Traditional German Creamy White Asparagus Soup makes a perfect starter for any meal! The soup is exceptionally delicious and has a very light taste. It’s one of the most popular dishes in the white asparagus season.
Check out my Ultimate Guide to German White Asparagus in my Learning Centre to learn how to buy, peel and cook this unique German vegetable.
White asparagus is a beloved vegetable here in Germany, especially during white asparagus season – which starts in the middle of April and lasts until the 24th of June.
During those two months, many white asparagus dishes are cooked and enjoyed at home and in restaurants. Today, let me show you how to cook the one and only – German White Asparagus Soup.
White Asparagus Stock
The crucial ingredient you will need to make white asparagus soup is the white asparagus stock. In Germany, we always use up leftover stock after cooking white asparagus to make this delicious and creamy soup.
Each time I cook white asparagus for dinner (which happens once a week in the asparagus season), I make white asparagus soup afterward from the stock, I cooked white asparagus in. The stock is full of flavor, you cannot throw it away like that.
To cook white asparagus you need water, salt, sugar, and butter (optionally). A few years ago it was common to use either lemon or wine to cook white asparagus, however, both of those ingredients are tangy and cover the delicate taste of white asparagus.
To prepare white asparagus stock, cook 1 kilogram of white asparagus until tender (for about 10 minutes) in 3 liters of boiling water. Use a pot that fits white asparagus stems – a Dutch oven or a special White Asparagus Pot.
If you don’t know how to buy, prepare, and cook White Asparagus check my Ultimate Guide to White Asparagus.
Can I make white sparagus stock with white asparagus from the jar?
No. White asparagus from the jar has been already cooked, so it doesn’t have this much flavor. The stock made from jarred white asparagus will be too mild and the soup will turn bland.
Check out my Ultimate Guide to German White Asparagus in my Learning Centre to learn how to buy, peel and cook this unique German vegetable.
Cooking White Asparagus Soup
When you have white asparagus stock already, cooking white asparagus soup is quick and easy.
- Enhance the flavor of the stock by cooking white asparagus peel in the water in which you cooked white asparagus.
- Make a white roux – white asparagus soup is made with a roux that thicknesses the soup! It makes it more creamy and delicious.
- Pour the white asparagus stock in – as soon as your roux is ready you can pour white asparagus stock at once and whisk it, so they combine. Bring the soup to a boil and check if you are happy with the consistency.
- Add cream – if you want the soup even creamer.
- Correct seasoning – my white asparagus stock is always very flavourful, so I usually don’t need to add any more spices to the soup. But feel free to add salt or sugar if needed.
- Add small cubes of white asparagus (optionally) – if you have some white asparagus left, cut it into cubes and add it to a soup!
Serving and Pairing
If you like you can add few additional ingredients to make the soup look more presentable and to add the taste to it.
- add cream to the soup to improve taste and consistency
- add white asparagus cubes to the soup if you have leftover white asparagus
- garnish soup with whipped cream
- sprinkle chopped chives all over the soup to add freshness to the dish
- Add a few drops of melted butter for extra flavor
- serve with a piece of baguette or slice of your favorite bread on the side
Storage
Keep white asparagus soup for up to 3 days in the fridge and up to 6 months in the freezer. Oh, it would make perfect Christmas starter, woudnt’t it?
Wonder, what else to make with white asparagus?
Try one of the following dishes:
Traditional German White Asparagus Cream Soup Recipe
Stock
- 3 liter white asparagus stock water, in which you cooked white asparagus
- white asparagus peel
Roux
- 150 gram butter
- 150 gram flour all-purpose
Soup
- 200 mililiter cream
- 250 gram white asparagus cut into 1 cm cubes, optional
- 1 tablespoon salt or how much you like
- sugar white, optional
Garnish
- 3 tablespoons chives chopped
- 50 ml whipped cream optional
- White asparagus stock is water in which you cook the asparagus, so I hope that you haven't thrown it away;)
- To enhance the flavor of white asparagus bring white asparagus stock to a boil and cook the peel of the white asparagus in it for 20 minutes. Remove the peel from the stock immediately after cooking. Now your stock is ready!
- Melt butter in a large pot on medium heat.
- Add flour and stir vigorously while it bubbles. Cook for about 3 minutes. If it browns too fast reduce the heat.
- Turn the heat to low and add a little bit of the white asparagus stock at once. While adding the white asparagus stock continue stirring, if it is not possible, stir immediately after adding the stock.
- Stir and wait, until the soup starts boiling. Cook the soup on medium heat for 3 minutes.
- Add cream and stir once again.
- Season the soup with salt or sugar, if needed.
- If you have white asparagus left place 1 tablespoon of white asparagus cubes in the bowl and pour 200 ml of soup over it.
- Serve hot. Garnish with whipped cream and chives.
- You can keep the soup in the fridge for 3 days or freeze it.
