This simple, fresh broccoli and asparagus soup has incredible flavor! Savory asparagus and broccoli are blended with a rich chicken stock into a fine and creamy broth.
The result is delicious, winning flavor combination!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
This soup is so flavorful, and as a bonus, is loaded with healthy green vegetables. It doesn’t get much healthier than this! First, the asparagus and broccoli are softened in the soup pot, and then the ingredients are blended to a smooth consistency using an immersion blender. This recipe has no added milk or any kind of dairy, yet the broth is still super creamy.
Honestly, my kids also love this soup because of this super creamy texture, and because there are no “offensive” vegetable chunks. To them, it doesn’t taste like health food! To accompany this dish, I bake and then slice a loaf of crusty sourdough bread. My kids love to dunk the bread chunks into the soup before eating.
And guess what? The flavors of this soup are even better the next day, after the ingredients have had some time to meld together. This broccoli asparagus soup could be prepared using an instant pot, but it is easy enough to prepare over the stovetop, with minimal prep time.
Nutritious Ingredients
Let’s take a closer look at the nutrient content of the healthy foods used in this vegetable soup recipe. Pregnant women should enjoy a variety of healthy soups as part of a healthy pregnancy diet!
Asparagus
Asparagus is a phenomenal source of folate (known as folic acid in its synthetic form). One-half cup of asparagus contains 134 micrograms of folate. This is about 34 percent of the recommended daily value for pregnant women. Folate helps prevent birth defects of baby’s brain and spinal cord. Such defects can happen in early pregnancy, well before women even know that they are pregnant. Appropriate intake of folate also helps to reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia. This is a dangerous condition in which pregnant women’s blood pressure and fluid retention increases dramatically, as well as excess protein is found in the urine. Folate deficiency is well known to severely impair fetal development, leading to NTDs (neural tube defects).
Asparagus is also an excellent source of fiber. Fiber is imperative for good digestion, which aids in maintaining pregnant women’s healthy pregnancy weight. Furthermore, the intake of fiber‐rich foods during pregnancy has several health benefits to the pregnant woman including lowering the risks of diabetes, preeclampsia, and constipation.
Broccoli
Like asparagus, broccoli is also an excellent source of dietary fiber. Broccoli also provides ample vitamin C to a pregnant woman. Vitamin C helps baby’s bones, gums, teeth and muscles develop properly. Vitamin C also helps a pregnant woman to absorb iron more easily. This vitamin also helps wound healing which is very helpful to mama in the days following baby’s birth. Importantly, vitamin C also keeps a pregnant woman’s immune system strong. Like asparagus, broccoli is also an excellent source of folate.
How to Make Broccoli and Asparagus Soup
First, Prepare the Vegetables
First, rinse the broccoli and asparagus well in cold water. Begin by chopping up the vegetables. Chop both the broccoli florets and asparagus into bite sized pieces (about one-half inch pieces) in length. You can peel and include the broccoli stems: they will soften during cooking.
Next, sauté the minced garlic cloves in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat for about 30 seconds. Then, add in the chopped broccoli florets, chopped asparagus, and freshly ground black pepper. Heat for 2 additional minutes, stirring, over medium heat.
Next, pour in the (good quality) chicken stock and heat the soup until boiling. If you are vegan, a vegetable stock could certainly be used, but I prefer the flavor of chicken broth in contrast with the green vegetables. At this point, reduce heat to low and cover the pot. Allow to simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and allow soup to cool. Carefully use an immersion blender to blend the contents of the pot. Salt to taste.
Carefully transfer soup into individual bowls. Serve this asparagus broccoli soup with freshly ground black pepper and optionally topped with Greek yogurt, a squeeze of lemon juice, and/or finely grated parmesan cheese.
Serving Suggestions and Tips
Broccoli asparagus is so delicious on its own, but is especially good served along with:
- Warm bread from the oven
- A scoop of cooked macaroni noodles
- A handful of salted oyster crackers
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is healthier, broccoli or asparagus? Both vegetables are very healthy and offer a different set of vitamins, minerals, and vital nutrients. Notably, broccoli has vitamin C, folate, and fiber. Asparagus also has folate and fiber. Asparagus is also rich in vitamin A.
Can I add milk or heavy cream to this recipe for a more creamy texture? Absolutely. After using the immersion blender to blend the broccoli asparagus soup, feel free to add up to one cup of milk, or one-half cup of heavy cream (taste and decide how much is your preference). This of course will alter the nutritional profile of this recipe.
How do I store leftover broccoli and asparagus soup? Simply store the soup within an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to three days.
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Broccoli and Asparagus Soup
Author:Ingredients
- 5 cups broccoli, chopped
- 2 cups asparagus, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the broccoli and asparagus well in cold water.
- Chop both the broccoli florets and asparagus into bite sized pieces.
- Mince the garlic cloves.
- Sauté the minced garlic cloves in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat for about 30 seconds.
- Add in the chopped broccoli florets, chopped asparagus, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Heat for 2 additional minutes, stirring vegetables over medium heat.
- Pour in the chicken stock and heat the soup until boiling. Once soup is boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot.
- Allow to simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and allow soup to cool. Carefully use an immersion blender to blend the contents of the pot.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
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