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WW Recipe of the Day: Chilled Asparagus Soup with Spinach and Avocado
The temperatures have soared into the triple digits here in Phoenix, so when I was trying to decide on a recipe for this week’s 38 Power Foods Group—started by Mireya of My Healthy Eating Habits—this one for chilled asparagus soup with spinach and avocado immediately caught my eye.
Each week we’re blogging about one of the ingredients in Power Foods: 150 Delicious Recipes with the 38 Healthiest Ingredients (affiliate link), from Martha Stewart and the editors of Whole Living Magazine.
The Skinny on Chilled Asparagus Soup
This week’s Power Foods ingredient is asparagus and I chose to make one of the recipes featured in the book: Chilled Asparagus Soup with Spinach and Avocado.
The book’s introduction includes “10 Golden Rules” for eating healthy along with a brief glossary of common terms. The 38 Power Foods are broken down into 1 of 5 categories:
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Grains and Legumes
- Nuts and Seeds
- Eggs, Yogurt and Fish
There are 15 ingredients included in the Vegetables chapter, the second of which is asparagus. Information regarding the health benefits, along with buying, storing and preparation tips, and several recipes are included for each ingredient.
Asparagus comes into season in early spring, so this soup would be at it’s best then, when you can make it from young tender skinny stalks.
As for the health benefits of asparagus, it can fight a wide range of diseases and may help boost libido, contains more folate than any other vegetable, and is rich in vitamins A, C, and K, potassium, and selenium.
It also has high doses of glutathione, that can help promote healthy cell replication, protect/repair your DNA, and minimize skin damage from sun exposure!
Kirby cucumbers are small, usually 6 inches long or less, with bumpy green skins and firm flesh. They are the most common variety of pickling cucumbers that are super crunchy and very mild tasting.
This is a simple low calorie, no-cook soup that you can serve right from the blender (affiliate link), or chilled, which is what I opted to do.
It took just a few minutes to prep the vegetables and blend them together in my Vitamix (affiliate link), until velvety smooth. The bright emerald green color of this soup was stunning.
This chilled spinach, avocado, asparagus soup tasted bright and fresh and a bit “healthy”—kinda like a green smoothie in a bowl. This is definitely a dish you know is good for you!
We enjoyed it as part of a cold supper served with tomato, basil, and mozzarella salad and shrimp cocktail.
If you’re not a fan of green vegetables and/or green smoothies, it’s probably best to skip this one. But if you are, I’d definitely give it a go.
I don’t think it’s the kind of dish I’d ever crave, but it is definitely one that’s as good for you as it is good. The perfect antidote to days, or weeks, of overindulging when you want something light and refreshing.
How Many Calories and WW Points in this Chilled Soup?
According to my calculations, each serving has just 119 calories and:
3 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
3 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
3 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
3 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
If you’ve made this Spinach Avocado Asparagus Soup, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Chilled Asparagus Soup with Spinach and Avocado Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Kirby cucumber, peeled
- 8 ounces asparagus, preferably pencil thin, tough ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 cups cold water
- 4 ounces baby spinach, washed and drained
- 4 scallions, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 ripe firm avocado, halved lengthwise, pitted and peeled
- 1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Salt and ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Halve cucumber lengthwise and cut one half into eight strips and the other half into 1/4-inch dice.
- Puree the asparagus and 1/2 cup cold water in a blender until very smooth.
- Add the spinach, scallions, cucumber strips, and another 1/2 cup water. Blend until completely smooth. Add the avocado, mint, and lemon juice and puree until smooth.
- Add the remaining cup of water a little at a time, blending after each addition, until the soup reaches desired consistency.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- If desired, cover and chill the soup at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.
- When ready to serve, divide the soup among 4 bowls and garnish with diced cucumber and a mint sprig.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Source: Power Foods: 150 Delicious Recipes with the 38 Healthiest Ingredients (affiliate link)
If you like this recipe for chilled asparagus soup, check out these links to more Weight Watchers friendly asparagus recipes:
- Parmesan Roasted Asparagus – simple & delicious (Simple-Nourished-Living)
- Asparagus, Bacon & Cheese Strata – perfect for a spring lunch or brunch (Weight Watchers)
- Low-Fat Chicken and Asparagus Stir-Fry – a winning family-favorite dinner recipe (Simple-Nourished-Living)
- Pasta with Asparagus – simple & delicious with just a few ingredients (SkinnyTaste)
- 6 Years of Asparagus Recipes – with PointsPlus information (A Veggie Venture)
- Salmon, Egg and Asparagus Salad – comes together in minutes for just *1 WW Freestyle SmartPoint (Simple-Nourished-Living)
- Creamy Asparagus Soup with Roasted Pepper Puree – a warm & cream asparagus soup recipe (Weight Watchers)
I’m so sorry but I made this soup tonight and honestly it tasted like a bowl of wheat grass. I’m sad about the wasted ingredients. I had to pour it out.
What a beautiful color, this soup is. I like avocado and spinach more than asparagus which means, this would work out well, for us.
I love this gorgeous green soup – perfect for a hot summer night.
Hi Martha,
I’m always looking for good no-cook soups. They are soo much healthier than cooked soups. It does help to have a Vitamix, but it will probably turn out well I any good blender. The avocado sure gives a nice color and creamy texture, I sure.
Great soup – that looks amazing! Thanks for including my asparagus salad. Have a great weekend 🙂
This sounds like such a healthful, refreshing and delicious lunch and on these hundred degree days no cook options rock! I love the color too; I’m thinking outdoor furniture in this color would be amazing!
How creamy and delicious ! I agree, I wouldn’t crave it but I can see myself fitting this into my pre workout drink routine for its nutritional value. I love the addition of mint. It makes things so very summery!