Asparagus Soup With Ricotta Crostini
Updated Feb. 29, 2024
- Total Time
- 40 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 appetizer servings
- 1¾pounds asparagus
- ¾teaspoon fine sea salt, more as needed
- 2large leeks, halved lengthwise and rinsed
- 1quart chicken stock
- 1bay leaf
- 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3tablespoons uncooked white rice
- ¼teaspoon black pepper, more as needed
- 1teaspoon lemon juice, more as needed
- 4½-inch-thick baguette slices, cut on the bias
- ½cup fresh ricotta
- 2teaspoons minced fresh tarragon (or chives)
- 1garlic clove, peeled and halved
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
330 calories; 14 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 40 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 15 grams protein; 890 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Cut asparagus stalks into thirds, separating tips, middles and ends. In a medium pot, bring 2 cups salted water to a boil. Add tips and cook until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool. Drain and reserve for garnish.
- Step 2
Separate dark green leek tops from bottoms. Thinly slice the white leek bottoms and set aside.
- Step 3
In a saucepan, combine leek tops, stock, asparagus bottoms and bay leaf. Simmer for 10 to 20 minutes; strain, discarding the solids and saving the stock.
- Step 4
Return empty pot to medium-low heat. Add oil, white leek slices and rice. Cook, stirring frequently, until leeks are golden, about 5 minutes. Pour in 1 cup of the stock. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add remaining stock and asparagus middles. Simmer, covered, over low heat, until asparagus is completely tender, 7 to 10 minutes.
- Step 5
Press soup through a food mill (or purée in a blender, then strain through a coarse mesh sieve; nothing too fine, you want a little texture here). Return soup to pot. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Cover to keep warm.
- Step 6
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread slices on a baking sheet and toast, turning halfway through, until bread is golden and dry to the touch, about 10 minutes.
- Step 7
While bread toasts, season ricotta with tarragon, salt and pepper. Rub hot crostini with the cut side of the halved garlic cloves and slather with ricotta. Ladle soup into warm bowls and garnish with the asparagus tips. Serve with crostini.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Anne
Absolutely delicious! A couple of things: I used an immersion blender, just easier; I added a half cup of mascarpone at the end to make it a little creamier; I used brown rice; Took way more than 40 minutes...
jbk
Went the lazy route: set aside the asparagus tips, chopped the rest and dumped it in pot with frozen leeks from Trader Joe's, boxed broth, and the rice; simmered until softish, then used immersion blender (would use bigger pot next time to avoid spatters.) Broiled asparagus tips with EVOO, s&p to get the crunch; topped the bowlful with a nice raft of thick Greek yogurt and arranged the crispy bits across the top. Super easy, darned tasty and lo-cal to boot.
Susan O
This soup is elegant as well as delicious. I used the immersion blender to puree and added half of the blanched asparagus tips, which intensified the color. Served it with pumpernickel sourdough toasts that I sliced about 1/8 inch thick with an electric slicer, lightly brushed with olive oil, salted, and baked in a 350 oven until browned and crisp. It's a keeper.
Lance Mertz
Omg this is amazing soup. Added a about a clove of garlic to leeks and rice. Blended it and it was perfect. No straining needed. Will make again.
Christine VB
Not bad at all. I made it pretty much as written with the following exceptions: I baked the asparagus tips using Melissa Clark’s recipe for baked asparagus. The hint of thyme was a nice addition. I also used basmati rice and added two teaspoons of lemon juice. I’ll definitely make this again when asparagus season comes around again.
Steff
Made this with 2 bunches of fresh asparagus. Didn't bother to make the broth. Wasteful, I know. Used leeks, chicken stock to cover, added a small potato to the boil. No tarragon, but lemon helps. Immersion blend got it nice and creamy. Serving with Stilton crostini. Can't wait!
April
Good but not wow
far away
Hey, does the extra step in which you simmer the bottoms and the leek tops and then strain them out make a substantial difference? I’m cooking with chronic fatigue, so I’m inclined to cut that step, and just use the leek tops and asparagus bottoms in the soup after the leek bottoms are sautéed and I’ve added the broth.
Shelley
Great! The lemon at the end made such a difference. I added a small amount of Borsain cheese which made it a bit creamy. Definitely make again
Bill C
As others have noted, I used an immersion blender rather that a blender of food processor. I also added a few parmesan cheese rinds for a little more umami as well as a some tabasco sauce to really round it out. I also omitted the ricotta to lighten it up. Delicious!
Pauline
Do not use a food mill ! All the asparagus will become a stringy mess and the soup will be watery. This recipe is so unnecessarily time consuming . It feeds barely 2 people. A waste of good fresh expensive asparagus. Plus so many dishes in the sink! Making the stock is fine using the part of asparagus you would normally compost. Otherwise I've had to add lots of parsley and peas to add some body. I can't believe how long it's taken to make and now all the cleanup.
Bill C
Good as is but I amped it up with a little Tabasco sauce and more lemon juice and it really rounded out the flavors. I've made this three times now and it just keeps getting better. For a lighter version, skip the ricotta and just add freshly grated parmesan and homemade croutons. You won't miss anything but the calories!
JenniferK
OMG, absolutely delish!! I added a jalapeno to the saute to add some heat. I used Meyer lemon juice ( a whole lemon ) and it was a nice touch. Will def put in the soup rotation. Thanks, Melissa Clark! Another winner!
Alana
Delicious- I added about 4 cloves of fresh garlic and about 3/4 cup of dry white wine to the broth. Definitely will make again!
lauren egh
Better than I could have imagined! Added some umami spice (trader joe’s mushroom seasoning) and nutmeg for a little more oomph to the sautéing leeks. Added some Irish butter at the end to enhance the creaminess. Served with parm, the blanched asparagus, and the best olive oil i could get at my grocery store. so good.
ed
Very Good! I especially loved the crostini with it. Gave a dinner-sized portion to my 91 year old neighbor who had never had asparagus soup before. He dug it! He asked for the recipe. His caregiver told him, "the recipe is whenever you neighbor makes it again".
carol White
Delicious! Cooked the leek tops and asparagus bottoms in one pan while I simmered the asp tops in another to save time. Also added some nutritional yeast to the serving bowl as a I skipped the whole crostini with bread step. Didn’t feel I was missing anything. (May have had a little less than a quart, as I didn’t measure what was left in the “no-chicken broth” box. Wonder if that made it richer?)
covid shut-in
This was okay... It wasn’t something I would probably make again unless I had a crazy amount of asparagus.
Beverly
Have made this soup multiple times. Now I cut both the middle and end pieces in half again. Add a bit more stock and a bit of garlic. Cook the mid batch a bit longer and cover slightly. When very soft, I mash with a potato masher, allow to cool, pour into a strainer. Wash my hands and then squeeze out lots of juice before I throw away the leeks and end pieces.
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