added and softened up just a bit, it’s time to add the broth and let everything simmer away. It may seem odd, but I used chicken broth as I love the flavor it brings, but you can definitely use vegetable broth or anything else you have on hand.
No offense to the asparagus, but the croutons are what make this recipe and I refuse to deny it. They key to these is cutting up sourdough bread into 1/2 inch cubes. Why you ask? Well, the smaller the cube, the more croutons you’ll have to add to your soup, which is really the goal here.
Once they’re tossed with some olive oil and popped in the oven until they’re nice and crispy, the second key to these is to immediately toss them in the freshly shredded parmesan and lemon zest. When they’re still warm from the oven, the parmesan is sure to get slightly melty and coat the croutons, which is obviously ideal.
Once the asparagus is softened it’s time to pull out the tried and true immersion blender. If you don’t have one you can transfer the soup to a regular blender and it will work just as well. Once you’ve got a nice puree, it’s as easy as adding some seasoning, grated parmesan, and white wine. Trust me with the white wine, you’ll love that hint of flavor.
Add the soup to some bowls, top with the croutons, and sprinkle with extra parmesan, lemon zest, and some chopped chives. Enjoy this springy and satisfying healthy meal!
An easy, healthy, and quick late-spring asparagus soup topped with crunchy and cheesy croutons and bright lemon zest.
Servings: 4
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for the croutons.
2. In a large dutch oven or saucepan, heat olive oil over low heat. Add chopped onions and sautée, stirring often until very soft, 15-20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, chop tough ends off asparagus and discard. Cut stalks into 1 inch pieces.
4. Add garlic to pot and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Add chopped asparagus, season with salt and pepper, and saute until asparagus begin to soften, 5-6 minutes.
5. Increase heat to medium and add broth. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until asparagus is very soft. Meanwhile, makes the croutons below.
6. Using an immersion blender, blend soup until pureed. Season with additional black pepper, and stir in parmesan, cayenne, and white wine. Simmer for an additional 3-4 minutes.
7. Ladle in bowls and top with croutons, additional parmesan, lemon zest, and chives.
1. Slice sourdough into 1/2 inch cubes, toss with olive oil and spread on foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in oven until golden brown, tossing once partway through.
2. Add lemon zest and parmesan to a medium bowl. Remove croutons from oven and immediately toss in bowl until croutons are coated. Tent with foil to keep warm.
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