Few things are as delicious as a velvety bowlful of keto Cream of Asparagus Soup. With a bright color and luscious flavor, this is a top pick for all asparagus lovers. This article will guide you through mastering the art of making this soup.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This keto cream of asparagus soup is a perfect choice for a quick and healthy low-carb lunch or dinner. It's easy to make, flavorful, and can be adapted to various dietary needs. This creamy asparagus soup recipe is also the perfect way to celebrate the fresh, vibrant flavors of spring. It takes only a handful of ingredients and 30 minutes to make. And it's dairy-free too!
The Asparagus Predicament
Asparagus soup is easy to get wrong. It can be the color of dishwater, lack flavor, and be boring and bland. This soup was a nemesis for years! Even professional chefs can have problem dishes.
Selecting the Perfect Asparagus
Asparagus is usually sold in bundles. Look for bundles of asparagus that are about the same thickness. Thicker or thinner it doesn’t matter. What’s more important is to look for bright green asparagus that isn’t wilted. Also look for asparagus that doesn’t have a significant amount of white or grey toward the cut end. You’re paying by the pound, and usually the whiteish ends are discarded.
Washing Asparagus Properly
Asparagus grows up from under the dirt, so those brushy tips can get full of dirt. Buying asparagus with firmly closed tips is going to save you some trouble with grit, but you still need to wash the asparagus spears thoroughly to remove any sand. After snapping the ends off the asparagus (save them for this soup recipe!), hold the spears under running water, brushy tip up. The force of the water should dislodge most of the sand. Fill a large bowl or pot with enough water that the asparagus are floating at the top with at least an inch of water between them and the bottom of the bowl. Swish that asparagus around for a minute. Let the water settle. Now reach into the bowl and feel the bottom of the bowl for any sediment.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Crafting the Keto Cream of Asparagus Soup
Here's how to make this delightful soup, step by step.
Ingredients
- Asparagus (fresh or frozen)
- Bone broth or chicken broth (vegetable broth for vegetarian option)
- Butter
- Shallot
- Garlic
- Heavy cream or coconut cream (for dairy-free option)
- Lemon juice
- Dried thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: Xanthan gum for thickening, fresh dill and chives for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the Asparagus: Wash the asparagus and snap off the ends. Reserve the ends. Cut the asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the brushy tops.
- Make Asparagus Broth: Add the snapped ends to a medium-size soup pot along with 2 cups of water and 1 peeled and halved shallot. Bring this to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes. Then, remove the lid and bring to a quick boil and reduce by half. Remove the chunks and set the broth aside. This super-concentrated asparagus broth is going to be the main flavor component of your soup.
- Sauté Aromatics: Meanwhile, slice the remaining shallot and add it to a skillet with the butter and garlic. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the shallot is tender. Scrape all this buttery goodness into the soup pot. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat until all melted.
- Simmer the Soup: Add the chicken broth, all but 1/4 cup of 1-inch long asparagus tips, and the dried thyme to the pot and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 12-15 minutes or until the asparagus is super-soft. Add the cooked shallot to the reserved asparagus broth. Add the chicken broth, remaining asparagus, and cooked shallot/garlic mixture to the pot and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the asparagus is super tender and soft.
- Puree the Soup: Use an immersion blender to puree this mixture, and when smooth, whisk in the cream and lemon juice. Turn off the heat and use an immersion blender to puree the soup. I like to then pass it through a fine mesh sieve to make the soup extra smooth and silky.
- Finish and Season: Season with salt and pepper and bring it back up to a boil then serve. Add the cream and lemon juice and whisk well to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Heat the soup through over medium heat and thicken with xanthan gum (optional).
- Garnish: Save a few asparagus tips for a garnish makes a pretty finish. Blanch the tips (bring water to a boil then drop in the tips and boil for 1 minute then remove and chill), and add them at the end before serving. Blanch the reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water, for about 1 minute. Just before serving, drizzle some olive oil on top of the plated soup to serve (1 2/3 to 2 cups per serving).
Variations and Tips
- Vegetarian Option: Make this soup vegetarian by swapping the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
- Dairy-Free: For a dairy-free version, use coconut milk or original flavor Nutpods instead of heavy cream.
- Thickening: If you don’t mind an extra carb or two, thicken your soup with a cornstarch slurry. This is a combination of 2 tbsp of cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp of water. Or, use 1/2 tsp of xanthan gum. Whisk it in after the heat is turned off. You’ll need to let your soup sit for 3-4 minutes to fully thicken. Xanthan gum takes a few minutes to reach its full thickening potential. Resist the urge to add more!
- Asparagus Tips: Save snapped off asparagus tips from other meals to make this soup. Just wash them and pop them into a freezer bag and keep them until you’re ready to make soup.
- Cheese: A flurry of freshly grated Parmesan is a wonderful touch. Or melt some brie cheese in the soup.
- Herbs: The garnishes of fresh dill and chives elevate this soup to something truly special, so don't leave them out.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Add the frozen asparagus (straight from frozen) and the bone broth to your instant pot.
- Close with the lid, and make sure the vent is at SEALING. Cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 1 minute. Will take about 10-15 minutes to reach pressure, then it will start counting down from 1.
- After the 1 minute is up, do a QUICK RELEASE, where you move the valve to VENTING to release all the steam. Once all the steam is gone and the float valve has dropped, you can safely open the instant pot.
- Add the asparagus and bone broth to your blender, along with the nutpods, lemon juice, kosher salt + pepper. Blend on high for 1 minute until smooth.
Serving Suggestions
There’s nothing quite like a Crispy Chaffle in place of bread with a scratch-made soup, and if you need to jazz up your meal even more, why not pair this easy keto soup recipe with a French Dip Chaffwich or a scoop full of your favorite leftover casserole. This Pizza Casserole fits that description nicely!
Storage Instructions
You can store the cooled soup in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it for several months. Simply chill it thoroughly in the fridge, then package it in air-tight containers or plastic bags and freeze for up to a month. My favorite way to freeze saucy and soupy recipes is by using Souper Cubes! These amazing freezer-safe cubes are perfect for freezing portions of all my favorite soups, stews, and other saucy meals. I freeze them then pop them out and put the rectangular frozen blocks into a zipper-top freezer bag. It makes storing them SOOOO much easier!
Common Questions
Is Asparagus Keto-Friendly?
Heck yes! It is a great source of fiber and it is low in carbs which makes it a great pick for a keto lifestyle. Asparagus is a wonderful vegetable for low carb and keto diets. It’s low in carbs, high in fiber, and full of nutrients such as Vitamin A, Potassium, and Magnesium.
Is Cream of Asparagus Soup Keto?
Yes, it sure can be! Traditionally, cream soups are thickened with flour, potatoes, and even rice. This keto version uses the vegetables themselves to help thicken the soup, and you can further thicken it with a touch of xanthan gum, if you like.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Is Cream of Asparagus Soup Easy to Make?
This is not a difficult soup to make, and the secret is to get a good, flavorful asparagus broth first. By simmering the cast-off ends, you can make a concentrated broth that really adds loads of flavor to this soup.
Why is My Asparagus Soup Stringy?
There's a lot of fiber in asparagus, so this can be a very real risk if you use too much of the spear. The further down the spear, the more fibrous it is. I trim at least 2 inches off the bottom, and in summer I trim a good 3 inches from the spear. You can also use the bend and snap method. Hold an asparagus spear in both hands, and bend it. It will naturally snap where the spear becomes more fibrous. Try to use only young asparagus to prevent a stringy texture. Young stalks should be a bit thin, brighter in color, and more flexible. This is not necessarily a bad thing, though, as fiber is good for the digestive system.
How Many Carbs are in Cream of Asparagus Soup?
This keto cream of asparagus soup recipe has 5.2g of carbs and 1.5g of fiber per serving. If you count net carbs, that comes to 3.7g net carbs per serving.
A Personal Note
In a sense, this recipe was my return home. This asparagus soup started in the produce section of Central Market. My husband, Terrance is crazy about asparagus. It’s almost irrational, actually. He could eat it every meal of every day - and has even gone on stints where he’s done exactly that. I consider myself a pretty healthy eater but there are not a lot of circumstances that leave me desiring asparagus for breakfast.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto