Creamy Vegan Asparagus Soup with leeks and protein-rich red lentils is a healthy and delicious recipe that’s low-fat, well-balanced, and ready in about 30 minutes!
I’m absolutely loving the season’s asparagus this year. It’s delicious any way you cook it!
Asparagus soup was one of my all-time favorite soups growing up as a child. It’s a pleasure to make from scratch and not eat it from a can as I did so many years ago.
I highly recommend making it at least once while fresh asparagus is in season!
Why We Love This Recipe!
- Made from scratch and easy to customize. The recipe is super easy to pull together and much more flavorful than any canned asparagus soup. It’s mild in flavor and can easily be changed up with different herbs.
- It’s dairy-free. This vegan asparagus soup is creamy without the cream thanks to the red lentils which add bulk and round out the nutritional profile.
- It’s made in one pot. All in one pot recipes make for easy cooking and clean-up!
Ingredient Notes
Don’t let the short list of ingredients fool you. You can be sure this soup will be filling and satisfying! Measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Here is everything you will need:
- Asparagus – Use fresh-picked, or that aging asparagus that’s about to go bad in the refrigerator.
- Leeks – Leeks are a favorite of mine and I use them whenever I can. Compared to onions, they have a more delicate, sweeter flavor that I love. If you can’t find them or don’t care to use them, 1 medium-sized white onion will do just fine.
- Red Lentils – The lentils will add density to the soup making it thick, creamy and add a good dose of protein. I love using them in pureed soups. They have a mild flavor and soften up quickly. I also love the fact that they cook up very light in color as to not change the overall color of the dish too much.
- Tarragon – Feel free to switch up the herbs with fresh or dried parsley, dill, thyme, basil, or blends such as Herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning. If you want to learn more about pairings this Vegetarian Flavor Bible (affiliate link) is terrific!
- Vegetable broth – I highly recommend using a veg paste like this Better Than Bouillon (affiliate link) which lets you have more control and is easy to use. I used just under 1 teaspoon with the 6 cups of water.
- Lemon – Used at the end of cooking, it adds an overall brightness to the soup. Don’t skimp on the lemon!
- Salt + pepper – As always, use to taste. I did find that at least 1 teaspoon of salt was perfect.
How To Make Vegan Asparagus Soup
Here is a quick overview with a few photos for reference. See below for the full printable recipe card.
Prep veggies. Trim both ends off the leeks, we’ll be using the white and light green parts only. Make a slit down the center lengthwise and run under cool water to remove any debris/dirt that may have collected between the layers. Lay on a flat surface, thinly slice widthwise. Here is a great guide to prepping leeks. Trim asparagus ends and discard. Cut remaining asparagus into 1-inch pieces.
Saute. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add leeks and saute for about 5 minutes, or until softened.
Simmer. Add in tarragon, lentils, asparagus, vegetable broth, and salt & pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes. Let cool a bit.
Puree. Using an immersion blender, puree soup until desired consistency (I left mine a little chunky). You can also puree using a blender or food processor (this method will most likely require you to puree in 2 batches). Once pureed, add back to the stove and add the juice of 1 lemon, give a good stir. Add more water as needed to thin, no more than 1 cup should be needed. Taste for seasoning and heat on low as needed to warm.
Top Tips
- When using leeks, be sure to rinse them well under cool running water to help remove any sand or dirt that has collected between the stalk slices.
- Add garlic. For another layer of flavor, add 2 cloves minced garlic in the last minutes when sauteing the leeks.
- Can I use brown or black lentils? Pureeing other lentils here would result in a muddy-colored soup, not very pleasing to the eye so I don’t recommend them. Red lentils are my favorite for pureed soups!
- Recommended equipment. I love using my immersion blender (affiliate link) for pureeing soups. A standing blender works as well, but it may take two batches to puree.
How To Store + Reheat
- Refrigerator: Leftovers will keep for 5 – 6 days in the refrigerator, stored in a covered container.
- Reheat: Simply re-warm on the stovetop or the microwave.
- Meal prep: It makes a great meal prep for the week with homemade no knead bread or Naan on the side for soaking up the juices.
Can You Freeze Asparagus Soup?
Yes, vegan asparagus soup freezes well for up to 2 months! To freeze, store in freezer-safe containers, leaving ½ inch of headspace for expansion. Let thaw before reheating.
More Vegan Soup Recipes!
- Vegan Minestrone
- Creamy Celery Soup
- Creamy Broccoli + Red Lentil Soup
- Butternut Squash + Red Lentil Soup
- Vegan Potato Leek Soup
- Vegan Split Pea Soup
If you try this asparagus soup recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
PrintVegan Asparagus Soup
Vegan asparagus soup with red lentils features minimal ingredients with maximum flavor! Quick, easy and ready in 20 minutes it’s another great use of red lentils in a creamy style soup!
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4 1x
- Category: Entree, Soup
- Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, or ¼ cup water (for water saute)
- 2 medium leeks
- 1 1b. asparagus
- 1 cup dried red lentils
- 8 – 10 fresh tarragon leaves or ¾ teaspoon dried
- 5 – 6 cups vegetable broth or water (I used a combo)
- mineral salt & fresh cracked pepper, to taste
- juice of 1 lemon
Homemade Croutons
- 2 loaf ends, cubed
- 1 – 2 tablespoons garlic-flavored olive oil (neutral plain oil works great too)
- pinch of garlic powder
Instructions
Prep veggies: Trim both ends off the leeks, we’ll be using the white and light green parts only. Make a slit down the center lengthwise and run under cool water to remove any debris/dirt that may have collected between the layers. Lay on a flat surface, thinly slice widthwise. Here is a great guide to prepping leeks. Trim asparagus ends and discard. Cut remaining asparagus into 1-inch pieces.
Cook: In a large pot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add leeks and saute for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Add in tarragon, lentils, asparagus, vegetable broth, and salt & pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes. Let cool a bit.
Puree: Using an immersion blender, puree soup until desired consistency (I left mine a little chunky). You can also puree using a blender or food processor (this method will most likely require you to puree in 2 batches). Once pureed, add back to the stove and add juice of 1 lemon, give a good stir. Add more water as needed to thin, no more than 1 cup should be needed. Taste for seasoning and heat on low as needed to warm.
Croutons: While the soup is cooking or cooling, cube two slices of your favorite bread (I used the end pieces). Place cubes on a small baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, add a pinch of salt, and toss well to coat. Toast in a toaster oven as if toasting bread (this was my method using the small tray that came with the toaster oven). Alternately, use the broiler in your oven and set it at medium, place the baking sheet under the broiler for 5 – 7 minutes, tossing once or twice, until bread is toasted and slightly golden. Simple and easy croutons!
Serve: Serve soup in individual bowls topped with croutons and fresh cracked pepper. For a little heat, add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. For more herby flavor, stir in a small handful of fresh chopped parsley. For soaking up the juices, a slice of homemade Artisan Bread is perfect!
Serves 4
Notes
Feel free to change up the herbs. A few good replacements for the tarragon would be dill or thyme.
Updated: This recipe was originally published in May 2016. It has been retested and updated with new photos and helpful tips in July 2021.
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EG says
I just made this with some leftover white asparagus that was about to go bad in the fridge. Really nice light flavor! The only thing I changed was to throw in about 1/4c cashews before blending, for extra creaminess. I don’t use oil so I feel the addition of cashews makes up for the lack of fattiness/creaminess. Thanks for a lovely recipe!
★★★★★
Emilie @ Emilie Eats says
Red lentils are quickly becoming my favorite bean to cook! They cook up so fast, and I bet they would blend so perfectly in a soup like this. Asparagus is so beautiful right now – I’m drooling over this soup!