Creamy Asparagus Soup Lemon (Printable)
Velvety blend of asparagus, lemon, and crème fraîche for a light and elegant springtime meal.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
02 - 1 medium leek, white and light green parts only, sliced
03 - 1 medium Yukon Gold potato, peeled and diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped
→ Liquids
06 - 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
07 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
08 - 2 tbsp crème fraîche, plus extra for garnish
→ Flavorings
09 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
10 - 1 tbsp olive oil
11 - Zest and juice of 1 lemon
12 - 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
13 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
14 - Fresh chives or dill, finely chopped, for garnish (optional)
# How-To:
01 - Heat butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add leek, shallot, and garlic, sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened without browning.
02 - Add potato and asparagus pieces, reserving some asparagus tips for garnish. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring gently.
03 - Pour in vegetable broth, bring to a boil then reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 15 to 18 minutes until vegetables are tender.
04 - Stir in heavy cream, remove from heat, and let the soup cool slightly.
05 - Purée the soup until smooth using an immersion blender or in batches with a countertop blender.
06 - Incorporate lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls, swirl 1/2 tablespoon crème fraîche into each portion, and garnish with reserved asparagus tips and fresh herbs if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It tastes like restaurant-quality elegance but comes together in under 40 minutes with zero stress.
- Spring asparagus gets its moment to shine without being drowned in heavy flavors, and the lemon-cream combo hits that sweet spot between fresh and indulgent.
- You can make it vegan, serve it hot or chilled, and it honestly tastes even better the next day.
02 -
- Never use boiling-hot soup with a countertop blender—a friend learned this the hard way when the lid popped off and splattered green soup across her ceiling; let it cool just slightly first.
- The potato is doing heavy lifting here: it's what makes the soup creamy without feeling heavy, so don't skip it thinking you'll just use more cream because it genuinely changes the texture and flavor for the better.
- Lemon is your best friend—it's the difference between a soup that tastes nice and one that tastes alive; taste and adjust fearlessly, remembering you can always add more but you can't take it out.
03 -
- Buy asparagus close to when you'll cook it—it loses its sweetness and tenderness quickly, so the fresher it is at go-time, the brighter your soup will taste.
- Don't be shy about the salt and lemon adjustments at the end; this is where the soup transforms from good to memorable, and taking 30 seconds to taste and tweak is the difference between ordinary and restaurant-quality.