Creamy Asparagus Soup

By ditching the requisite heavy cream and butter, we’ve stripped our creamy asparagus soup of its potentially weighty calorie count – it rings in at just over 200 calories and includes succulent toppers like crabmeat, Parmesan, bread cubes and more!

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Nutritional Bonus: The fact that 1 serving of our Creamy Asparagus Soup offers over 65% of your daily vitamin K requirement and 40% of today’s vitamin C may be a no-brainer, but the goodness doesn’t end there. A 1-cup bowl of this spring soup also offers an array of B vitamins (specifically thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and B6), which are necessary for converting carbs to glucose (food to fuel) and metabolizing fats and proteins.

Servings
6
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
30 min
Duration
40 min

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lb asparagus
  • 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil, divided
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 onion, diced small
  • 1 tbsp whole-wheat flour
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 medium white potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 cup low-fat milk
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Garnish

  • 2 slices multigrain bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
  • 6 tbsp finely chopped red bell pepper
  • 6 oz cooked crabmeat
  • 2 tbsp slivered fresh basil

Preparation

  1. Wash asparagus, cut off bottom 2 inches and discard. Peel lower half of asparagus spear, then cut spear into 1-inch pieces. Set aside.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large saucepan on medium-high. Add garlic and onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until onion begins to turn translucent. Mix in flour and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Then gradually add broth and 1 cup water, continue to stir and bring to a boil, about 5 more minutes.
  3. Add potatoes and asparagus. Bring broth to a simmer and cover. Cook for 20 minutes, until asparagus is tender. Working in batches, transfer mixture to a blender and purée for 20 to 30 seconds. (Careful; mixture is hot.) Return soup to pot off heat and blend in milk, salt and black pepper.
  4. Heat remaining 1 tsp oil in a small sauté pan on medium-high. Add bread and toss until lightly brown, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and sprinkle with Parmesan. To serve, spoon 1 cup soup into each of 6 bowls. In center of each soup, place 1 tbsp croutons, 1 tbsp red pepper, 1 oz crabmeat and 1 tsp basil. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information

  • Serving Size 1 cup
  • Calories 205
  • Carbohydrate Content 28 g
  • Cholesterol Content 22 mg
  • Fat Content 5 g
  • Fiber Content 5 g
  • Protein Content 15 g
  • Saturated Fat Content 1 g
  • Sodium Content 364 mg
  • Sugar Content 6.5 g
  • Monounsaturated Fat Content 0 g
  • Polyunsaturated Fat Content 0 g

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