Instant Pot Asparagus Soup is a delicate and creamy nod to springtime. This low carb soup can be served hot or cold and is perfect for serving at Easter, Mother’s Day, or anytime you crave a light yet robustly flavorful soup.
Suitable for gluten free, vegetarian, and low carb diets. Post includes Weight Watchers points.
When the fresh stalks of tender asparagus begin to appear in the produce section, you know spring has arrived. Asparagus is perfect for grilling, roasting, and steaming and gives a garden-fresh flavor to soups like this creamy asparagus soup.
Asparagus is one of those vegetables that people are adamant about. They either adamantly love it or adamantly hate it. If you are in the “hate it” camp, you really should give this recipe a try.
When cooked poorly, asparagus can be mushy and flavorless. This delicate spring soup allows the freshness of asparagus to shine through, and the flavors are complemented well by the onion and garlic. The result is a soup that’s easy to make and tastes delicious.
Whether you plan to serve this as a starter on Easter, an appetizer on Mother’s Day, or for dinner or lunch during the week, you will love this easy and creamy Instant Pot Asparagus Soup.
Table of Contents
Why Make This Recipe
- Easy – From start to finish in under 30 minutes, this is one of the easiest soups you will ever make.
- Fresh and Flavorful – Bursting with the fresh springtime flavor of asparagus.
- Perfect for Celebrating – This soup makes a lovely appetizer for Easter, Mother’s Day, and any spring celebration.
- Serves a Crowd – This recipe feeds 6 people, but can easily be doubled.
- Dietary – Suitable for gluten free, vegetarian, and low carb diets
Ingredient Notes
- Olive Oil – Use any mild cooking oil.
- White Onion – Sweet onions will also work well, but red onion may slightly change the color of the soup.
- Asparagus – Look for stalks that are similar in size so they cook evenly.
- Garlic Cloves – Roasted garlic would also be a delicious addition.
- Chicken Broth – Chicken broth adds a lot of flavor, but you can substitute vegetable broth if you wish to make a vegan asparagus soup.
- Salt and Pepper – Season lightly, taste, and adjust to avoid over-seasoning.
- Lemon Juice – A squeeze of fresh lemon juice adds a lovely brightness to this soup.
- Cheese – Cheese is an optional but tasty addition. Freshly grated parmesan is quite lovely.
How To Make Creamy Asparagus Soup
Get full ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.
- Set the instant pot to sauté and cook the onion in olive oil until translucent.
- Add the asparagus and sauté for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add in the chicken broth and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes, followed by a 7-minute natural pressure release. Quick-release the remaining pressure and blend until smooth with an immersion blender.
- Season with lemon juice and serve.
Note: Cooking times do not account for the time that it takes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure or for the pressure to release.
Tips For Success
- Carefully trim the asparagus and remove the lower woody stems before adding to the Instant Pot. The woody ends will not soften during cooking and will not blend well in the soup.
- Avoid overseasoning the soup. Chicken stock can be salty to season lightly, then taste and adjust after cooking.
Variations
- Add Low Carb Veggies – Celery, cauliflower, and broccoli would be flavorful additions to this soup.
- Add Veggies – Although not low carb, adding carrots or potatoes can add flavor and creaminess to this soup.
- Add Cream – For an even creamier soup, add a splash of heavy cream or coconut milk just before serving.
- Add Fresh Herbs – Fresh herbs such as thyme or dill will add a bright flavor to this creamy asparagus soup.
- Top It Off – A spear or two of roasted asparagus and a dollop of sour cream take this soup to the next level.
Budget-Friendly Tips
- Make It A Meal – Serve with crusty bread (if not eating low carb) or a big salad to enjoy as a complete meal.
- Make and Freeze – Make a double batch and freeze the leftovers in individual servings for an easy lunch option.
- Add More Veggies – Add additional veggies to bulk out the soup, especially if asparagus is a bit expensive.
Make Ahead And Storage
- Prep Ahead – Chop the onions and trim the asparagus in advance and store the veggies in zip-top bags until you are ready to make the soup. This soup also keeps well, so you can make it in advance and reheat it when you are ready to serve.
- Store – Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within 4 days.
- Freeze – Follow the handy tips below for how to freeze these;
- Allow the soup to cool completely.
- Pour cooled soup into freezer bags.
- Lay the bags flat to freeze.
- Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat before serving.
FAQs
An immersion blender is a wonderful kitchen tool, but you can use a regular blender. Because the soup will be hot, you will want to be sure to work in batches. Ladle soup into a blender and cover with the lid and a towel. Blend on high until smooth, repeating the process until all of the soup has been blended.
For this recipe, you will want to be sure that you remove the woody portion of the stem on each stalk of asparagus. To do this, use a paring knife to cut off the bottom ⅓ of the stems and discard them. Chop the remaining asparagus into pieces that are 1-2 inches in length. This will help them to cook evenly and make it easier to puree the soup after it has cooked,
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Weight Watchers Points
There are 2 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.
Tools To Make This
- Instant Pot.
- Sharp knife for cutting.
- Instant Pot Accessories.
Get The Asparagus Soup Instant Pot Recipe:
Instant Pot Asparagus Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large white onion peeled and diced
- 1 ½ pounds (680g) asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces, woody-ends discarded
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3 cups (709ml) chicken broth
- salt and pepper to taste
- squeeze of lemon juice
- shredded cheese optional
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to the sauté setting. Add the olive oil and the onion and cook until translucent.
- Add the asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes until soft. Then add garlic and cook for about another 30 seconds, until fragrant. Stir in chicken stock, salt, and pepper.
- Place on the lid and turn the valve to the sealing position. Set to manual pressure / high pressure for 5 minutes.
- When done, allow a natural pressure release for 7 minutes and then perform a quick pressure release (QPR) to manually release any remaining steam.
- Open the Instant Pot and allow the soup to cool for a few minutes before using an immersion blender, or transfer to a high-powered blender to blend until smooth.
- Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Season with lemon juice and top with parmesan (if desired) before serving.
Notes
- Carefully trim the asparagus and remove the lower woody stems before adding to the Instant Pot. The woody ends will not soften during cooking and will not blend well in the soup.
- Avoid overseasoning the soup. Chicken stock can be salty to season lightly, then taste and adjust after cooking.
- Cooking times do not account for the time that it takes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure or for the pressure to release.
- Storage – store soup in an airtight container inside the fridge for up to 4 days.
- There are 2 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.
Kristina Tipps
My first time making asparagus soup! This was delicious and I will certainly be making it again. Thanks for giving me another way to eat asparagus, instead of just roasting it all the time!
Irina
What a great alternative to our menu this soup is! We are soup lovers, and I will definitely try your recipe. I could not even imagine making a soup out of asparagus! 🙂
Laura
I bought those wonderful asparagus and I was looking for a different way to cook them. This is a perfect way, especially since I am trying to eat light. Thank you.
Biana
Yum! I like making soups in the Instant Pot, and yours looks delicious! Perfect for spring.
Nathan
I absolutely love a lighter soup like this one! I think I tend to think of soup as a fall/winter food but I can carry this recipe into spring time, which I love. And asparagus is such an underrated vegetable!
Esther
What would you suggest how to make the asparagus soup since I don’t have a instant pot?