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Asparagus Leek Soup with Parmesan

Asparagus Leek Soup with Parmesan Cheese makes the perfect spring soup - fresh, healthy, delicious, and easy to make. Serve it hot, warm, or chilled.

bowl of leek asparagus soup

This is creamy Asparagus Leek Soup is perfect for springtime and early summer. Both leeks and asparagus are in season, so this soup will will taste extra fresh, and the vibrant green color will make you feel so good about eating something so healthy and loaded with nutrients. Be sure to also check out the rest of my favorite spring soups.

Related recipe: Sweet Potato Leek Soup

Chilled asparagus soup?

The best part about this soup is that it can be eaten hot, warm, or chilled. This means you can enjoy a hot bowl of soup on a chilly spring afternoon, but you can also serve it chilled in the summer as a light lunch. 

I am a fan of chilled soup. It's like a savory veggie-packed smoothie bowl. 

There are lots of ways to customize this soup with various toppings and add-ins. Keep reading!

leek and asparagus soup in bowls

Related recipe: Grilled Asparagus Salad

Asparagus

Asparagus is in abundance during spring time. Its price goes down significantly when it's in season -  farmer's markets and grocery stores both sell it for as low as $2 per pound during this time!

Here is a really good guide on how to pick out asparagus. Basically, don't worry if the asparagus stalks are thin or chunky. Just make sure the asparagus is not woody, and make sure that the tips are fresh and not mushy.

Related recipe: Lemony Asparagus Side Dish

Leeks

Leeks are like giant green onions and they give this soup so much flavor. Their oniony flavor mellows out as the leeks saute for a few minutes with garlic, so don't worry - this soup will not taste strongly of leeks or onions.

How to clean leeks: Leeks can trap a lot of dirt in their layers. You really want to make sure you clean leeks really well to get all the dirt out. The best way to clean leeks is to chop them, then rinse the chopped leeks in a large bowl several times, draining off the dirty water. 

If you wash the leeks before chopping them, you might not get all the dirty out from between the layers.

Related recipe: Cauliflower Leek Risotto

How to make asparagus leek soup

You'll start with sauteing chopped leeks and minced garlic. This will caramelize them slightly and bring out their natural sweetness.

Then you'll add the vegetable stock and asparagus, and cook for 10-15 minutes. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice (I love this citrus squeezer from Oxo, I've had it for almost 15 years!).

That's pretty much it for the cooking part! Super easy.

Related recipe: Roasted Asparagus with Crispy Topping

Now blend it up!

An industrial strength blender, such as a Vitamix or a Blendtec, is best for pureeing asparagus soup into a super smooth, silky soup. I have this blentec and I absolutely love it. It has never failed me, and I've blended raw carrots into a smooth drink using this thing. 

So the next step is letting the soup cool a little and transferring it to a blender to puree it as much as you like. 

Once pureed, sprinkle the soup with some freshly grated Parmesan (or leave it off for a vegan option), and enjoy!

Related recipe: Pulled Pork Asparagus Pizza

No Blendtec or Vitamix?

You can still make this soup even if you don't have a fancy-pants industrial strength blender. You can use a regular blender, an immersion blender, or a powerful food processor to puree this soup.

If your soup does not turn out silky smooth after blending, you can pass the pureed soup through a mesh strainer that is set up over a large pot to catch the soup underneath. Just use a large spoon or ladle to press the asparagus pulp into the mesh so that you squeeze all the delicious soup through the strainer.

Other toppings for asparagus soup

Try one of these toppings or add-ins to spruce up your soup. You can even have a little "asparagus soup bar" where everyone gets to choose their favorite additions:

  • Crumbled bacon
  • Fresh herbs, such as dill or parsley
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • Stir in a dollop of sour cream or coconut cream
  • Toasted pepitas
  • A sprinkle of nutritional yeast
  • Hemp seeds

Looking for more pureed soup recipes? Try these reader favorites:

I'd love to hear from you if you end up making this asparagus soup! Please leave me a comment and let me know how you liked it. And don't forget to leave a rating in the recipe card and pin this recipe for later on Pinterest!

leek asparagus soup pinterest graphic

bowl of leek asparagus soup
Print Recipe
4.80 from 20 votes

Asparagus Leek Soup with Parmesan Cheese

This Asparagus Leek Soup with Parmesan Cheese is the perfect spring soup - fresh, healthy, delicious, and easy to make. Serve it hot, warm, or chilled.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Cool down time15 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 large bowls
Author: Kate
Cost: $9

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium leek - , diced (about 2 cups), rinsed well
  • 2 garlic cloves - , minced
  • 2 lb asparagus - (about 2 bunches) ends discarded and chopped into 1-2 inch pieces
  • 4 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice - (from about ½ lemon)
  • 1 cup water - optional
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ teaspoon salt - (up to 1 teaspoon, to taste)
  • freshly ground black pepper - , to taste

Instructions

  • In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil and add the chopped leek and minced garlic. Saute over medium heat for about 7-10 minutes, or until the leek starts to soften.  
  • Add the asparagus and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the asparagus is very tender. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice. Allow the soup to cool a bit before blending.
  • Carefully transfer the soup to a blender (reserve a few asparagus tips for garnish, if you like!), and process until the soup is smooth and creamy. If it is too thick for your liking, add water in small increments and blend again (up to 1 cup water). Add the grated Parmesan cheese and pulse for 1-2 seconds to mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
  • Garnish with additional grated Parmesan cheese. Serve hot, warm, or chilled. 

Notes

If your blender or food processor is not strong enough to puree the soup without leaving any asparagus bits,, you might need to pass the soup through a mesh strainer that is set up over a large pot. Use the back of a large spoon or ladle to press the asparagus pulp into the strainer to squeeze out all the soup.
I recommend a blendtec blender - it is an industrial-strength blender can handle asparagus with no issues.

Nutrition

Calories: 163kcal (8%) | Carbohydrates: 16g (5%) | Protein: 8g (16%) | Fat: 9g (14%) | Saturated Fat: 2g (10%) | Cholesterol: 6mg (2%) | Sodium: 1336mg (56%) | Potassium: 498mg (14%) | Fiber: 5g (20%) | Sugar: 7g (8%) | Vitamin A: 2640IU (53%) | Vitamin C: 17mg (21%) | Calcium: 140mg (14%) | Iron: 5mg (28%)

The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.

Comments or questions about the recipe?
Recipe Rating




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Christina

Saturday 22nd of April 2023

This was so good. I roasted the asparagus and garlic (not taken out of that paperish covering) at 425 for about 10 minutes, then added the leeks. I let thing caramelize slightly, then followed the recipe.

Kate

Monday 24th of April 2023

This soup sounds really good with roasted/caramelized leeks and asparagus!

Diane Demura

Wednesday 15th of March 2023

This soup is bright and delicious. I used frozen asparagus, because it’s what I had and it worked great. Next time I will purée in the blender. This time I used an immersion blender and it is not as smooth as I’d like.

Kate

Thursday 16th of March 2023

Ooh frozen asparagus is a great idea for this soup! And yes, a strong blender is best.

Rebecca

Wednesday 14th of April 2021

I made this for my family’s Monday Night Dinner when we all get together. It was delicious, hearty yet fresh, very easy to make any everyone enjoyed it. Some even raved about it afterward. If you’re feeding large servings to more than 4 people consider doubling the recipe.

Kate

Wednesday 14th of April 2021

I am so glad to hear that, Rebecca!

CakeSpy

Wednesday 3rd of June 2015

I'm just gonna say it: this looks so worth your pee smelling weird. The combo of leek, asparagus, and rich parmesan sounds incredible.

Kate

Sunday 7th of June 2015

Luckily I am one of those people who can't detect that smell! So I just get to eat yummy asparagus without the unpleasant side effects. :)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/31/asparagus-pee_n_6077006.html

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