Creamy, Vegan Asparagus Soup

Ahhhh-sparagus, how I love thee. This elegant little plant is so tasty and versatile and, because it’s green, it’s packed with nutrients like folate, vitamin K and C, iron and even some protein (yes, vegetables have protein).

In the warmer months, I still enjoy a nice, light soup like this vegan, creamy asparagus soup because it’s easy to make, easy to store and hits the spot without feeling too hot and heavy (that play on words totally just happened).

When buying asparagus, you should look for bright green stalks with tightly closed, compact tips. I store my stalks by either wrapping the butts in damp paper towel and placing in a sealed plastic bag or just by submerging the butts (another clever play on words) in a vase of water the way I would with flowers and storing in the fridge. They only stay fresh a few days like this, so make sure to use them soon after buying them.

My favourite way to cook asparagus is to oven-roast or grill them. One: it’s easy. And, two: this method allows the plant to retain a lot of the aforementioned nutrients. Once you’ve roasted these suckers you can do almost anything with them. Add them to salads, on top of eggs, inside a sandwich, mixed into a pasta dish, or just enjoy alone like French fries.

But, today, I’m going to show you how to whip up this easy and delicious dairy-free CREAMY asparagus soup.

Creamy, Vegan Asparagus Soup

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Dairy-Free | Gluten-Free | Paleo | Vegan | Vegetarian

Use organic ingredients when possible.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 5 cloves garlic minced
• 2 shallots sliced
• 1 large leek sliced
• 1 bunch of asparagus (approx. 2 cups sliced)
• 2 cups filtered water
• 2 tbsp cashew cream (see cashew cream recipe)
• Juice of ½ lemon
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp sunflower seeds (toasted if desired)
• Olive oil for garnish drizzle.
• Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Directions for Prep:
   
   
2. Preheat oven to 350 F.
3. Prepare Asparagus: Trim hard, whitish ends (butts) off the asparagus. Chop into 1-inch pieces. In large bowl, toss with 1 tsp coconut oil and a pinch of salt.
4. Arrange on parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
5. Roast for about 10 minutes until “wiggle-firm”.
6. Meanwhile, trim the rough, dark green tops off leeks. Slice leek ends and soak in bowl of water for a few minutes to remove any dirt. Drain, rinse and set aside.
7. If you want to gently toast the sunflower seeds, pop them in the 350 F oven for 5 minutes (optional).
   
   
8. Directions for Soup:
   
   
9. In large soup pot, heat remaining 1 tbsp coconut oil on med heat.
10. Add leeks and shallots, sauté for a few (3-5) minutes until semi-translucent.
11. Add garlic: cook for 1 more minute.
12. Add the water and roasted asparagus pieces and bring to a quick, gentle, boil.
13. Remove from heat and puree.
14. Add lemon juice, cashew cream and salt and pepper. Mix well.
15. Top with sunflower seeds, olive oil and a dollop of cashew cream if desired.

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I hope you enjoy this soup as much as I do. Have fun with garnishing it. A drizzle of olive oil goes a long way to enhance the flavour and also looks really impressive. I added a dollop of my cashew cream here and a sprinkling of sunflower seeds for extra healthy fats, a good dose of antioxidant vitamin E and also for a little crunchy goodness. Try it out and let me know how it goes in the comments below or find me over on social here, here and here. Tag me @kimdeoncom in any pics of your healthy creations and be sure to include the hashtag #EatSomeGood to spread the real food love!

— KD