Chances are it’s still a little chilly out where you live as spring creeps on, but there is already ample opportunity to take advantage of spring produce.
Bring on the asparagus and peas and all things green, I say! Also, let’s make soup, shall we?
This simple spring soup includes two of my all time favorite vegetables: asparagus and peas!
Sautéed garlic and shallot add depth of flavor while almond milk makes it oh so creamy. Two optional finishing touches? Nutritional yeast for a cheesy, garlicky punch, and lemon juice for a bright finish.
I could just drink this soup it’s so green and gorgeous.
You can enjoy it as is, but any creamy soup calls for a garnish, am I right? Five-ingredient garlic herb croutons to the rescue! You can whip these gems up while your soup’s simmering away. And in my opinion, they totally make it.
This soup screams spring! It’s
Creamy
Garlicky
Savory
Comforting
Super green
Packed with veggies
Nutrient-rich
& quick! Just 30 minutes required start to finish
No soup should require more than a handful of ingredients, in my humble opinion. And this one fits the bill with 9 basic ingredients. Garlic croutons are optional, but let’s be real – I eat the soup for the croutons. #addicted
Friends, if you make this soup, let us know! Leave a comment or take a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram! We’d love to see what you come up with. Cheers!
Creamy Asparagus and Pea Soup
Ingredients
SOUP
- 2 Tbsp olive or avocado oil
- 12 ounces asparagus (trimmed // 1 large bundle yields ~12 ounces)
- 10 ounces fresh or frozen peas (2 cups yield ~10 ounces)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 medium shallot (thinly sliced)
- Salt + Pepper
- 1 1/2 cups Almond Breeze unsweetened plain almond milk
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (DIY or store-bought)
- 1-2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional // for a slightly cheesy flavor)
- 1/2 medium lemon (optional // juiced // for brightness)
GARLIC HERB CROUTONS (optional)
- 2 cups bread (any kind // cubed)
- 1/4 cup olive oil (or other neutral oil)
- 1/4 tsp each garlic powder, salt + pepper, dried oregano, dried basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and spread asparagus on a bare baking sheet. Drizzle with oil of choice and season lightly with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
- Roast for 15 minutes, then set aside. If making croutons, reduce heat to 325 degrees F at this time.
- Heat a large saucepan or pot medium heat. Once hot, add 2 Tbsp oil (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) and shallot and garlic. Season lightly with salt and pepper and stir to coat. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant and translucent. Reduce heat if garlic begins browning.
- Add peas, vegetable broth and almond milk and season with salt and pepper once more.
- Transfer soup to blender (that is safe for blending hot liquids – it should have a lid that allows steam to escape) along with asparagus (reserve some for garnish if desired). Blend soup until creamy and smooth. Transfer back to pot and bring to medium heat and simmer.
- Add nutritional yeast and whisk. Continue cooking until warmed through and simmering, then reduce heat to low.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt and pepper if desired. Remove from heat and add lemon juice.
- If serving with croutons, prep while soup is simmering by lowering oven heat to 325 degrees F.
- Add bread crumbs to a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil and seasonings and pour over bread crumbs and toss to combine. Season once more with a bit more garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss once more.
- Spread on a clean baking sheet (or the one you used earlier) and bake or 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Flip/stir at the 10-minute mark to ensure even baking.
- Serve soup with croutons, a touch of black pepper, and/or vegan parmesan cheese. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to a few days, though best when fresh.
Notes
Nutrition (1 of 4 servings)
Bridget says
Has anyone tried making this with coconut milk? I was thinking it would be creamy but don’t want to overwhelm the other flavors.
Hi Bridget, a couple readers have reported using coconut milk with success. We’d suggest 1 can light coconut milk if you try it!
Bridget says
It turns out great with the light coconut milk! Probably has a different flavor profile than the original recipe but I really enjoyed it.
Amazing! Thank you for sharing your experience, Bridget!
Boze says
Really want to make this but asparagus is so expensive in UK
Aw, bummer! You could maybe try more peas instead.
Shobana Nuland says
There’s no instruction on when or how to add the roasted asparagus into the soup. I assume it will go in the blender with the other ingredients.
Hi Shobana! Step 5 says when to add the asparagus. Hope you enjoy!
Susie D says
Will definitely be making this again. A wonderful way to get good protein! Yummy
Yay! Thank you for sharing, Susie! xo
Zanna says
Most excellent! Love it!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Zanna. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a star rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
McKenna says
Hi there! This sounds amazing – I’m gonna give it a try. Do you think using an immersion blender straight in the pot would work? Thanks!
Hi McKenna, It won’t be as smooth with an immersion blender, but should be okay! Hope you love it! xo
Anon says
Yeah I do that all the time, you won’t scratch the pan surface. To add to the conversation…
– To add to minimalist’s comment, firstly whizzing a portion or two of soup at a time is best otherwise the stick blender will miss a pea or two, and I feel it’s velvety-er when you whizz smaller portions lol.
– Secondly, a blender or food processor whizzes the soup to a thin consistency (look at any tomato passata for a visual) whereas a stick blender whizzes it to a “pulpier” consistency (look at cirio passata rustica specifically as they’re one of the few that don’t sieve the tomatoes). For me the “pulpy” consistency and less water makes it richer and improves my soup experience – but I can’t stand soups as thin as water
valerie griffith says
I made this and took the lemon option. It is past ‘tender asparagus’ season so a little more oven time was required. Also decided to serve it cold as it was a hot July day. Translucent slices of lemon floating!
Delicious and beautiful!
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing, Valerie! xo
Lee Anne says
Loved the ease of this. I added a half cup of cashews and some water when I was blending for a thicker and even creamier soup. It was delicious and super filling! The homemade croutons are always a hit with my family too! YUM!
Wonderful! Thank you for the lovely review, Lee Anne! xo
The Vegan Goddess says
I just made this and liked it a lot without any toppings.
When I heat the leftovers, I will top it with crispy chickpeas. I think that would be da bomb.
I heated this up and blended it in my InstantPot Ace Blender on the 2nd soup setting (smooth).
Anyway, thanks for another delicious recipe.
We’re so glad you enjoy it! And love that chickpea idea. Thank you for sharing!!
Nancy says
Can this be served chilled? Also, I would like to make it in advance for a dinner party. If I freeze it, should I plan to reheat it on the stove even if I want to have it chilled? Any special instructions?
Hi Nancy, it can, though we prefer it warm. We would suggest reheating or blending if it’s been frozen.
The Vegan Goddess says
This sounds delish and I can’t wait to make it. Where is your recipe for the garlic herb croutons?
Hi! The garlic herb croutons instructions are steps 9 and 10. Hope that helps!
The Vegan Goddess says
Thanks for the breadcrumb tip. What bread is your favorite to cut into croutons?
Day old sourdough or another sturdy bread is best!
Richard says
Fantastic and easy!! Which suits me as I am a very noobie cook.
Yay! Thanks for the kind review, Richard! xo
Nicki says
Delicious creamy fresh soup! Loved the croutons as well!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Nicki! xo
Lina says
Really yummy!
I omitted the croutons and sprinkled a little fresh mint ontop for a little extra freshness.
Sounds lovely! Thanks for sharing, Lina!
Thelma says
This sounds delicious!! If I wanted to make this using dairy milk, would I alter the amount used at all, or do anything differently?
Also, most people know not to blend a hot mixture, but you may want to note it in case there are newbies looking to make this.
Thanks
We’ll include that as a note, thanks for the reminder! Dairy milk should work fine.
Patricia says
This recipe was simple, delicious, and quick! I used one can of coconut milk and the rest coconut milk (Silk) and added one cup of frozen broccoli. Served the bowls sprinkled with goat cheese and pumpkin seeds and immediately sent the recipe to friends. Love your recipes!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Love your creativity on this one too. Thanks for sharing!
Melanie says
So good!!! I added some garlic powder, and next time I will probably double the recipe, but my husband was a huge fan. I have to say this actually took me as long as it was supposed to, so I think my timing is getting better too!
Yay! We’re so glad you both enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing, Melanie!
Sandra says
I made this 2x. Once for Easter and again tonight. First time I followed recipe more closely. This time I threw the garlic shallot and asparagus in 1 sheet pan and let it cook in oven. I cooked peas in butter on stop top. And threw it all into the blender w/ only 1 cup broth. I used vegan parm (cashew, nut yeast, garlic powder, salt) instead of just nutritional yeast. 1/2 a lemon. No milk. Topped w/ croutons and toasted almonds. Topped it w/ some cut up turkey bacon to make it a meal.
Thanks for sharing, Sandra!
Kelly says
I made this with the following modifications: onion instead of shallot, mix of riced cauliflower and broccoli instead of peas, and used a little more veg broth and a little less almond milk. I think I ended up adding a lot more salt too. I tried it and didn’t love it, but then I added the croutons and the lemon, YUM! Don’t skip those two ingredients at the end!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Kelly! xo
Heather B says
OH DEAR SWEET BABY JESUS THIS IS A BRILLIANT SOUP!!! I went vegan 4 years ago and thought I’d kissed my favorite soup goodbye, but at long last we meet again. I did make a few changes, but very minor. I added an extra garlic clove, my grocery store didn’t have shallots so I had to replace with green onions, but still MWAH! DELICIOUS! I’m typing in all caps because this soup deserves it. I made the croutons and topped with extra roasted asparagus. THANK YOU FOR RETURNING MY LONG LOST LOVE TO ME 😍🤣
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Heather! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Corinne Thompson says
Wow wow wow this was amazing!! I’m always looking for high protein vegan soups and this was fabulous. Absolutely loved it and will definitely make it again!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Corinne! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Chris says
This soup is soooooooo good.
I used 1-1/2 cups of coconut milk with 1-1/2 of vegetable broth for the liquid and instead of peas used 1 can of canellini bean, drained and rinsed. So creamy and rich. 😋
Love the modifications, Chris! Thanks so much for sharing!
Judith says
Served this up tonight to 8 hungry guests. It was a big hit, with lots of requests for the recipe. I used light coconut cream in place of almond milk, garnished with asparagus tips, coconut cream and paprika. I’ll try the almond milk and yeast next time. Didn’t do the croutons but served fresh garlic bread on the side, and a huge tossed salad from my garden. The lemon juice is the star of this one.
We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Judith!
Chris says
This soup was delicious….. but it had a lot of the asparagus fiber. Perhaps I should have blended it longer, any suggestions? The nutritional yeast gives it a great added flavor.
Yes, more blending should help! Also be sure to chop off any stalky ends before cooking as they can be tough and fibrous.
chris says
I re blended the soup and added a little coconut milk to make it extra creamy and smooth without changing the taste. It was delicious. I love the nutritional yeast in this recipe. Thank you! :)
eva says
Just made this soup for lunch. I used a sweet Vidallia onion, instead of the shallots. Then, I realized I only had a 1/2 cup peas, so I added riced cauliflower and a few broccoli florets. Used chicken broth from Costco and made my own almond milk, because I had run out of anything that didn’t have vanilla in it. Used the suggested nutritional yeast and lemon. Everyone loved it, including our daughters, ages 7 & 10. Very creamy.
Thanks for sharing, Eva!
OregonKaye says
We all loved this soup, even our 2-year old grandson (“More please”). I added white pepper with the nutritional yeast; we like things spicy. I also served it over brown rice for a hearty meal. The fresh lemon and croutons are a must! Next time I will sub half the peas for edamame to bring in another nutritional & flavor profile.
Thanks for another great recipe!
We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it! Thanks so much for the lovely review! The edamame addition sounds like a great idea.