Our Low food waste Asparagus Soup looks like a posh velvety french soup. Perfect for wowing guests or warming up the family this dairy free asparagus soup recipe is a winner.
Jump to:
- Why We Like This Recipe
- Saving up the Asparagus for the Low Food Waste Asparagus Soup.
- Ingredients
- The Ingredient Low Down
- Instructions/ Directions and Tips
- Substitutions
- Variations /Adaptations
- Equipment
- Storage and Reheating Instructions
- Storage
- Top Tip
- What To Serve With
- Other Recipes You May Enjoy
- 📖 Recipe
- Food Safety
- Latest Posts
- 💬 Comments
Why We Like This Recipe
What?!!! A meal made of scraps??!!
Yes! Is it.
Feeding a family of 6 means we have to get creative with our food budget at times. It also means we generate a fair amount of food waste, or rather we would. Instead of tossing parts of the asparagus you would normally find woody and tough when eating the steamed vegetables, we save them and make them for dinner.
There is a huge push right now on low food waste meals and using parts most people throw out or compost. We have been making our scrap soups and broths for as long as I can remember. It means we can be sure our soups are safe for us and it helps reduce what would go in our bin and the kids love calling this the asparagus scraps soup.
Saving up the Asparagus for the Low Food Waste Asparagus Soup.
We have steamed veggies with most of our meals. It is one of the foods we have few restrictions on. Asparagus is one that when it is on sale and in season we buy a lot of. When we are preparing the fresh asparagus for steaming we separate the woody thick tough bottoms of the stalks, and any parts we shaved or peeled down.
They live in a large freezer bag in our deep freeze so that when it is all we know it is time to get ready to make our low waste asparagus soup. Next to the asparagus bits and bobs bag is another veggie scraps bag. In that bag we put all of our vegetable trimmings; mushroom stems, potato skins, onion skins, carrot peelings, celery leaves. Pretty much anything that is well clean and in great condition. When that bag is full we pop the contents into our biggest stockpot and make homemade vegetable broth to use in recipes like this vegan asparagus soup.
Ingredients
- Neutral Oil
- Onion
- Potatoes
- Vegetable Stock
- Saved asparagus ends
- Coconut cream
- Oatmilk, gluten free
- Salt
- Pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
The Ingredient Low Down
Neutral Oil
An oil with a high smoke point for sweating onions is the best. We usually use a high quality olive oil but canola, avocado, or another oil that is safe for you can be used.
Onion
Usually a yellow or white onion but any onion bulb - sweet or red will also work. The red may change the end colour of the soup. Shallots can also be used for a softer onion flavour.
Potatoes
A starchy potato works best, like a Russet but if what you have on hand are red, yellow, or other potatoes use what you have. This is a recipe that is forgiving and the whole point of it is to use what is on hand.
Vegetable Stock
Store bought can be used, if it is safe for you. We also make our own stock from vegetable waste and freeze it in 2 cup containers.Thaw frozen stock before using.
Saved Asparagus Ends
Every time we have asparagus we wash and trim the ends off, like in the Peach Balsamic Asparagus dish. Instead of throwing away the woody ends we take extra large Ziplocs and keep the ends in the freezer. When we get about two full bags full (approx 9 pounds worth) we make this soup. Due to the woodiness of the end the fibres need to be strained out to give the smoothest of soups.
If this recipe catches your fancy yet you do not have asparagus ends this recipe can be made from whole asparagus. Be sure to save a couple of tips for each bowl to garnish, just steam for a couple of minutes first.
Coconut Cream
The cans of pure coconut cream are the ideal ingredient, however if they cannot be found chill full fat (not light/lite) coconut milk. Once chilled, scoop out the cream, it will have hardened and save the leftover milk for other recipes that use coconut milk like our Peaches and Cream Chia Pudding. If coconut is not suitable please check our substitutions sections for suggestions.
Oat Milk, gluten free
A really creamy oat milk works best but other plant milks can be used. Always check that the oat milk is gluten free and wheat free. Lately, there have been many brands that have had to move away from GF oats due to supply issues, so always check them.
Instructions/ Directions and Tips
Step 1
In a large stock pot, heat the oil over low-medium heat and add onions. Cook until translucent, stirring often, about 4-5 minutes.
Step 2
Pour a small portion of vegetable stock into the pan, stirring and scraping the bottoms of the pan to de-glaze. Add the rest of the stock and the potatoes.
Step 3
Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the stock and potatoes to a slow boil, reduce heat and let simmer until potatoes are cooked through around 15 mins.
Step 4
Add the thawed asparagus ends and cover the pot with a well fitting lid. Continue simmering for 12 mins.
Step 5
This step can be done one of two ways. First with an immersion blender carefully purée the soup, ensuring all potatoes and asparagus chunks are ground. OR let the soup cook and blend in a high speed blender. Do not put hot soup in the blender or it will not seal and can spray out causing injuries.
Step 6
Once the soup has been blended, put a large fine mesh sieve over a very large bowl or second large pot. Using a metal ladle, one spoonful at a time passes the soup through the sieve using the ladle to push the soup gently against the mesh of the sieve and get out all the liquid. This removes the woody fibres and creates a smooth soup. For ultimate velvety-ness, do this step twice carefully, not to get burnt on the soup if it is still hot.
Step 7
Return the soup to a pot and bring it back up to temperature. Over low- medium heat add coconut cream and oatmilk. Let the cream melt and stir well to mix it in. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Step 8
Serve while hot.
Hint: How to get this soup from stringy and woody to smooth and velvety
The key to making this soup is to run it through a fine mesh sieve, as fine as you have. Blending the soup in a high powered blender gives it a smoother finish to start. I am often in a hurry and don't want to wait for the soup to cool before blending so I use a handheld immersion blender. Then use this sieve method to get the most amazing results. Scoop a ladle full at a time in the sieve holding it over a second large pot to collect the silken soup. With a metal ladle use the bowl end to stir and press the soup against the mesh. This quickens the straining. One time through will yield a much smoother soup but two times gives a perfectly elegant velouté soup worthy of a French Restaurant.
Substitutions
- Coconut Cream - Instead of coconut cream any plant based or non dairy milk will work. It may need to be reduced to thicken it and 1-3 teaspoons of cornstarch or arrowroot starch.
- Oat Milk - Any plant based milk will work, thinner milks, like rice, may need to be boiled a bit more to thicken the soup slightly.
- Asparagus - replace the titular vegetable with leftover broccoli stems that have been diced medium to large pieces. The broccoli may need to simmer a bit longer to make this soup as smooth as possible.
- Potatoes - if potatoes are a restricted food use cauliflower florets and stems in the recipe instead.
Variations /Adaptations
- Spicy - this mild and delicately flavoured soup can easily be overtaken by spice. If adding spice, do it very slowly and use a soft spice as opposed to a harsh or hard spice. We suggest adding in a few drops of chilli infused oil at serving time. A couple of drops will go a long way.
- Garlic Infused - mince garlic and saute it with the onions. Another way to add a subtle hint of garlic is to garnish with garlic infused oil or a couple of cloves of roasted garlic. The roasting will take the garlic bite away and make it really sweet and delicious.
Equipment
Soup Pot for combining the soup.
Fine Mesh Sieve to separate the woody bits of the asparagus from the soup.
Large Bowl to strain soup into for the first time through the sieve.
Ladle for serving the soup and to help pass the soup through the sieve.
Knife and Cutting Board to cut up the potatoes and onions
Potato Peeler for the potatoes
Can Opener for the coconut milk
Cooking Utensil to stir the soup and the sauteing onion.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Storage
This gluten free asparagus soup is best stored in a well sealing container so it doesn’t absorb the flavours of other foods in the fridge or freezer. The soup has a really mildly flavour.
-Fridge
This recipe will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
-Freezer
In the freezer, properly stored this soup will keep for up to 3 months.
Reheating
Always thaw the low waste asparagus soup before reheating it. It may need a good stirring as it may separate after thawing. This soup is meant to be eaten hot, however it could be safely eaten chilled overnight. If you prefer this soup chilled please let us know in the comments or send us an email.
-Stove Top
In a pot, reheat the soup over medium heat. Heat the dairy free asparagus to a boil, stirring constantly.
Top Tip
Garnishing this soup can be a lot of fun. If you want to make it super pretty add a couple of steamed asparagus tips as a topper and save 2 tablespoons of coconut milk/cream to drizzle in the bowls and give a ton of contrast. Roasted red peppers, a few roasted grape tomatoes, or a drizzle of high quality olive oil immediately before serving make this a beautiful dish for entertaining and wowing guests.
What To Serve With
We often pair this dairy free asparagus soup with leftover gluten free hamburger or hot dog buns, like the top 8 free ones from Little Northern Bakehouse, that we have brushed with melted plant based spread & minced garlic and toasted to make garlic bread.
This soup also works well with a side salad like our avocado apple pear salad. The low waste asparagus soup is a brilliant starter for a dinner with friends or a more posh meal.
Other Recipes You May Enjoy
Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- Soup Pot
- Fine Mesh Sieve
- Large Bowl
- Ladle
- Knife and Cutting Board
- Potato Peeler
- Can Opener
- cooking utensil
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsps safe neutral oil (Canola, Avocado, Olive Oil)
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 2 C potatoes peeled and cubed (russets work nicely) roughly 4 potatoes
- 8 C Vegetable stock
- 9 Lbs Saved Asparagus Ends roughly 1½-2 large freezer storage bags full— thawed
- 1 - 14 oz can Coconut cream
- ⅓ C Oat Milk gluten free or Other Plant Milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Steamed asparagus ends for garnish
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, heat the oil over low-medium heat and add onions. Cook until translucent, stirring often, about 4-5 minutes.
- Pour a small portion of vegetable stock into the pan, stirring and scraping the bottoms of the pan to de-glaze. Add the rest of the stock and the potatoes.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the stock and potatoes to a slow boil, reduce heat and let simmer until potatoes are cooked through around 15 mins.
- Add the thawed asparagus ends and cover the pot with a well fitting lid. Continue simmering for 12 mins.
- This step can be done one of two ways. First with an immersion blender carefully purée the soup, ensuring all potatoes and asparagus chunks are ground. OR let the soup cook and blend in a high speed blender. Do not put hot soup in the blender or it will not seal and can spray out causing injuries.
- Once the soup has been blended, put a large fine mesh sieve over a very large bowl or second large pot. Using a metal ladle, one spoonful at a time pass the soup through the sieve using the ladle to push the soup gently against the mesh of the sieve and get out all the liquid. This removes the woody fibres and creates a smooth soup. For ultimate velvety-ness, do this step twice carefully not to get burnt on the soup if it is still hot.
- Return the soup to a pot and bring it back up to temperature. Over low- medium heat add coconut cream and oat milk. Let the cream melt and stir well to mix it in. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve while hot.
Notes
Nutrition
Food Safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Contact the manufacturer of products, regarding cross contact and ingredients, to ensure they are safe for you
- Always check ingredients for allergens
- Do not use the same utensils on allergen free food, that previously touched allergens
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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