White Asparagus Soup (Spargelsuppe)

This creamy, simple white asparagus soup is a great spring soup. The ingredients are minimal and the process not as difficult as you may assume. It can be eaten as a light main course or a starter.

About White Asparagus in Germany.

Asparagus Season is a culinary highlight in Germany. There are about 1600 asparagus farms in Germany. [source statistica.de] The start and the finish of the season is not set in stone, because it depends on the weather. If the spring weather is especially cold, the farmers tend to move the harvest back a few weeks. Generally, you can expect the start of the season to be between March and April.

The season is not very long and ends on the 26^th of June.

German white asparagus soup is called (Spargelsuppe) in German. Spargel is the German word for asparagus. Cream of asparagus soup, like this recipe, is called Spargelcremesuppe.

Where to find fresh asparagus in the UK and US?

Although white asparagus is grown widley in Western Europe it is not as popular in the UK and US. I found some online retailers who send them to you.

UK (I read that Morrisons supermarket sometimes sells white asparagus in season). Online retailers: Fine Food Specialist

US : Melissas

How to make White asparagus soup

Ingredients

The nice thing about white asparagus soup is that the asparagus does not have to be perfectly grown. You can also use the thinner variety. In German market stalls, you can buy packs of broken or crocket asparagus stems, that are cheaper but perfectly suited for this soup.

• 500 g / 17.6 oz white asparagus
• 1.5 ltr / 50 oz water
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp oil
• 40 g / 1.4 oz plain flour / all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (or 1 tbsp white wine)
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 tbsp whipping cream

White Asparagus Soup Recipe

1. Peel the asparagus. (Do not discard the peel). Chop off the wooden bit of the stems. Now slice the remaining stem into roughly 2 cm chunks.
2. Place the peel into a pot of water with the sugar and a little salt. Boil for 20 minutes.
3. Now add the asparagus chunks to the broth and boil for a further 20 minutes.
4. After this strain the asparagus with a colander. Catch the broth in a jar. Separate the peel and asparagus chunks. (You can now discard the peel.)
5. Now we are going to create a “blond roux” – to thicken the sauce. You can also use butter instead of oil for this step, but be aware that butter can brown which might taint the colour of this white soup.  Heat up the oil in the saucepan and then mix in the flour. Cook for at least two minutes on low heat before pouring in some asparagus broth. Whisk until no clumps remain. It is important to cook the broth for a further 15 minutes so the floury taste disappears.
6. Add the asparagus pieces (if you want you can puree the asparagus at this stage) and bring the soup back to boil briefly.
7. Combine the egg yolk and cream, and whisk to a smooth mass. Mix into the soup. Add lemon juice and add salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe Variations

Soup from asparagus stock/ broth

You can also use this recipe without the actual asparagus. If you enjoyed white asparagus recently. (For example with ham and hollandaise sauce). You can use the stock to make this sauce. It may be less filling, but you can just toast some bread and serve it with the soup.

Making the soup with a jar or can of white asparagus.

Sometimes the difficult availability of white asparagus broad calls for different methods. You can use a jar of white asparagus. Simply cook it with the liquid for 8 minutes. You may want to add some chicken or vegetable stock to make up 1 liter of liquid. Prepare the roux and thicken the sauce with the cream and egg yolk as described in the recipe.

What wine to drink with white asparagus soup

A dry white wine complements this creamy soup well. Classic German wines are Grüne Veltliner or Grüne Silvaner.

Can I freeze this soup?

I would not recommend freezing this soup as the cream does not freeze very well. You can freeze fresh white asparagus for up to 6 months. Freeze it unpeeled (as it keeps its flavour better) in a plastic bag. You can defrost it, by placing the stems straight into the boiling water.  

More German Soup Recipes you may like ....

• German Pea Soup (Erbsensuppe)
• Swede and Carrot Soup
• German Potato Soup (Kartoffelsuppe)
• Goulash Soup (Gulaschsuppe)