This Dairy-Free Creamy Asparagus Soup is rich and creamy, but made with cashews instead of cream! Paleo with a vegan option.
This dairy-free creamy asparagus soup is like sipping Spring! It's fresh, green, and bursting with flavour. And c-r-e-a-m-y!
Our local asparagus farm is open for the season now and we can, once again, enjoy fresh-picked asparagus. Those tender little spears make this Asparagus Salad with Smoked Salmon and Sesame Miso Vinaigrette and this easy 5-minute Sesame Asparagus a great way to celebrate the arrival of Spring.
I love creamy soups. They're so comforting. Cream soups, however, contain cream, and dairy products and I are not getting along too well at the moment.
No worries! I've discovered an ingredient that thickens my soup and makes it just as smooth and creamy: cashews! As you know if you have read my blog for a while, I like to make cooking easy. Quick, like this 5-minute Sesame Asparagus side dish or this easy Baked Lemon Chicken. This recipe for dairy-free creamy asparagus soup, however, was the easiest soup I have ever made.
I tossed the raw asparagus, chicken broth and pre-soaked cashews into the Vitamix, blended until it was perfectly smooth and piping hot and added a little salt and pepper at the end. Presto! Soup's ready. If using a regular blender, blend until smooth, transfer to a pot and heat on the stove top.
Cooking Tips for Dairy-Free Creamy Asparagus Soup
- To thicken a soup with cashews, it's best for your digestion to soak them for 2-4 hours, drain, rinse thoroughly, and then add them to the blender with the remaining ingredients.
- A high-speed blender could allow you to skip this step, as it will easily turn cashews into cashew cream, but soaking and rinsing nuts helps to remove potential toxins and makes them easier for your body to digest.
- Place them in a bowl, add water to cover, lay a breathable cloth or thin tea towel on top, and let sit at room temperature. Cashews are a soft nut, so they only need 2 - 4 hours soaking time.
So grab some fresh asparagus from your local farmer's market while it's in season and make a big batch of this creamy asparagus soup. Even smarter: double the recipe and freeze half for a busy day.
Dairy-Free Creamy Asparagus Soup
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs fresh asparagus spears about 30, reserve a few spears for garnish
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth or vegetable broth for vegan or vegetarian diet
- ½ cup raw unsalted cashews
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Put the cashews in a bowl, cover with water and a thin cloth and allow to soak for 2 - 4 hours. Drain, rinse thoroughly.
- Chop the asparagus and put it, the chicken broth, and the pre-soaked cashews in a Vitamix or other high-speed blender and blend until completely smooth. Continue with the machine on High speed until the soup is hot, about 7 minutes
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately with fresh asparagus spears for garnish.
- If using a regular blender, blend ingredients until smooth, then transfer to a pot and heat gently on the stove until asparagus is very tender. Season and serve.
Nutrition
You might also like:
- Charred Asparagus with Warm Citrus Sauce
- Asparagus Salad with Smoked Salmon and Sesame Miso Vinaigrette
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Mel
Can you replace asparagus wit brocolli or another vege?
Flavour & Savour
Hi Mel, I haven't tried that so I really don't know how it would turn out! It's a great base for a non-dairy soup, so if you do try it let me know. Thanks for your question.
Mindy
I, thinking about trying this but my mom don't eat healthy like me she hates asparagus.. Do u know how to make this into one serving I can't think on how to half the ingredients I'm thinking about having this for supper 🙂
Flavour & Savour
Hi Mindy,
Glad to hear you eat a healthy diet! You can easily cut this recipe in half. Just use about 15 asparagus spears, 3/4 cup of chicken or vegetable broth, 1/4 cup of unsalted cashews and a 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. I hope you get a chance to make it!
Shari
Why do you soak the cashews?
Flavour & Savour
Hi Shari,
Soaking the cashews helps to release more of their nutrients and make them more accessible to your body. For more information, you could check out this post http://www.wikihow.com/Soak-Nuts Great question! Thanks for stopping by.
Glenda
can this be frozen?
Flavour & Savour
Yes, I freeze it all the time!
April
Do you need to cook the asparagus first?
Flavour & Savour
Hi April,
If you have a high-speed blender like a Vitamin or a Blendtec, it's not necessary as the friction from the blades creates enough heat to cook the soup. If you have a regular blender, I would suggest cooking the asparagus first.
Thanks for your question!
Leilani
I made this tonight! It was so easy and so good!
Flavour & Savour
So glad you liked it!