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This delicious vegan asparagus soup is easy, healthy, and super rich and creamy - without needing any cream or milk! Enjoy this leek and asparagus soup without cream for a light lunch, dinner, or side dish. It takes just 30 minutes to make this pureed soup and it's perfect for the whole family to enjoy!
To me, soup is a year round type of dish. A soothing soup recipe is always delicious, no matter what time of year! The type of soup depends on the season: heartier chilis and stews for fall, lighter seasonal vegetable soups for spring and summer.
Asparagus leek soup is an all-time favorite of mine, but I was looking to make a healthier version of the traditional creamy asparagus soup recipe, that also happened to be vegan friendly.
So what did I swap in for cream?
Chickpeas.
Yes, chickpeas, and it worked beautifully! It gave this vegan asparagus soup without cream a super rich and decadent creamy texture. The best part is, no one could tell that it was dairy-free! And instead of all the fat & calories that comes from using heavy cream, we got a ton of lean protein and fiber from the chickpeas.
For a little bit of decadence, I added a dollop of coconut cream before serving this smooth soup, but you could totally leave that out or swap it for creme fraiche, goat cheese, or even Greek yogurt if you didn't need this leek asparagus soup to be vegan or dairy-free.
👩🏽🍳 Why You'll Love Asparagus Soup Without Cream
- Plant Based: Vegans and vegetarians alike will love this simple soup, because it's made with no animal products, and no dairy!
- Healthy: This creamy vegan asparagus soup recipe is high in fiber and full of green vegetables. It's a lightened up version of classic cream of asparagus soup!
- Easy And Quick: This perfect recipe requires just a handful of simple ingredients, and it takes only 30 minutes to make this soup from start to finish.
- Gluten-Free: This delicious soup is nearly completely allergen-free, including gluten.
- Fresh & Versatile: While this recipe is the perfect spring soup, you can make it even when it's not asparagus season since you can typically get asparagus year round! It can also be customized in a variety of ways - it also works for multiple courses depending on what you need -serve this soup as a first course or a light main meal!
🥘 Ingredients
A bouquet of fresh vegetables gives this vegan asparagus and leek soup its bright green color. All of these basic ingredients can easily be found at your local grocery store!
- Leeks: Leeks have a mild onion flavor. They are considered alliums and are related to garlic, chives, shallots, and onions. Clean leeks thoroughly to get rid of any sand or dirt before using.
- Fresh Asparagus Spears: In-season asparagus is typically found in the early spring, but you can find this healthy green vegetable at most grocery stores year round. When preparing asparagus, make sure to wash thoroughly and chop off the woody ends. The bottom portion of asparagus is more bitter, as well as tough to chew. Any type of green asparagus will work, I don't recommend white asparagus for this dairy free asparagus soup.
- Parsley & Garlic Cloves: Both of these seasonings gives this soup a fresh, aromatic, herbal flavor. Use a broad leaf or curly parsley.
- Chickpeas: The chickpeas make this easy recipe super creamy and also add a nice amount of protein!
- Pine Nuts: This small nut or seed brings a rich flavor to this healthy cream of asparagus soup recipe.
- Vegetable Stock: Forms the base of this delicious recipe!
- Olive Oil: Used to sweat the veggies. You can also use coconut oil, melted butter or vegan butter if you prefer.
- Coconut Cream: Optional, as a garnish for this vegan asparagus soup!
🍲 Ingredient Substitutions
- Oil: Use another neutrally flavored oil that you like.
- Nuts: You can always omit the nuts in this creamless cream of asparagus soup, if allergies are a concern.
- Stock: If you don't have vegetable stock, you can use water in its place. For a super creamy soup, you can also use light coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk. If you are not vegan or vegetarian, you can swap the vegetable broth for chicken broth or chicken stock as the base for this no cream asparagus soup.
- Leeks: Yellow onion or white onion will also work in this easy soup recipe.
- Coconut Cream: If you can't find coconut cream, you can swap it out for coconut yogurt, full fat coconut milk, full fat oat milk, vegan sour cream; or for vegetarian options - creme fraiche, sour cream, or even plain Greek yogurt.
- Garnish: Sprinkle fresh dill or sunflower seeds over the top of this vegan asparagus soup, or brighten it with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for a little extra depth of flavor.
🔪 How To Make Vegan Asparagus Soup
Here's how to make asparagus soup without cream! For more detailed instructions and nutrition facts, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Prepare Vegetables: Chop your veggies, including the asparagus stalks, leeks, and parsley into small pieces. In a large soup pot or dutch oven, heat oil. Sauté leeks, onions, and garlic over medium heat. Let the mixture sweat, but do not let the garlic burn. Stir with a slotted spoon.
Cook Asparagus: Once the onions and leeks have turned translucent (about 5 min), add the vegetable broth and chickpeas. Increase heat to medium-high and allow it to come to a boil. Add asparagus pieces and cook on medium-high heat until tender but not limp. Add half of the parsley and all the spices (salt, pepper, crushed red pepper) and stir until incorporated.
Blend Hot Liquids: Turn off the heat and blend the soup until it's reached a creamy consistency. I used an immersion/hand blender, which worked great - I just took the pot off the heat and blended it in right in the pot! If you don't have a hand blender, you can use a regular blender; you just have to puree it in batches. Once you've pureed the soup, add lemon juice, parsley, and pine nuts. Continue to blend until combined.
Season & Serve: Bring the soup back to a simmer over low heat for 1-2 minutes. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Serve this healthy asparagus soup recipe topped with a drizzle of coconut cream.
💭 Expert Tips
- Find The Best Asparagus: Make sure to buy asparagus that feels firm to the tough and where the tops of the asparagus spears are also firm and closed. That's how you know the asparagus is fresh, which will give you the best flavor for this vegan asparagus leek soup with no cream.
- Don't Use The Woody Ends: Asparagus tips are tender and delicious, but the bottom of the stalks are too tough. You can easily snap the ends off by bending the asparagus.
- An Immersion Blender Is Easiest: To make the soup smooth and keep this a one-pot meal, an immersion blender is a great option. It's also much easier than transferring the hot soup to a high speed blender! If you use a stand blender, you will have to let it cool first and then blend it in batches. You can also blend it in a food processor.
- Garnish: Feel free to garnish this cream of asparagus soup without cream with your favorite fresh herbs!
📖 Variations
Here are some of our favorite ways to switch up this recipe for asparagus soup without cream!
- More Greens: If you want to make this vegan leek asparagus soup even more green, add some more of your favorite vegetables. You can add 3 cups of baby spinach or baby kale into the soup before you blend it! If you do that, be sure to adjust the seasonings so that the soup doesn't turn out too bland.
- Different Toppings: Try a bit of lemon zest, parsley, dill, or chopped chives! A dollop of vegan pesto would also taste great. A little bit of vegan parmesan cheese, nutritional yeast, or regular parmesan will bring a sharp, cheesy flavor. Or try crunchy toppings like reserved asparagus tips, pumpkin seeds, silvered almonds, or hemp seeds over the top of the soup.
- Vegan Asparagus Soup With Potato: Add 1-2 Yukon gold potatoes or russet potatoes, diced, into the soup pot before simmering. Cook until they are soft and easy to blend. Adjust seasonings to account for the increase in veggies!
- Spices: Add more flavor or heat with the addition of garlic powder, chili flakes, or your own customizations.
- For Kids: This easy asparagus leek soup recipe has a pretty mild and creamy flavor that will appeal to most kids. But if your kids are on the pickier side they might shy away from the super green color or distinct asparagus taste! For picky eaters I recommend giving them tiny portions to start alongside a dish they love - encouraging them to take as many bites as they are old. And then you can work your way up from there!
🍽 Serving Suggestions
Dive into this vegan asparagus soup without cream as your main course, or pair this vegan soup with other dishes from sides to mains.
🙌 Dietary Adaptations
This vegan asparagus soup recipe without cream is already plant based, dairy free, gluten free and vegetarian so it can accommodate most dietary restrictions! To make it nut-free - just omit the pine nuts to avoid any nut allergies.
🫙 Storage Directions
- To Refrigerate: Store this soup in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
- To Freeze: Place this creamy asparagus soup without cream a freezer-safe container or a resealable freezer-safe bag to store for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Thaw the soup in the fridge overnight, then reheat using the defrost setting on your microwave or in a large pot on the stovetop.
❓Recipe FAQs
Can you use the woody ends of the asparagus?
The woody ends of asparagus are pretty hard, tough and stringy, so while they might technically be edible, they are not fun to eat! I recommend snapping off the ends of the asparagus using your fingers - and either composting them or saving them for use in a homemade vegetable stock at a later date!
Is Asparagus Soup Healthy?
If you're at a restaurant and you order "cream of asparagus soup" or "cream of asparagus and leek soup", chances are, it's not going to be healthy because it's made with heavy cream.
But this vegan cream of asparagus soup uses chickpeas instead of cream, making this a super healthy asparagus leek soup recipe! This soup is high in fiber and protein (with 8 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein per serving), low calorie (only 221 calories per serving vs. 400 for traditional asparagus soup), and high in vitamins and nutrients!
How can I thicken a soup without cream?
The best vegan options for thickening soup without cream are: coconut milk or coconut cream, pureed white beans or chickpeas, pureeing a starch like rice or potatoes into the soup, or adding a little cornstarch slurry to the soup.
