What are the best side dishes with asparagus soup? Delectable accompaniments can be as diverse as dishes featuring cheeses, potatoes, Brussels sprouts, rice, or seafood. The goal when choosing a side is to complement the unique flavor of the asparagus and the creamy rich texture of the soup. The art comes in presenting contrast without competition.
A basic asparagus soup contains chicken or vegetable stock and milk or cream. It may be served either hot or cold. The asparagus itself may be pureed, solid, or both. See what you think about the different dishes we’ve chosen for you.
Our Favorite Asparagus Soup Sides
Butternut Squash and Sage Risotto
This makes an incredible partner with asparagus soup with the distinctive butternut squash taste and color, the white wine to echo the wine you’re drinking, and the fragrant sage that enhances the herbiness of the entire meal.
The dish is a simple casserole of butternut squash chunks with risotto or arborio rice, vegetable stock, white wine, onion, a handful of fresh sage, olive oil, butter, and Parmesan cheese. Your kitchen will be fragrant for hours.
Grilled Cheese Sandwich
This classic dish is easy and quick to prepare, yet the melted cheese and buttery crispness create an explosion of flavor pleasure that is filling and satisfying.
Choose good bread and a mix of cheeses for the greatest bouquet.
Fried Paneer Cheese Pakora
When you dip Indian paneer cheese in besan flour (made from chickpeas) and quickly deep-fry it, you create a crispy appetizer that’s moist on the inside. A favorite in India.
Baked Cheese and Veggie Quesadillas
Grab some quesadillas and pack them with whatever fillings and herbs you like: cherry tomatoes, shaved Brussels sprouts, green onions, zucchini, baby shrimp, and cheese would all be delicious with asparagus soup. Shred cheese on top, and bake.
Pear Salad With Walnuts and Gorgonzola
The sweet pears will echo the freshness of the white wine you choose for your meal. Simply cut pears into chunks, add walnut pieces and crumbled gorgonzola cheese, toss with mixed greens, and chill.
If the pears are ripe, you won’t even need any dressing beyond the natural juices of the fruit.
Potato and Green Bean Salad
Use your favorite potato salad recipe, make it especially mouthwatering by adding a sweet mustard, and stir in cut pieces of green beans.
Buttery Garlic Parsley Potatoes
Parboil baby red potatoes, fingerlings, or small Yukon golds. Cut into big bite-sized chunks.
Toss well in olive oil to which you’ve added butter, pepper, Italian seasoning, minced garlic, and shredded fresh Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400F for 40-60 minutes, turning as needed, till crispy.
Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Slice sweet potatoes into quarter-inch or half-inch sticks. Toss them in olive oil seasoned with salt, black pepper, paprika or smoked paprika, cayenne, and garlic powder.
Spread them on a sheet and bake for about 15 minutes until brown on the bottom. Flip and bake until crispy on top, another 10 minutes.
Warm Bacon & Maple Brussels Sprouts Salad
Basically you mix shaved Brussels sprouts with slices of Honeycrisp apples, dried tart cherries, pomegranate seeds if available, toasted pumpkin seeds, and pecans.
Add a dressing of maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, a little olive oil, and gourmet mustard.
Shrimp Avocado Salad
Toss lettuces with avocado chunks, lemon or lime drizzle, fresh tomatoes, spring onions, cucumber, herbs such as basil or tarragon, maybe a sprinkling of smoked paprika, and add a bit of creamy dressing.
Smoked Salmon Bagel
Use a freshly baked bagel (sesame is good), smoked salmon, perhaps sour cream, lettuce, and herbs to your liking.
The salmon and asparagus, both such unique flavors, will marry into an unusual and memorable dance in your mouth.
Best Wine Pairings for Asparagus Soup
Asparagus tastes better when paired with crisp and refreshing wines that leave the palate clean without tannic dry bitterness and astringence.
Deliciously complementary wines include Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Grigio. Gruner Veltliner, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer are aromatic German wines with a floral, citrusy acidity that is worth sharing with asparagus soup.
Champagne, Cava, and Prosecco are richly sparkling wines whose bright bubbling offsets the heavy creaminess of the soup. Our advice: try all of these wines with asparagus soup for some unforgettable meals!
The Best Sauces and Garnishes for Asparagus Soup
Sauces and garnishes are intended to add to the visual impact of the dish as well as to complement or contrast the flavors. Classic additions to asparagus soup are sour cream or crème fraîche. The former is tangier and more liquid, while the latter is thicker and richer. Herbs adding a new level of flavor to the soup include chives, basil, parsley, and tarragon. To provide visual as well as textural contrast, you can add plain or seasoned croutons.