Asparagus Soup

With the arrival of asparagus season, bundles are now displayed in prime spots in the vegetable shops. After enjoying the tender shoots, the snapped-off ends can be turned into a delicious lunch soup. Cut off the most woody portions of the ends; they are too fibrous. We use Braun stick to liquify the soup but I am sure a blender can be used as well.

Simple Asparagus Soup Recipe:

Left-over asparagus ends, water, onions, garlic, salt, bay leaves.

In a medium size pot place trimmed asparagus ends, a chopped onion, some garlic cloves, bay leaves and salt and pepper to taste. Add lots of water, cover and bring to a boil. Simmer for half an hour or more to tenderize vegetables and reduce the liquid. For extra dimension and flavour, you can also add stems from cauliflower and/or broccoli, or other leftover raw vegetables. 

When suitably reduced, remove the bay leaves, adjust the seasoning and zap with the Braun stick. You can add some dried tarragon leaves if you wish. A dollop of cream cheese will add texture. Be creative; it's soup.

A serving idea is to place some cooked shrimp in the bottom of soup bowl and ladle the soup over top.