Asparagus and pea soup is a bright and refreshing dish, blending the fresh flavors of asparagus and peas with a hint of lime and thyme. Topped with parmesan, this creamy soup is a perfect light meal for any season.

Here is Why This Recipe Works

Flavor Explosion: The combo of fresh asparagus soup with sweet peas, and zesty lime gives this soup a taste that’ll make your taste buds do a happy dance.

Easy Elegance: It’s fancy enough for dinner parties but simple enough for a weeknight dinner—because who has time for fussy recipes?

Creamy Without the Guilt: Get that rich, velvety texture with just a splash of cream—no need to go overboard.

Garnish Goals: Creamy goodness and parmesan shavings make it look like you spent way more time on this than you actually did.

The Ingredients

Produce: Asparagus, celery, onion, garlic, limes, thyme, frozen peas
Pantry: Chicken broth, olive oil
Pantry Seasonings: Salt, sea salt, pepper, cayenne pepper
Fridge: Parmesan cheese, butter, cream
Freezer: Frozen peas
Other: White wine

Processing asparagus soup vegetarian in a blender.

Variations

Here are a few flavor twists on the recipe that you will love.

Lemon Basil Variation: Swap out the lime juice for fresh lemon juice and add a handful of chopped fresh basil for a bright, citrusy twist. If you want to keep it dairy free, use coconut milk instead of cream.

Smoky Bacon and Greens: Stir in 1/2 cup of cooked, crumbled bacon just before serving for a smoky, savory kick.

Mint Addition: Replace the thyme with fresh mint and add a dollop of Greek yogurt on top for a refreshing, tangy variation.

Mediterranean Inspired Twist: Add 1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese and a sprinkle of chopped fresh oregano.

Peas of Advice for Perfect Soup

Choose bright green asparagus with closed tips for the best flavor. If they are too woody, the soup may turn out stringy.
Straining the broth after simmering the vegetables ensures a smooth texture without any fibrous bits.
Blanching the asparagus tips for garnish keeps them vibrant and crisp.
Taste the soup before serving and adjust the salt, pepper, and lime juice to your preference.

A bowl of asparagus soup with peas and parmesan.

Storage

To store leftover soup, let it cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Freezing: If you want to freeze the soup, pour it into a freezer-safe container, leaving some space at the top for expansion. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wait to add the dairy until after reheating, as dairy can sometimes separate when frozen.

Reheating: To reheat, warm it on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally. If you froze the soup without the cream, add it in during the reheating process and gently simmer until the soup is heated through. Be careful not to let it boil, as this can cause the dairy to curdle.

A bowl of asparagus pea soup with parmesan cheese.

A Recipe You’ll Love

This asparagus soup with peas is a perfect blend of fresh, vibrant flavors with a creamy finish. The touch of parmesan adds just the right amount of richness. It is perfect as a starter soup or a side dish.

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Asparagus-Pea Soup with Parmesan Cheese

This bright green soup is made by simmering the asparagus and vegetables into a rich stock. Adding white wine, lime juice and cayenne pepper and a little cream make this an elegant and flavorful first course.

4.87 from 15 votes

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Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 1 30

Total Time: 2

Servings: servings

Calories: 309kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

3 pounds of fresh asparagus
2 celery stalks 8-inches each, rough chopped
1 large onion rough chopped
½ teaspoon salt
3 cans 14.5 ounces each, chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 shallot finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 (12-ounce) package frozen peas thawed
grated zest from one lime
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 cup white wine
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup heavy cream
3 limes juiced
½ cup shavings of parmesan cheese
2 limes quartered

Instructions

Prepare the Asparagus:

Wash the asparagus under cold water and cut off the tough, woody ends. (this is the part that is normally discarded.)
Cut off enough of the tips to reserve for garnishment. Then cut the remaining green tender spears into 1-inch pieces and reserve.

Make the Broth:

Add the tough, woody ends of the asparagus to the bowl of a food processor (use the chopping blade). Pulse several times to chop it well. Transfer to a large saucepan, and add the chopped celery, onion, salt, and chicken broth.
Bring the chopped vegetables to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then strain the stock over a bowl, mashing with the back of a wooden spoon to get as much flavor as possible from the cooked vegetables.
Discard the strained vegetables. You should have about 5 cups of stock.

Make the Soup:

Melt the butter and oil in a heavy-bottomed pot such as a Dutch oven and add the shallot and garlic, cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the reserved cut asparagus spears to a pot. Add the peas, wine, lime zest, thyme, the asparagus/vegetable stock, salt and pepper.
Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
Add the cooled soup, in batches, to a food processor, blender or use a stick blender and puree.
Return the processed soup to the pot and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and add the cayenne pepper and the cream. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Do not allow the soup to boil once the cream has been added.
Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice.

For the Garnishment:

Bring a small pan of water to boil and cook the reserved asparagus tips for 1-2 minutes, remove and plunge them into a dish of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain them on paper towels to be used as a garnishment on the individual soup dishes.
To serve, ladle the soup into eight shallow soup bowls, garnish with the asparagus tips and shavings of parmesan cheese. Pass a dish with the lime quarters for each guest to squeeze on top of their soup.

Notes

The tough woody part of the asparagus is usually discarded, however, there is a lot of flavor in them and we are using them to made a flavor-packed broth.

Recipe inspired from The Soup Bible as well as Daniel Humm, from The Flavor Bible.