Anna Louise Asparagus soup is one of those things I make for exactly six weeks every year and then do not make again until the following May. That is British asparagus season — from the end of April to the summer solstice in June — and during those six weeks, asparagus soup is something I make almost every week.
The reason I only make it seasonally is because British asparagus in season is a completely different ingredient from the asparagus that comes from Peru or Mexico in October.
It is sweeter, more tender, more vivid in colour, and more intensely flavoured. Out of season asparagus gives a passable soup. In-season British asparagus gives something genuinely extraordinary.
Mary Berry’s asparagus soup is beautifully simple. The same principle as the watercress soup — the asparagus is barely cooked before blending, which preserves the colour and the delicate, sweet flavour.
Finished with a little double cream and a squeeze of lemon, it is elegant enough for a dinner party starter and quick enough for a weekday lunch.
How to Get the Most From Your Asparagus
Snap off the tough ends — do not cut them. Hold an asparagus spear at both ends and bend it. It will snap naturally at the point where the tough fibrous stalk meets the tender edible part. This is the correct point to remove. Save the tough ends — they make excellent stock.
Reserve the tips for garnish. Before anything goes in the pan, cut the tips off half the asparagus stalks — about 4 to 5cm from the top. Blanch these tips separately in boiling salted water for two minutes, then cool immediately in iced water to preserve their vivid colour. These are your garnish — beautiful, vivid green asparagus tips placed in the bowl just before serving.
Do not overcook. The same principle as watercress soup and broccoli and stilton soup — the asparagus goes in at the end and is cooked briefly before blending immediately. This is how you keep the vivid green colour and the delicate asparagus flavour. Overcooked asparagus gives a dull, khaki-coloured soup with a flat, slightly sulphurous taste.
Ingredients for Mary Berry Asparagus Soup
For the Soup
- 750g fresh British asparagus — tough ends snapped off, tips reserved for garnish
- 40g unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 medium potato (about 175g), peeled and roughly chopped
- 900ml good quality vegetable or chicken stock
- 150ml double cream
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper
To Serve
- Reserved blanched asparagus tips
- A swirl of double cream or crème fraîche
- A drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil
- A pinch of white pepper
- Crusty bread or sourdough toast
How to Make Mary Berry Asparagus Soup
Step 1 — Prepare the Asparagus
Snap the tough ends from all the asparagus spears. Cut the tips from roughly half the spears — about 4 to 5cm from the top. Set these aside for the garnish.
Roughly chop the remaining stalks and the trimmed stalks from the spears you took the tips from.
Step 2 — Blanch the Tips
Bring a small pan of well-salted water to the boil. Add the reserved asparagus tips and blanch for two minutes until just tender and vivid green. Drain immediately and plunge into a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking and fix the colour. Drain and set aside.
Step 3 — Soften the Base
Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for eight to ten minutes until completely soft — no colour. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Add the potato and stir to combine.
Step 4 — Add Stock and Simmer
Pour in the stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for fifteen minutes until the potato is completely tender.
Step 5 — Add the Asparagus
Add all the chopped asparagus stalks to the pan. Cook for four to five minutes — just until completely tender. No longer. The asparagus should be vivid green and just cooked when you blend.
Step 6 — Blend Immediately
Remove from the heat the moment the asparagus is tender and blend immediately until completely smooth. Two full minutes with a stick blender or in batches in a standard blender. Pass through a fine sieve for an especially silky result — this is worth doing for a dinner party.
Step 7 — Finish and Serve
Return to a gentle heat. Stir in the double cream and lemon juice. Warm through gently — do not boil. Taste and season carefully with salt and white pepper.
Ladle into warm bowls. Add the blanched asparagus tips — three or four per bowl. Swirl a little cream over the surface. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.
My Top Tips For Mary Berry Asparagus Soup
Buy British asparagus in season. May and June only. The flavour difference between British asparagus in season and imported asparagus out of season is so significant that I genuinely think it is not worth making this soup except during those six weeks.
Blanch the tips separately and keep them vivid. The blanched tips are the most beautiful garnish you can put in a bowl of asparagus soup — bright, vivid green against the paler soup, arranged with care. They take five minutes and make the presentation genuinely elegant.
The potato is the thickener. It gives the soup body and creaminess without affecting the asparagus flavour. Do not skip it — without it the soup is slightly thin and watery.
Blend for two full minutes. Asparagus is slightly fibrous and needs more blending time than softer vegetables. Two full minutes gives a silky result. One minute gives something with a slightly grainy texture.
Serve immediately. Asparagus soup loses its vivid green colour within minutes of leaving the blender. Serve as soon as possible.
Serving Suggestions
As a dinner party starter in small bowls — utterly elegant. As a spring or early summer lunch with sourdough toast. With a poached egg on top for a more substantial meal.
As the first course of an asparagus-themed dinner — asparagus soup, asparagus risotto, asparagus tart. It is that time of year.
Mary Berry Asparagus Soup Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Snap tough ends from asparagus. Cut tips from half the spears — set aside. Roughly chop remaining stalks.
- Blanch tips in well-salted boiling water 2 minutes. Drain — plunge into iced water immediately. Drain and set aside.
- Melt butter with oil over medium heat. Cook onion 8–10 minutes — no colour. Add garlic — 1 minute. Add potato — stir.
- Add stock. Bring to boil. Simmer 15 minutes until potato completely tender.
- Add all chopped asparagus stalks. Cook 4–5 minutes until just tender and vivid green.
- Remove from heat immediately. Blend completely smooth — 2 full minutes. Pass through fine sieve if desired.
- Return to gentle heat. Add cream and lemon juice. Warm through — do not boil. Season with salt and white pepper.
- Ladle into bowls. Add 3–4 asparagus tips per bowl. Swirl cream. Drizzle olive oil. Serve immediately.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen asparagus?
You can but the flavour and colour are significantly less good than fresh. This soup is a celebration of seasonal British asparagus — it is worth making with fresh, in-season asparagus or not at all.
Can I make this dairy-free?
Yes — use olive oil instead of butter and oat cream instead of double cream. The colour and flavour are exactly the same.
Can I add Parmesan?
Yes — a small amount of finely grated Parmesan stirred through the finished soup off the heat adds a savoury depth that works well with the asparagus. Use about 30g.
Why is my asparagus soup bitter?
The asparagus was overcooked before blending. Or the tough, fibrous ends were included rather than snapped off. Always snap off the tough ends and cook the asparagus briefly before blending.
Can I add peas to this soup?
Yes — 100g of frozen peas added with the asparagus gives a sweeter, slightly more robust soup with an even more vivid green colour. Asparagus and pea soup is a wonderful spring combination.
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