Take advantage of the quintessential spring vegetable, asparagus, with this Easy “Cream” of Asparagus Soup that actually has no cream in it. It’s a deeply satisfying, silky, smooth soup that’s dairy free and gluten free.
Spring has arrived with a multitude of greens sprouting out of the ground and arriving in the markets. Asparagus is the iconic spring vegetable. Just as spring is the time for new beginnings I love creating new asparagus dishes every year.
In spring our body turns toward lighter foods. As the energy of spring increases our appetite naturally decreases. By tuning into the season and following our natural inclinations to eat lighter meals we give our body a chance to burn off the winter fat and sets us up to be a good fat burner for the rest of the year. This is as nature intended.
Soup is perfect in the spring, especially on those rainy days that make you want to curl up on the couch. The truth is I love this soup even on warm sunny days. It makes a delightful lunch or light dinner served with a salad.
Asparagus is considered one of the healthiest vegetables. It is high in fiber and potassium, rich in vitamin E and packed with antioxidants. It is a natural diuretic making asparagus a perfect food to cleanse toxins in the spring.
Asparagus strengthen our connection to the earth.
The myths and folklore that still exist today, believe that asparagus has the ability to increase and stimulate feelings of love and passion. Nicholas Culpepper, a 17th Century herbalist wrote that asparagus “stirs up lust in man and woman”.
There is also the French word for asparagus which is asperge; asperge is a slang word for penis! You can see the resemblance.
Asparagus were highly valued in the 17th Century as a luxury item symbolizing prosperity.
A funny thing about asparagus is they make your pee smell funny. French novelist Marcel Proust famously wrote in 1913 that asparagus “transforms my chamber-pot into a flask of perfume.”
Researchers believe that, during digestion, the vegetable’s sulfurous amino acids break down into smelly chemical components in all people. But only about one-quarter of the population appears to have the special gene that allows them to smell those compounds.
If you smell a funny fragrance in your urine after eating asparagus, you’re normal and you have a good nose.
This is a simple soup with only a few ingredients; asparagus, onions, garlic, cashews, broth, olive oil and tarragon, simmered in broth and blended.
Here are a few options when making this soup:
- For vegan, diary free use vegetable broth and olive oil.
- For paleo use bone broth and either, ghee, butter or olive oil.
- If you don’t eat tree nuts, substitute pine nuts (they are actually seeds).
Welcome spring into your kitchen with this rich and creamy healthy soup. It’s so delicious I usually eat 2 bowls. Go ahead, it’s pure goodness.
Enjoy the recipe and please let me know if you make it and how it comes out for you.
Easy “Cream” of Asparagus Soup
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
A smooth and silky creamy asparagus soup made without any dairy.
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews, soaked in water for 4 hours or overnight
- 2 tablespoons ghee, olive oil or grass fed butter
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 2 pounds green asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 1” pieces, (save a few tips
for garnish if desired) - ¼ teaspoon tarragon (optional)
- 5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- Celtic sea salt and fresh pepper to taste
- ¼ teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat ghee over medium-low heat, add onion and garlic, sauté for 5 minutes, until softened. Don’t let it brown.
- Add asparagus, tarragon (if using), salt and pepper to taste, cook, stirring for 3 minutes.
- Add broth and simmer, covered, until asparagus is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
- While the soup is cooking, simmer the tips (if using) in a saucepan with little water for 3 minutes until bright green. Drain and set aside.
- Rinse cashews and add to blender along with the soup, blend until smooth.
- Taste to adjust salt.
- Serve with a squeeze of lemon and topped with asparagus tips.
Notes
Soup keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To freeze, let soup cool completely before freezing it in an air-tight container.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: Paleo, Vegan, Gluten Free, Seasonal
- Cuisine: Healthy
