Cream Of Asparagus Soup With Lemon-Cilantro Pesto

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Canadian

Keyword: asparagus, lemon cilantro pesto, soup, st. patrick's day, vegetables

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

Servings:

Calories: 814kcal

This delicious Asparagus soup is ready in 30 minutes and made with only half a cup of heavy cream while the rest consists of chicken broth, asparagus, potatoes and a nutty lemon-cilantro pesto for added flavour!

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Equipment

Ingredients

Soup

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons garlic (2 cloves) minced
1½ cups yellow onion diced
3 cups white potatoes (approx. 6 small/medium) peeled & diced
5 cups asparagus ( 2 bunches) ends trimmed & stalks chopped (cut spears whole, for garnish)
3 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
4 cups chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream (18% M.F.)

Lemon-Cilantro Pesto

1 cup fresh cilantro (1 bunch) roots removed & stems & leafs roughly chopped
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
⅓ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
2 teaspoons white sugar
1 clove garlic
⅓ cup pine nuts toasted
¾ cup neutral cooking oil vegetable, canola or avocado

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Instructions

Lemon-Cilantro Pesto

In a medium non-stick pan, toast pine nuts on medium-high heat, continuously stirring while toasting until nuts are brown (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool.
In a blender or food processor, add cilantro, lemon zest & juice, salt, sugar, garlic, toasted pine nuts and oil. Blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl and set aside.

Soup

In a large pot, heat 2 Tablespoons oil on high heat. Add diced onions and cook for 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes or until onions are translucent.
Add chopped asparagus, diced potatoes and kosher salt. Continue to stir on high heat to combine and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot with lid and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove asparagus tips (12 spears) and set aside for garnish. Add heavy cream to soup and blend soup with an immersion blender until smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, with a strainer set over a large bowl, carefully pour asparagus soup through strainer (reserve broth). Add vegetables into a blender or to a food processor. *Important*, if using a blender remove measuring cup from lid to allow steam to escape and place hand towel over the opening. Add heavy cream and blend until smooth. Blend in batches if necessary. Pour blended vegetables and reserved broth back into pot and mix until combined (reheat soup if needed).
Ladle soup into a bowl, drizzle 1 - 2 teaspoons pesto over soup and place 3 asparagus spears to center of soup. Enjoy while hot!

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Notes

Can I make this dairy free?

Yes! Replace the heavy cream with unsweetened nondairy milk such as almond, rice, coconut etc. You can also replace with extra broth or water.

I can't find pine nuts. Can I replace it with something else?

For my Pesto recipe, you can replace pine nuts with roasted peanuts or cashews.

Can I use olive oil in place of a neutral oil for my Pesto?

You can, however, olive oil has a stronger flavour than neutral oil such as vegetable or canola oil. Since we want notes of lemon and cilantro to come through in our Pesto, it's best to stick to a neutral oil. Avocado oil may be a better alternative to olive oil.

What else can I use Pesto for?

Use leftover pesto on bread, in stuffed chicken breast, mix into hot pasta or mashed potato, mix into a dip or dressing, enjoy on pizza and so much more!

How to store Pesto?

Pesto, can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week. It can also be frozen in an ice cube tray and transferred to a freezer bag that will last up to 5 months, frozen.

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