A creamy soup thickened naturally so there’s actually no gluten. Or cream. The roasted garlic enhances the flavour without overpowering the soup. And you can easily make this a vegan recipe.
I wish there was a way to preserve fresh asparagus after the season ends. Besides Pickled Asparagus, the only other way is to freeze it. I know a few people who do this but I’ve never had any luck. But soup freezes well. So by making this you can enjoy local asparagus all year long!
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If you haven’t roasted garlic before it’s easier than you think. Just trim off the papery covering at the top to expose most of the cloves. Drizzle with olive oil, season with a little salt and scrunch up inside foil. Or use a garlic baker if you have one. It takes about 45 minutes or so in a 350 degree oven. Once it’s roasted and cooled slightly you can squeeze the garlic right out. There’s only half a head of garlic in this soup so save the other half to spread on crackers or fresh French Baguette.
You need about a pound of asparagus in this recipe. So buy a little extra to make up for trimming the ends. It doesn’t matter what size spears you choose. In fact, you can often buy seconds for less money. Ones that are really thick or not straight are perfect for Roasted Garlic and Asparagus Soup. Just make sure to snap off the woody ends.
Remember to buy (or pick) about a pound of asparagus because you will lose some to trimming. The best way to prepare asparagus is to snap off the bottoms. They will break off exactly where the ends have turned “woody” which happens in time after being cut. And later in the season the ends do get a bit tough even before cutting. So for 3/4 of a pound in total, start with a full pound.
This is a vegetarian recipe. But it’s easily converted to vegan if you sauté the onion in olive oil instead of butter. And just skip the Parmesan cheese.
Vegetable broth can have a reddish colour depending on the brand you buy. Because it’s made with colourful veggies like carrots and sweet peppers. Secret Cheat Alert: if your soup doesn’t have a nice bright green colour you can add a drop or two of green food colouring. OR – sneak in a few spinach leaves at the end. I use this same trick in Basil Pesto.
To get the best silky smooth texture, once everything is fork tender, puree with an immersion blender. But don’t overcook the asparagus because it will start losing its colour. Be careful if your Roasted Garlic and Asparagus Soup is still hot. You can wait until it cools slightly, then heat in the microwave before serving.
Stir in freshly grated Parmesan cheese while it’s still hot. Use the real stuff! The dry cheap kind doesn’t melt. And save extra Parm for garnish. You can also garnish with some fresh cracked black pepper, green onions, chives, or even a few fresh asparagus tips. Yes, you can eat asparagus raw.
Here’s the recipe:
Roasted Garlic and Asparagus Soup
Ingredients
- ½ head roasted garlic roast the whole garlic head, save half for spreading on crackers or baguette
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ onion, diced
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 3½ - 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 ¼ lb asparagus, ends trimmed and chopped into pieces after trimming you should have about 1 pound
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese omit if making vegan version
- salt to taste
Garnish
Instructions
- Peel some of the outer papery skin off one head of garlic. Slice across top to expose most of the cloves. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and wrap in foil. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. When cool enough to handle, squeeze garlic into dish. Reserve half for another use.Refrigerate garlic if not making soup right away.
- Peel and dice onion. Sauté in butter until soft but not browning.
- Add roasted garlic, broth and potatoes. Season with salt and bring to a simmer until potatoes are starting to get tender, about 10 minutes.
- Break tough ends of asparagus and chop into pieces. Add to soup and simmer for about 5 minutes until asparagus is fork tender. Using an immersion blender, puree until very smooth.
- Stir in Parmesan cheese if using. Taste and season with more salt if desired.
- Garnish with extra Parmesan cheese. Other garnishes that work well are fresh black pepper, chives, green onions etc.
This sounds amazing! We will have to chat – really want to know where this close farm is! Thanks!