Roasted Asparagus Soup with Pumpernickel Croutons & Prosciutto Crisps Recipe (+ Vegan Version) (2024)

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Soup:

• 1 cup shallots peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 bunches asparagus woody end trimmed (approx. 2 pounds / 36 stalks)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup lowfat buttermilk milk

Croutons:

• 4 cups pumpernickel bread cubed 3/4"
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Prosciutto Crisps:

• 6-8 slices prosciutto paper thin

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

• You will need 3 large baking sheets/roasting pans if you want to cook everything at once. Otherwise you can rotate your pans/roasting.

• Place your asparagus and shallots on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.

• Gently toss them around to coat and arrange in a single layer.

• Roast for 20-25 minutes or until tender and starting to brown. (My asparagus were fairly thick, so you may need to adjust the time depending on the thickness of your asparagus.)

• Place your bread cubes on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.

• Gently toss them around to coat and arrange in a single layer. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until they are crunchy.

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay prosciutto slices on parchment paper so they don't overlap.

• Roast for 9-10 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned.

• Roughly chop the roasted asparagus and add to a saucepan (2-quart or larger).

• Add chicken broth and bring to simmer.

• Puree soup in blender in about 3-4 batches (don't overfill your blender - and hold the lid in place with a kitchen towel - hot liquids get a little excited in the blender and can pop the lid off easily).

• Return to pan, add buttermilk and bring to just below a simmer. Serve with croutons and crumbled prosciutto crisps.

The vegan version follows the same process except you reserve a few roasted asparagus tips for the garnish. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, unsweetened coconut milk instead of buttermilk, skip the prosciutto crisps and garnish with a few reserved roasted asparagus tips. MMM!

You can line the baking trays with parchment paper to cut down on clean up.