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Forget to wear green? Try this soup on for size

Whether or not you plan on wearing green this St. Patrick’s Day, it never hurts to have a little green soup on hand. Who knows, you just might end up wearing it on your face or shirt from slurping it up!

This asparagus soup is an easy and delicious way to celebrate the beginning of spring. Adding the potato helps make the soup creamy without the addition of any dairy, so this recipe fits well within any diet, even vegan or plant-based.

Servings: 6

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 pounds asparagus (~2 bunches)
  • 1 medium leek, white and light green parts only
  • 1 small shallot
  • 1 medium Yukon Gold potato
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
  • 3 cups water
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Combine the vegetable stock, water, thyme, and bay leaf in a medium saucepan and start to bring a boil. 
  2. Grab one of the asparagus stalks and bend it until it snaps into two pieces. This is the natural breaking point and tells you where the fibrous stalk becomes tender. Trim the root ends from the remaining asparagus to roughly match one you snapped. Add all of the root ends to the stock, bring to a boil, and let simmer while you chop the remaining vegetables.
  3. Cut the rest of the asparagus into one-inch pieces, leaving the tip ends intact. Trim the root off of the leek, cut it in half lengthwise, and rinse away any dirt. 
  4. Roughly chop the leek, shallot, and potato into half-inch pieces. Mince the garlic.
  5. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat for a couple minutes and then add the olive oil. 
  6. When the oil is hot add the leek, shallot, and potato and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until the alliums are translucent and the potato is softening. You can prevent browning by covering with a lid or turning the heat down slightly as needed.
  7. Stir in the garlic and, once fragrant, strain the simmering stock into the pot with the vegetables. Discard the asparagus root ends, thyme, and bay leaf. 
  8. Add the chopped asparagus to the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. If you want, remove a few asparagus tips after 3 minutes and reserve these for garnish. 
  9. Turn off the heat after 5-7 minutes of total simmering time. 
  10. Stir in the lemon juice, salt to taste, and a few grinds of black pepper.
  11. Puree the soup in two batches using a blender, food mill, or food processor. Remember to remove the cap from the blender lid or the food pusher from the food processor when pureeing hot liquids. If you plan on serving the soup at a later time (it is good chilled, too!), chill the soup using an ice bath to help retain the vibrant green color. 
  12. Here is a tip for making all of your soups as creamy as possible without using cream: Using a slotted spoon, scoop about half of the solids into your blender jar. Next, ladle about 1 cup of liquid into the blender, cover with lid (cap removed), and puree, first on low speed for 20-30 seconds then on high speed for 20-30 seconds. Next, ladle in additional liquid until you’ve used roughly half of the liquid and continue to blend on high until silky smooth. Pour this batch into another pot or bowl and repeat with the remaining soup. 
  13. Combine all of the soup, taste for seasoning, and serve.

Nutrition Information (per serving)

  • Calories: 113
  • Total fat: 5 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
  • Sodium: 159 mg
  • Potassium: 463 mg
  • Total carbohydrate: 16 g
  • Fiber: 4.7 g
  • Sugars: 5 g
  • Protein: 5 g

Contributor

Benjamin Maring, MD

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