This creamy asparagus leek soup with sourdough garlic bread croutons is a simple and delightful way to enjoy fresh seasonal Spring produce. It’s vegetarian and gluten-free adaptable.
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What you’ll love about this recipe
- It’s simple! This soup is quite simple to make and only takes about 35-minutes to prepare.
- It features fresh seasonal produce! This soup is a great way to make use of both leeks and asparagus as they are both in season in April.
- It’s gluten-free and vegetarian adaptable! While the soup itself is gluten-free the croutons are not. Feel free to leave out the croutons or substitute the sourdough for gluten-free bread if you so wish. To keep this recipe vegetarian, make sure to use vegetable broth and skip the Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients (+ notes & substitutions)
- Olive oil: For the croutons and the soup.
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Dried parsley
- Dried dill
- Ground black pepper
- Sourdough bread: Make sure you choose a loaf of bread that is not pre-sliced. Four ounces of bread will give you 3-4 croutons per bowl of soup.
- Shredded Parmesan: Believe it or not, parmesan cheese is not actually vegetarian. If you wish for this soup to be vegetarian or vegan, do skip the parmesan. A suitable alternative would be nutritional yeast.
- Leeks: Leeks are a part of the onion family. They are less “oniony” tasting than other varieties of onions though and are mildly sweet. When cooked, leeks become creamy and buttery making them great for soups like this one. If you’re not familiar with leeks and how to cut them properly, this is a great guide.
- Garlic
- Asparagus: You’ll need two pounds of asparagus which will need to be cleaned and trimmed. After trimming you should still have approximately 1 1/2 pounds of asparagus.
- Vegetable or chicken broth: For vegetarian soup make sure you use vegetable broth.
- Heavy whipping cream: To thicken and add creaminess.
- Kosher salt
- Lemon juice: To bring some brightness and balance to the soup.
- Optional toppings: Freshly cracked black pepper, fresh dill, and/or parmesan cheese.
How to make asparagus leek soup (+ tips)
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the sourdough croutons aside from the bread and parmesan. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat.
- Transfer the bread cubes to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Set aside to cool.
4. Meanwhile, to prepare the soup heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat.
5. Once hot, add the leeks and sauté for 2-3 minutes until they have softened. Add the garlic and sauté an additional one minute.
6. Add the asparagus and broth; bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 15-minutes until the asparagus is tender.
7. Remove from heat and either transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender to pulse until smooth. If using a blender, return to the pot once pureed.
8. Stir in the heavy whipping cream, salt, and black pepper and return to heat simmer. Simmer for 10-minutes.
9. Stir in the lemon juice, add salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with fresh herbs, parmesan, and/or croutons as desired. Serve warm.
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to four days. Because the soup contains cream, freezing is not recommended.
Recommended Products
More vegetable-based soups you may enjoy:
- Creamy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons & Basil Oil: This made from scratch creamy tomato soup with grilled cheese croutons and basil oil is so dreamy. It’s the perfect comforting soup for summer, fall, or winter. Naturally vegetarian.
- Spicy Thai Carrot Soup: This quick and easy creamy carrot soup is bursting with flavor, including fragrant ginger, garlic, and Thai chile peppers. It’s a tad bit sweet with plenty of heat and is topped with a lime pickled red onion relish and cilantro. Naturally gluten-free, and vegan.
- Cauliflower Jalapeno Popper Soup: Enjoy all the goodness of a jalapeno popper, but in a bowl, with this simple low-carb jalapeno popper cauliflower soup. It’s simple to prepare in one pot or an Instant pot in just over 30-minutes and gluten-free.
If you make this asparagus leek soup with sourdough garlic bread croutons I’d love your feedback. Please leave a comment and/or a rating below as I greatly value your opinion. Or snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @taoofspiceblog. Love, light, and happy cooking ya’ll ♥
Asparagus Leek Soup w/ Sourdough Garlic Bread Croutons
This creamy asparagus leek soup with sourdough garlic bread croutons is a simple and delightful way to enjoy fresh seasonal Spring produce. It's vegetarian and gluten-free adaptable.
Ingredients
Garlic Parmesan Sourdough Croutons
- 4 ounces sourdough bread, cut into approximately 1-inch cubes
- 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Asparagus Leek Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 cup sliced leeks
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and sliced into one-inch pieces
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper + more to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Fresh dill or thyme for garnishing (optional)
- Parmesan for garnishment (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the sourdough croutons aside from the bread and parmesan. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat.
- Transfer the bread cubes to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, to prepare the soup heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add the leeks and sauté for 2-3 minutes until they have softened. Add the garlic and sauté an additional one minute.
- Add the asparagus and broth; bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 15-minutes until the asparagus is tender.
- Remove from heat and either transfer to a blender and use an immersion blender to pulse until smooth. If using a blender, return to the pot once pureed.
- Stir in the heavy whipping cream, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg and return to heat simmer. Simmer for 10-minutes.
- Stir in the lemon juice, add salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with fresh herbs, parmesan, and/or croutons as desired. Serve warm.
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to four days. Because the soup contains cream, freezing is not recommended.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 517Total Fat: 36gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 940mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 10gSugar: 11gProtein: 15g
The nutritional information provided is computer generated. It is only an estimate and intended for informational purposes only. Nutrition details may vary depending on various factors such as origin, freshness of ingredients, etc