Creamy Asparagus, Basil, and Crème Fraîche Velouté Recipe

Updated May 15, 2019

This soup is supremely life-giving: It tastes so stridently of vegetables you can't help but feel healthy and virtuous while eating it. Asparagus and vegetable broth spiked with sweet shallots, basil, and a touch of crème fraîche get blended together as a creamy, thick, verdant, fresh, and ever so slightly tangy soup.

Recipe Details

Creamy Asparagus, Basil, and Crème Fraîche Velouté Recipe

Active 5 mins

Total 15 mins

Serves 2 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil or butter or a mixture of both
1 extra large shallot, chopped
1 1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and diced
2 cups vegetable broth
Salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
5 large basil leaves, plus extra for serving
2 tablespoons crème fraîche, plus extra for serving

Directions

Heat the butter or olive oil in a medium soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the shallot and sauté until soft and fragrant, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often. Add the asparagus and vegetable broth and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until the asparagus is very tender: 10 to 12 minutes.
Transfer the soup to a blender, and add the basil and crème fraîche. Purée until completely smooth. Ladle into bowls, and top with a dollop of crème fraîche and a chiffonade of fresh basil.

Special equipment

blender

This Recipe Appears In

French in a Flash: Creamy Asparagus, Basil, and Crème Fraîche Velouté

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
272	Calories
14g	Fat
32g	Carbs
11g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories	272
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g	18%
Saturated Fat 5g	26%
Cholesterol 18mg	6%
Sodium 1039mg	45%
Total Carbohydrate 32g	12%
Dietary Fiber 10g	35%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 11g
Vitamin C 35mg	173%
Calcium 133mg	10%
Iron 5mg	25%
Potassium 1133mg	24%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.