Instant Pot Roasted Asparagus Soup (AIP, Paleo)

Today’s new recipe to hit the blog isn’t your typical St. Patrick’s Day dish, but it IS slightly green and perfectly suited for Springtime!  Plus, it features the glorious Instant Pot, which I can’t ever stop using!  (It’s my hands-down favorite kitchen appliance!)  And for those who don’t have one yet, you can still make this recipe the old-fashioned way!

My new Instant Pot Roasted Asparagus Soup is pretty much everything you’d want a soup to be in the middle of March.  While it’s still warm and comforting for chilly days, it’s also bright and fresh tasting and points toward the coming Spring.  Asparagus is such a wonderful Spring veggie and I encourage you to make good use of it while it’s in its prime!  This soup is definitely a great way to do that!  And thanks to some helpful additions, like coconut milk, cauliflower, and white sweet potato, this creamy soup is totally dairy-free, AIP, and Paleo!

Whether you eat this Instant Pot Roasted Asparagus Soup as a side, appetizer, or light lunch, I think you’ll be amazed at how easy and delicious this is!

Most of my recipes here on the blog are developed through a story, memory, or personal experience that means something to me.  Well, this soup really falls into none of those categories!  My mom happened to suggest trying out an asparagus soup and I wanted to use my Instant Pot anyway, so I killed two birds with one stone!  And it just so happened to turn out on the first try!

Interestingly enough, after making my Instant Pot Roasted Asparagus Soup and giving some to my parents to sample, my dad shared that asparagus soup runs in the family!  Apparently, my paternal grandmother used to make asparagus soup all the time for my dad and his siblings growing up.  Hers was definitely not AIP, Paleo, or made in an Instant Pot, but it was asparagus soup nonetheless!  This was news to me, since it was before my time, but it was pretty neat to learn that I’m carrying on a tradition without even intending to!  And hopefully this soup will be one I can pass down in my own family someday!  I just love that about food.  It nourishes us, brings us together, and gives us traditions to carry on.  So cool.

So, about this Instant Pot Roasted Asparagus Soup.  When you give the recipe a glance, it looks like a lot of steps.  Don’t be fooled!  It’s really very easy, since you’re putting the soup base together while the asparagus roasts in the oven.  The Instant Pot makes it easy to develop a rich, creamy, flavorful base, and the asparagus gets a ton of flavor as it bakes in the oven.  Combine the two and you have a heavenly soup!  If you don’t want the hassle of dumping the hot soup into a blender to puree it, I recommend using a hand blender like this one.

I mentioned earlier that you don’t absolutely have to use an Instant Pot for this recipe.  So, how do you adapt it for the stove?  You’ll do your asparagus the same way, but for the soup base, you want to cook those veggies in a soup pot on medium/high heat.  Check out the “Notes” section in my recipe for instructions.  I haven’t tested this method, but as long as you boil your cauliflower and white sweet potato until they’re soft, you should be in good shape.

Speaking of cauliflower and white sweet potato…I used these as thickening agents for the soup.  You can totally omit the white sweet potato if you can’t find it, or even try parsnips in its place.  It just adds a starchiness and light sweetness that the cauliflower doesn’t have.  I should also note that I like my soups thick and creamy, but if you prefer a thinner consistency, simply add more broth or extra coconut milk at the end while you puree everything.

The lemon juice and zest really makes this soup feel Spring-like!  I added a bit of extra zest to serve it, along with fresh parsley and, if you want to replicate my food photos, a couple roasted asparagus heads to garnish.  (Just save a few after they come out of the oven and don’t puree them with the rest of the soup.)  The results are an elegant, silky smooth soup to savor while you wait for the official start of Spring!

Oh, and if you plan to make this soup over St. Patty’s Day weekend (and I really hope you do), it would be absolutely delicious with a side of my Paleo Irish Soda Bread with Orange Honey Butter!   And who needs the luck of the Irish when you can finish off your soup and bread with some tasty green Paleo Matcha Lime Macaroons?!  Hope you enjoy these dishes and have fun celebrating all things green and Irish this weekend!

4.5 from 2 reviews

Instant Pot Roasted Asparagus Soup (AIP, Paleo)

 

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Created by: Joanna Smith

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. fresh asparagus
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
• pinch of sea salt, garlic powder, Herbs de Provence
• 1 large leek
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1 white sweet potato, peeled (optional)
• 1½ to 2 cups bone broth
• 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence (or a mixture of dried thyme, oregano, sage)
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
• chopped fresh parsley to garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Snap off woody stems of asparagus, then sprinkle them with 2 tablespoons coconut oil and a pinch of sea salt, Herbes de Provence, and garlic powder.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until asparagus is tender and lightly browned, but not charred. (They should still be green in color.)
4. While asparagus is baking, slice the leek and chop the cauliflower and white sweet potato.
5. Turn on Instant Pot's "Saute" function and add the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil.
6. Saute the leeks and minced garlic for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.
7. Add cauliflower, sweet potato, 1½ cups bone broth, Herbes de Provence and sea salt, then cancel "Saute" function.
8. Close Instant Pot lid and select "Steam" for 4 minutes with the pressure valve sealed.
9. Quick release the pressure after cook time finishes. Then, add roasted asparagus, coconut milk, lemon juice, and zest to the soup base.
10. Blend with a hand blender or pour into a large blender and puree. Add extra bone broth for a thinner consistency, if desired.
11. Serve with chopped fresh parsley.

Notes

If you're making this soup without an Instant Pot, simply saute vegetables in a large pot on medium/high heat for several minutes, then add broth (you may need extra) and bring contents to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until veggies are softened. Add roasted asparagus, coconut milk, spices, and puree with a hand blender.

3.5.3226