Asparagus soup is so easy to get wrong, dull, watery, and colored like dishwater. This one was genuinely my nemesis for years, even as a professional chef. Keto cream of asparagus soup is velvety, bright green, and full of real flavor.
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I finally cracked it after buying a big pile of asparagus at the farmers market and locking myself in the kitchen until I got it right.
The real secret is a genuinely concentrated asparagus broth made from the cast-off ends, do not skip that step.
Chef Jenn’s Take on Cream of Asparagus Soup
Save the snapped-off asparagus ends from other meals in a freezer bag specifically for this soup, a genuinely great zero-waste habit.
Simmer the asparagus ends and shallot covered for 30 minutes, then uncover and boil to reduce by half, discard the solids, that concentrated broth is the real flavor base of this whole soup. Sautee the remaining shallot and garlic in butter until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes, add to the broth along with chicken broth, the rest of the asparagus, and thyme, and simmer 12 to 15 minutes until super soft. Puree with an immersion blender, then whisk in the cream and lemon juice. Thicken with half a teaspoon of xanthan gum after turning off the heat, letting it sit 3 to 4 minutes to fully thicken, resist adding more too soon. Blanch the reserved tips separately for a pretty garnish.
Swap in vegetable broth for a vegetarian version, or olive oil and almond milk in place of butter and cream for dairy-free. Look for bundles of similar thickness, bright green, with tips firmly closed and not slimy, since the tips rot before the stems do.
What You’ll Love About Cream of Asparagus Soup
- Doubles beautifully, this one is worth making a big batch of.
- Velvety, bright green, and full of real asparagus flavor.
- A genuinely great zero-waste use for saved asparagus ends.
Ingredients
- Asparagus – Fresh is essential, ends snapped off and saved for the broth. Reserve some tips for garnish.
- Shallots – Divided between the broth and the sautee.
- Garlic – Fresh is best!
- Butter – I use salted butter.
- Chicken broth
- Dried thyme
- Heavy whipping cream – Or almond milk for a dairy-free version.
- Salt
- Ground white pepper
- Lemon juice – Fresh squeezed.
- Xanthan gum – Optional, for thickening.
How To Make Keto Asparagus Soup
Make a broth with the asparagus ends and shallot. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Then, remove the lid and turn up the heat, allowing the broth to boil and reduce by about half.
When reduced, pull the stalks and shallot out of the pot and discard. This super-concentrated asparagus broth is going to be the main flavor component of your soup.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sliced shallot and cook for 2-3 minutes until the shallots are translucent but not brown. Scrape all this buttery goodness into the soup pot.
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.
Use an immersion blender to puree this mixture, and when smooth, whisk in the cream and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and bring it back up to a boil then serve.
Garnish with fresh chives and some of the reserved blanched asparagus tips.
How to Thicken Your Cream of Asparagus Soup
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. Whisk this into the soup before adding the cream, and bring it to a boil to fully thicken.
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.
Make It A Meal
There’s nothing quite like a Crispy Chaffle in place of bread with a scratch-made soup, or pair it with a French Dip Chaffwich or a scoop of leftover Pizza Casserole.
For more soups, Keto French Onion Soup is worth adding to the rotation.
Storage
This freezes well. Chill it thoroughly, then package in airtight containers or freezer-safe bags, and freeze for up to a month.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
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.
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.
Add Preferred SourceCream of Asparagus Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds asparagus
- 2 shallots
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum optional
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 aspargus is super tender and soft.
- Turn off the heat and use an immersion blender to puree the soup. 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).
- Blanch the reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water, for about 1 minute. Drain and chill and set aside.
- Garnish with reserved asparagus tips and serve.
Notes
Recipe Card Tips
- Build a concentrated asparagus broth from the ends first, that’s the real flavor base of the whole soup.
- Save asparagus ends from other meals in the freezer specifically for this soup.
- Add xanthan gum sparingly, off the heat, and let it rest before deciding if you need more.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed. Erythritol carbs (sugar substitutes) are not included in the carbohydrate counts as they have been shown not to impact blood sugar, and they have zero calories and zero carbs. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Want More Easy Keto REcipes?
I’m always tinkering around in the kitchen creating new recipes, but these are some of my all-time favorites:
- Pizza Casserole
- Crack Cauliflower
- Corned Beef Hash
- Meaty Minestrone Soup
- and if you need help counting carbs, check out this Net Carb Calculator.
Such a wonderful use for asparagus! This soup sounds incredible and so comforting. Love all the tips to help make it perfect.
I love this cream of asparagus soup! It’s so flavorful and I love how it’s low carb. Next time I’ll make a bigger batch, for sure!
I usually make a double batch because it is just that good!
I surely cant wait to give this soup a try. Soup is my all time favorite Dinner option and trying something new and healthy and flavorful is always a welcome. Thanks
Growing up, we eat a lot of asparagus, and I’ve always l enjoyed experimenting with new asparagus recipes. And this soup is quickly becoming one of my favorite ways to enjoy it.
This soup looks absolutely delicious and tasty! I’m so excited to give this a try very soon! This is going to be such a great dinner tomorrow!