January is National Soup Month, and what better time of year to enjoy a hot bowl of homemade soup than during this very cold month. 

When I started planning for this month-long series of soup recipes, my hubby asked for cream of asparagus soup. He's not a big soup-eater, so when he wants soup I try to please.

The bright green color of this soup is a beautiful touch at the dinner table. It's an easy soup to make and has a zing of flavor that brightens up a dull late-winter day.

So let's make some cream of asparagus soup from scratch!

Here's what you'll need to make this delicious soup:

• 1 pound of asparagus
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1/4 tsp lemon juice
• paprika

Remove the woody ends from the asparagus spears. I like to snap them off by bending the spear in half. If you do it right, the spear will break at the spot where the woodiness begins.

Then cut the spears into pieces about half an inch long and set aside.

Sauté the onion in butter in a heavy pot until soft, then add the asparagus pieces and chopped garlic and sauté together for about 5 minutes. 

Add the chicken broth to the pot, add salt and pepper to taste, and simmer covered until the asparagus is very tender. This might take as little as 15 minutes; I cooked mine for 40 minutes.

Let the vegetables and broth cool before blending, about fifteen minutes. Purée it in small batches in your blender, saving a few asparagus tips for garnish if desired. 

Pour the blended soup back into the pot.

Whisk in the sour cream and the half-and-half until the soup is smooth. You can add more chicken broth to thin the soup if needed. 

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the lemon juice.

Ladle into bowls, garnish with asparagus tips, and sprinkle with paprika. Serve with crackers or your favorite bread or rolls.

Here's how to pressure-can asparagus from your garden so you can enjoy this homemade soup all year long.

And if you have an abundance of asparagus and want some different ways to prepare it, check out these 77 ways to prepare asparagus.

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