This Creamy Vegan Asparagus soup is bright and decadent and oh so simple and quick for a weeknight dinner. It’s so crowd pleasing it can even be served as an first course in a holiday or formal dinner. You won’t believe how quickly this comes together in your blender.
Before I went vegan, I had been making this soup for years from the recipe in the Vitamix cookbook. It was one of our favorites, and it was often what we turned to when we didn’t know what else to have for dinner. The Vitamix recipe calls for Half & Half, which is obviously not dairy free or vegan. We hadn’t eaten this soup for quite some time after our transition to veganism. On a whim one night I decided to throw in a handful of cashews and see if it gave the effect as the Half & Half. To our delight, it worked! To be honest, though it’s been some time since we’ve had the dairy version, I think this one is even better!
Do I need a high speed blender for this recipe?
If you don’t have a high speed blender like a Vitamix or a Blendtec, you can use your standard blender. If you do so, I recommend soaking the cashews for an additional 10 minutes in the boiled water. This will allow your blender to break them up more easily in a standard blender.
High speed blenders are quite pricey, so I completely understand why some choose not to purchase one. If you are vegan, and especially whole food plant based, I recommend you save up and invest in one if you can. There are so many vegan recipes that call for blended cashews to replace the creamy texture you get from dairy. A high speed blender makes this much easier to achieve. There are tons of sauces, soups, even a super simple Mac and cheese that whip up in no time in your blender. Not to mention, all those green smoothies and smoothie bowls you are now addicted to!
Tips for delicious Creamy Vegan Asparagus soup:
- There is no standard measurement for a bunch of asparagus sold in grocery stores, although most tend to be around 1 pound. For this recipe, I have centered the amounts around 1 lb of asparagus to make it easy to adjust the recipe if your bunch is bigger or smaller.
- I recommend erring on the side of less water or broth, when you first start to blend, if you are adjusting this recipe. You can always add more water after it is blended, if you find the consistency too thick. On the other hand, it is much harder to add thickness if it is too runny. Just give it a quick extra minute on high if you need to add more water.
Do I have to use Better than Bouillon?
I’ve used Better than Bouillon here again, as opposed to broth, but veggie broth would work totally fine as well. You may notice a theme in my recipes with using Better than Bouillon. I use it because it is much more cost effective than buying cartons of vegetable broth, and it’s very easy to incorporate into recipes with the paste like consistency.
Do I need to heat the soup after blending?
If you are using a high speed blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec, then no. The act of blending the soup for that long will heat the soup so that it is nice and hot and ready to serve!
If you are using a standard blender, you may need to heat your soup further after it is finished blending. You can do this on the stovetop, or of course the microwave, if you are feeling lazy.
Is this Gluten free?
Yes! This is 100% gluten free and 100% healthy with out any modifications.
Looking for other easy weeknight recipes?
Our Veggie Stir Fry comes together really quickly and is super satisfying. Try our Vegan Instant Pot Chili if you’re craving something hearty and filling!
Creamy Vegan Asparagus Soup
Equipment
- Blender (High Speed Preferable)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup raw cashews about a handful
- 1 lb asparagus Bunches sold in store vary in weight, so I am basing this recipe off 1 lb and you can adjust accordingly to how much asparagus you want to cook.
- 1 tsp Better than Bouillon or any bouillor flavor Can substitute 1 1/4 cups of veggie broth (in this case leave out the water)
- 1 1/4 cups water leave out if using broth in place of bouillon
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place cashews in a small bowl, and pour boiled water over so that they are completely submerged. Set aside to soak for 15 minutes while you are preparing the asparagus.
- Cut off the tough ends of asparagus stalks, and then cut in half. Steam in a steaming basket or boiling water for 3-5 minutes until bright green and fork tender.
- Add the steamed asparagus, the drained cashews and the remainder of the ingredients to a blender, excluding the salt and pepper. A high speed blender (such as Vitamix or BlendTec) is preferable here, but if using a standard blender, soak the cashews and additional 10 minutes before adding to the blender.
- Blend on high for 7 minutes. After the 7 minutes, open the blender and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- If you have used a high speed blender, the soup should be hot and ready to serve. If you've used a standard blender, you may have to transfer the soup to a saucepan in order to heat the soup further to your desired temprature before serving.
- Serve and enjoy! Options for toppings include a sprinkle of paprika and/or vegan sour cream.
