My VitaMix is making me a lazy cook.
When I have extra produce that I need to use up, do I scour the internet (aka “my favorite cookbook”) for a novel way to cook it? No, I just toss it into my turbo-charged blender and process it until it’s as creamy as, well, cream, as frothy as sea foam. I throw in a few herbs, a complementary spice or grating of pepper, and it’s cheating, really—gourmet cooking without the cooking. The crazy machine will even heat it up for me if I’m too lazy to get out a pot.
So even though a few of you have written asking me to post more Vita-Mix recipes, I hesitate, first, because I know that not everyone has one of these blenders-on-steroids and, second, because it’d be just too easy to work my way through the vegetable kingdom, blending up everything from celeriac to potatoes to zucchini and filling this blog with nothing but Vita-Mix recipes. And you wouldn’t want that.
But let’s say you did. We could start with the letter A and one of my favorite vegetables, asparagus. We could make it a bit special by roasting the asparagus along with garlic and onions to bring out their natural sweetness before blending with just enough raw cashews to add some extra body and creaminess. And we could preserve the fresh flavor of the asparagus by treating it simply, not overwhelming it with competing flavors, adding a sprinkle of lemon peel to brighten and highlight its earthy green taste.
Don’t worry. I’m not going to let the Vita-Mix take over this blog, though with summer vegetables on their way, it’s certainly tempting. Actually, you don’t even need a high-powered blender to make this delicious vegan asparagus soup. Try it in any ordinary blender, and if it doesn’t get as smooth as silk, strain it through a fine sieve to remove any excess fiber.
You don’t want a Vita-Mix anyway; it’ll just make you lazy.
Roasted Asparagus Soup
Ingredients
- 2 pounds asparagus ends trimmed
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 1/2 small onion sliced
- 2 cups warm vegetable broth or “no-chicken” broth
- 1/2 ounce raw cashews (1 heaping tablespoon) or 1 tablespoon cashew butter
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- salt to taste
- grated peel of 1/2 lemon or orange
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450F. Place the asparagus spears on a baking sheet lined with a silicone liner or parchment paper. Roast for 10 minutes. Turn asparagus and sprinkle the onion and garlic over it. Roast for about 10 more minutes, until asparagus is very tender. If anything looks like it’s browning too much, take it out. (Important Note: These directions are for thicker asparagus. Thin asparagus may take much less time so start with 6 minutes, turn and add onions and garlic, and check again in 5.)
- While the asparagus is roasting, blend 1/2 cup of the broth with the cashews and pepper until smooth. Leave it in the blender.
- When the asparagus is done, select several of the best-looking spears, remove the tops, and set aside to use as garnish. Cut the remaining asparagus into pieces and put it and the onion and garlic into the blender, along with the remaining broth. Cover the blender and blend on high until perfectly smooth.
- If you’re using a Vita-Mix, you can blend it on high for a few more minutes until piping hot (remove the center cup and cover with a kitchen towel to allow steam to escape). Otherwise, pour the soup into a saucepan and heat until hot, stirring frequently. Add salt, if needed, to taste.
- Pour into bowls and sprinkle with grated lemon or orange peel. Garnish each bowl with the reserved asparagus spears and serve hot.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
Additional Appetizing Asparagus Recipes:
Blanched Asparagus with Almonds, Shallots & Lemon from Not Eating Out in New York
Asparagus Quinoa Sushi with a Lemon-Ginger Dipping Sauce from Vegan Eats
Asparagus Tapenade from A Veggie Venture
Asparagus Pesto Pasta Salad (from yours truly)
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Coco @ Opera Girl Cooks
Ah, the VitaMix. Sounds so ideal and great for summer soups! Laziness be darned, I want one too ;-P
Amanda
I want a vita-mix but can’t afford the ~$500 price tag. I appreciate your non-vita-mix recipes even if they do take more time!
MarieRoxanne
I can’t afford the $500 price tag either but I do save now for that precious piece of kitchen bliss.
I am starting to save$10 a week and in one year I will have $ 520 so I can afford it if I take out something like my daily hot chocolate at the coffee shop at $1.90 a pop and now I only have one large and one small per week.
katie
Love my Vitamix and don’t use it nearly enough! I’m totally going to make this soup soon – asparagus is everywhere! ps – i wouldn’t mind if all your posts were vitamix!
katie
Angie
I bet there are some people out there who own a Vita and it just sits on top/under their counter and gathers dust. I wish there was some sort of rescue/adoption program like they do for retired greyhounds. I was lucky to get a hand-me-down (my aunt wanted to UPGRADE to an even super-er model) and I’m eternally grateful!
SusanV
Every now and then, you hear of someone getting one for next to nothing at a yard sale. Lucky! I put off buying one for years hoping that one would fall into my lap, but I’m glad I finally took the plunge. I know that in the long run, I’ll save money not having to buy a new blender every year like I was before.
jill souders
That’s the funniest thing I have ever heard! I make a green smoothie everyday with my Montel Williams high speed blender. it doesn’t tell you who your baby daddy is, but it is gooood.
Kat
“It doesn’t tell you who your baby daddy is, but…” Oh my goodness, hysterical!!! And so true, Montel loves that drama!
Just made the soup right now and it is absolutely yummy! Very flavorful. My diet is about 50% vegan right now so I was so glad to see this recipe. And I was very happy that there was no olive oil added to the asparagus. I’ve always added olive oil, but now that I know I can leave it out by using the parchment paper I am a very happy girl!
Paul
I do have a Vita-Mix & it’s the 2nd most used item in my kitchen (countertop convection oven is 1st…marginally). This recipe sounds great. It’s fairly similar to one I created, though I grilled my asparagus & I used tahini instead of cashew butter – roughly similar proportions, I suppose. I’ll give this way a try. Oh & I used lime juice but I’ll try zest instead. 🙂
If you’re someone who has toyed w/ the idea of getting a Vita-Mix, I HIGHLY recommend it. If you can’t afford one now, start saving! I bought mine while putting my husband through college. I saved about $5/week for almost 2 yrs. Looking back, it was SO worth it (though how we managed, in general, I have no idea. 😀 As some other subscribers have mention I wouldn’t mind a few Vita-Mix recipes thrown in.
LindsayH
Yes I really do want a Vita Mix!!! *sniff* It’s been on my wish list for a long, long time. Half the stuff you blend I have to put in a food processor because my blender can’t do it.
Tatiana
I got a Vita-mix for Mother’s Day! Woohoo!
eva
I got my Vita Mix from a restaurant auction online–Rasmus.com–for under $150–also try Ebay and Craig’s list.
Amber
I would love to make this for my family (to show them vegan food is just as good), but my father is allergic to cashews/nuts. What can replace the raw cashews?
SusanV
You could make it creamy without the nuts if you replaced half of the broth with soymilk or whatever milk you choose. A dash of nutritional yeast would add to the flavor.
Sarah
Perfect! This soup looks so good and perfectly timed to take advantage of the asparagus in my garden, but I too am allergic to nuts. Glad to know there is an equally yummy way to make the soup.
Debbie
Amber, is your father-in-law a grouch?
Tami Peterson
I love my Vita Mix and we use it all the time – it was worth every penny! We got ours at Costco a few years ago while they were on demo and I think it was a little cheaper that way…?
Lately I see a lot of wonderfully creamy soups (and other recipes) with cashews that I’d love to make them, but I have a child who’s allergic. Darn! Is there something else I could substitute for the cashews?
SusanV
Tami, see my reply to Amber. If your child isn’t allergic to seeds, you could also try sesame or sunflower seeds or tahini.
Christine
we throw almonds in almost everything. even hummus. cheap and tasty! 🙂
Liz
Thanks for this recipe. Adding the cashews will really add, I think. When I make soups in the Vita-Mix they get TOO frothy, and the texture just doesn’t seem right. Any tips for avoiding that?
SusanV
Mine get frothy too, Liz. I think the more cashews you add, the less it froths, but since I’m trying to avoid adding more fat, I don’t do that. I do try to gently stir some of the froth out before pouring it into the bowls. Just use a spatula and stir with a folding motion.
Diane
It looks so delicious. California Pizze Kitchen here in Ca, make a 2 in a bowl soup. That means the pour one half of the shallow wide rimmed bowl with asparagus spoup and the other half with split pea or a thick minestrone or a thick tortilla, etc. I find the minestrone has some parm cheese in it as does the tortilla, so I get the split pea and the asparagus. Viola! Two flavors, and because they are basically the same consistency, the soups don’t mix or run into each other. One is topped with croutons and the other with scallions. I will make your soup and my split pea and try it myself. Thanks for the lovely recipe.
SusanV
What an interesting idea!
IslandChica
It sounds great and I look forward to making it! That is basically how I make butternut squash soup…
Here’s another thumbs up for the VitaMix recipes!
Lynn
Thanks for the recipe. I used the link on your website to order my Vitamix and get free shipping. Although it is costly, I have not regetted the investment. It is well built and makes wonderful recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I love the way it makes vegan soups seem as though they have tons of cream when they have none! This recipe sounds yummy – I just bought lots of asparagus at the market today so I’ll have to give this a try. Thanks again
SusanV
Hi Lynn! Thank you so much for buying through my link. I’m glad you’re enjoying your Vitamix and hope you like the soup.
Emily Webber
Susan,
You are a genius! This simple recipe is just perfect and the presentation and photo is beautiful! I agree w/you about the Vita-Mix. I use mine nearly every day. If you get a CSA box or have some veggies you’re not sure what to do with, just put them in the Vita-Mix! I usually make a green smoothie, but a gorgeous soup like this one look delicious! Thank you for the inspiration. 🙂
-Emily
Wendy@Healthygirlskitchen
Thank you for having one of the most amazing cooking blogs in the universe! I am so excited to try this recipe this week.
Cara
Love the use of the cashew butter here, what a nice addition!
L2baker
What a delicious lookin’ soup! Yum!
I am so glad that there is some comments about Vita-Mixers. I have been researching them because they look wonderful. Are they the best? and if you are pleased with yours, what model do you recommend a new Vita-Mix user to use? Thanks!
SusanV
I bought a refurbished 5200, which is the latest model, and I love it. The refurbished Vita-Mixes are just like new (I couldn’t see any sign that mine had ever been out of the box) and come with the same 7-year warranty, but they are less expensive than new. I highly recommend them!
I haven’t tried any of the other high-power blenders. Some people love the BlendTec, but I don’t have any experience with it. But I’ve gone through a lot of “regular” blenders, including a Cuisinart, and the difference between them and a VitaMix is like the difference between a bicycle and a rocket ship. I was going through a new blender every year or two, so in the seven years of my Vita-Mix warranty, I will have actually saved money. 🙂
L2baker
Thanks, Susan! That was just the information I was wanting to hear about!
April
I bought a BlendTec and absolutely love it. We researched high and low and when it finally came down to the blendtec and vitamix…I just went BT.
I agree, these high powered blenders do, indeed, make you lazy!But, it’s a good lazy…100% better than opening- a- can- of- soup- lazy.
I have not made the asparagus soup…yet. It sounds wonderful though. Actually sounds like dinner tomorrow evening! 😉 But, I have used it (my blendtec) to make a taco-type soup (which my children love to make). They do it all and they love it! They call it blendtec soup.
I use my blender to make lentil soup too, which makes it so smooth and creamy. I cook it on the stove then pour it into the blender for pureeing. Before the BlendTec I was using a hand blender and there is no comparison.
Thanks for all your blender recipes. I certainly do try to use my blender as often as possible to get the best for my money, but really, it’s hard not to use it. Don’t know what I’d do if the power fails during hurricane season…generator!
Take care,
April
vegan
I would love to try it … looks good! Here’s an Indian-style stir-fry recipe with asparagus that tastes delish:
http://www.vegrecipes4u.com/asparagus-stir-fry.html
Amie
This is definitely on my list of things I NEED to buy right now. I think a VitaMix would make my life a blissful creation of soups and purees…I guess I could get it, and rationalize it as eating healthier? Hmm, I have to think about this one and figure out a way to get one asap!
moonwatcher
Hi Susan,
What a breathtaking photograph!! It’s a s beautiful to look at as I imagine it is to taste. And I loved your writing in this post about the vita-mix. Really enjoyoed this post. Thanks!!
moonwatcher
SusanV
Thank you so much, moonwatcher! Like I always say: Cooking is easy; writing is hard. So I especially appreciate your noticing the writing. 🙂
Dorothy
We made it last night and it tasted very good but I needed more pepper to taste and will experiment with some seasonings as well, although I did not do the lemon/orange zest part so maybe that was where I went wrong.
It was a bit frothy but that settles down after a few minutes. I’ve had less than stellar results with a few ETL recipes and a few “health soups” It was nice to make something I did not want to toss ;=) Thanks for such a great website!
SusanV
Well, I’m really glad you didn’t want to toss it! 🙂 I probably should have specified to add more pepper to taste (the white pepper I used was extremely spicy, so to add more would have really changed the character of the soup). I found that adding the lemon zest or a squeeze of lemon really enhanced the flavor, so I hope you’ll give it another try with the lemon.
Elizabeth
I do not have a VitaMix but I have an Omerga 4000 juicer. How would your instructions convert to the kind of juicer I have?
liz
made this last night for Hubby, it was awesome, asparaguds soup is his favourite and this was burting with flavour. one comment was that i had to use more like 3.5 cups of broth as it was really thick but i think maybe thats because i have an oldschool kenward blender!
Melanie@ I Dream of Tahini
Mmmm……that looks so tasty. I really need to remember to try making soups in my vitamix. I think there is a whole untapped vitamix I’m not taking advantage of.
jennifer lorton
I’m roasting the asparagus right now, no, really I am, right now. I can’t wait to try it. I hope it’s yummy. thanks!
SusanV
I hope so, too! Thanks for trying it!
She-Fit
YUM! This looks so good… I love that it’s low in calorie too.
k.pepper
This is a plea from the poorer contingent of your readership–please don’t start only blogging recipes that require absurdly expensive equipment to work properly! (Of course I’ve made my fair share of creamy soups with my cheap-o blender, and will probably try this one also, but we all know its a totally different ball game.) Your skillful writing and meal creations are a delight to read, not to mention a delight to cook. One thing I love is so many of your posts are able to be made with the basic kitchen essentials and I can often finagle them into being a reasonable cost per meal. Well, not always, but thats what holidays are for.
From reading the previous comments, it seems I may be one of your few readers for whom a vitamix is nowhere in the my near future. So perhaps this comment can be disregarded as an outlier. At any rate, this is your blog and its definitely your choice if you’d like to frequently feature an item of equipment, but I wanted to share my thoughts. Thank you so much for all your wonderful posts and dedication.
Vicki
Thank you so much for this incredibly delicious recipe. I just made it to have for dinner. It’s very easy and so yummy (and this comes from someone who is not a big fan of asparagus). My one-year-old loved it too 🙂
Joanne
Asparagus soup is one of my favorites. I’ve actually made it using tofu to cream it however, it must be eaten immediately as separation occurs upon cooling.
Your recipe is going down as one of my must trys. We always have asparagus in the house.
Ana
Omg, I so want a vitamix! It’s been hard to convince the husband that I really “need” one!
Love asparagus and asparagus soup, I will try the recipe with my regular blender, then if the husband doesn’t like it I can say “see, if we had a vitamix it would have been better”!!!
Love your blog!
Ana
KIGH
This soup was fabulous! Great use of asparagus!!
gilding lilies
I wanted to let you know I made this soup and it was wonderful. I’ve made asparagus soup in the Vitamix before but this was much better, the roasting of the asparagus really improved the flavor. Thanks!
Kendra
Made this recipe last night and it was so delicious and creamy! I added a bit of cumin which was a nice touch to the flavor. Thank you…Keep em coming!!!
Mike
@Amanda: The Vita-Mix may seem a little pricy, but it’s worth it! Best $450 I’ve spent in a long time, and I use it every single day…
2 HP motor, made in the USA, 7 year warranty. What else could you ask for? 🙂
rasjoseph
Looks good!
Love your recipes also..
Rasjoseph
vegetalien
This looks wonderful!
I just moved, and am renting a very small furnished apartment in a new country, and so have fairly little control over which appliances I can get. But, it looks as if I do have a hand-blender (which is my personal favorite kitchen tool). I’ve had success making creamy soups (often with zucchini) using a hand blender before–do you think a hand blender could handle the roasted asparagus?
Thanks for your fantastic website!
SusanV
Since asparagus is so fibrous, you may need to strain the soup after blending. Give it a try and let me know how it comes out.
Rhonda
Loved this soup! Does it freeze well?