Creamy Asparagus Soup Recipe (Vegan, Cream-Free)

Enjoy this year’s asparagus harvest in this deliciously creamy, dairy-free Asparagus Soup. This creamy asparagus soup full of herbs and spring vegetables, perfect for those eating a vegan diet, comes together quickly in the pressure cooker or stovetop and freezes beautifully. So tasty, you’ll be going back for seconds!

Love those spring green spears? Be sure to try our Air Fryer Asparagus, or if you don’t have an air fryer, the easiest Oven Roasted Asparagus.

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Find fresh asparagus on sale at the local grocery store or farmer’s market? Then you’re going to want to make this tasty vegan Asparagus Soup recipe. It’s warming and yet tastes like spring, a herald of good things to come.

Asparagus season can run from late February to June, though this year I’m seeing sales for asparagus spears extending into July. Perhaps the season is late this year? Regardless, this is the a perfect recipe to serve from Easter Dinner until summer. 

Asparagus is such an elegant and delicious vegetable. But, it’s also pretty fragile—good for just a few days in the fridge. This vegan soup recipe is one great way to make the most of your asparagus purchase, especially if you get bunches of asparagus with longer woody ends. This will cook down and blend well into a delicious soup.

Why Make this Asparagus Soup

Asparagus Soup is a simple recipe, bursting with spring flavor. Loaded with fresh vegetables, it’s a perfect spring soup.

It’s a classic cream of asparagus soup made dairy-free. This blended soup, often referred to as cream of asparagus, is typically enhanced with milk or cream, but I’ve made it a vegan cream of asparagus soup to accommodate everyone at your table. Rather than weigh it down with cream, I decided to add one golden potato to thicken it. Instead of chicken broth, I used leeks and mushrooms to add umami flavor. What you end up with is a dairy-free, vegan soup that is creamy, delicious, and all-veg!

Ingredients

It’s amazing that so much flavor can come from such simple ingredients. For this recipe you’ll need:

• oil – I use olive oil, but you can use any cooking oil, coconut oil, butter, or ghee.
• asparagus – since the soup will be blended, you can use fresh or frozen asparagus stalks, whichever you have or is most affordable.
• leeks – a member of the onion family and a sure sign of spring, leeks add great flavor. However, if you have shallots or yellow onion, you can use those as well.
• mushrooms – white or brown mushrooms work to add a hearty umami to this soup.
• potato – You don’t need any heavy cream in this easy recipe. Instead, a Yukon gold potato adds a lot of creamy texture to the soup, but you can use another variety if you prefer.
• tarragon – an aromatic herb with an anise-like flavor, tarragon is often paired with chicken, fish, and vegetables, and is commonly added to cream of asparagus soup. If you’ve got fresh herbs, all the better. Just use three times the amount of fresh tarragon in the soup.
• vegetable broth – You can use a commercial or homemade vegetable stock. In a pinch, you can use water, just adjust the seasonings at the end.
• seasonings – I like to keep things simple with black pepper and salt, but you can enhance the flavor of the soup with a bit of almond milk or coconut cream, if you like.

Instructions

This cream of asparagus soup recipe is super simple to make, whether you make it in a pot on the stove or in an electric pressure cooker. Here’s how to make it:

• Heat the oil in a pot or electric pressure cooker.
• Add the leeks and mushrooms and cook over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, or until tender. 
• Add the broth, asparagus pieces, potatoes, and seasonings.
• If using the instant pot, secure the lid and close the pressure valve. Set the machine to manual 5 minutes.
• If cooking the soup on the stovetop, simmer for 30 minutes, covered, or until the vegetables are very tender.
• Once the vegetables are cooked, blend the soup with an immersion blender or high speed blender until a very smooth texture is achieved.
• Serve hot or cold, depending on your preferences.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.

Serving Suggestions: This asparagus potato soup is delicious as a light starter or for a heartier meal, served alongside sandwiches, such as a Turkey Pesto Panini or for something vegetarian like a Veggie Pesto Sandwich. It’s delicious, paired with a large main dish salad and bread, like The Go To Salad, and Garlic Parmesan Swirl Biscuits.

How to Make a Meal Prep: This asparagus soup makes a great easy lunch! Package in single-serve containers with airtight lids. Reheat before serving.

Make a Plan for Leftovers: Leftover soup is good for up to 4 days in the fridge. If you store leftovers in clear air-tight containers you’re more likely to notice them and make sure they get eaten. 

Freeze Extras for Later: To freeze: chill the soup completely before storing in airtight containers in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Recipe Tips

Working the Good Cheap Eats System will help you get this price point down even further. Here are some specific strategies you can use to make this recipe more economical:

• Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. This ensures that you’ll have your ingredients at the lowest possible price. Load up on leeks, mushrooms, asparagus, and Yukon gold potatoes when you see a sale.
• Use a lower priced ingredient. The leeks are the high ticket price item in this recipe; you can use onions or shallots instead to lower the cost of this recipe.
• Price match. Check your grocery store fliers to see who has the best price on the items on your list.

More Tasty Soups

This post was originally published on April 10, 2013. It has been updated for content and clarity.