Asparagus broth aka Asparagus Tea

Asparagus broth for soup making

I don't know about other people, but I always feel so guilty about throwing out the tough pieces of the asparagus.  I've heard some people say the tough woody ends can be peeled and cooked with the rest of the asparagus.  Have they ever tried to peel a skinny little asparagus bit??  I couldn't do it, that's for sure!  Then I had the idea of boiling the ends and using them as a stock for soup making. 

Asparagus broth for soup making, aka Asparagus Tea

Reserve the cooking water from cooking the whole asparagus, then add the broken-off ends.  Fill the pot with water, cover it, and bring it to a boil.  

Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook the ends for about an hour or more.  When the broth is done, the cut ends will have sunk to the bottom of the pot. 

Strain the broth and discard the asparagus ends.  Use for broth in soup or stew.  When I've done this, people have raved about the soup!

Enjoy!

Simple Homemade Bone Broth

Simple Homemade Bone Broth  

Simple Homemade Bone Broth  

This is a really basic recipe that every household should know how to make.  It is a very frugal and healthy staple at my home!  Bone broth is reported to help build the immune system, as well as, have the ability to deliver much needed minerals directly to our joints because of the dissolved bone contained therein.

Place some soup bones into a large pot, and cover them with water to within 2" of the top of the pot.  The bones can be from a leftover roast, as the ones pictured, or they can be purchased from the store.  Beef, chicken, turkey, pork, any meat or even fish bones can be used to make delicious broth.  Salmon broth is amazing and makes a delicious base for a cream soup, like my Creamy Potato and Broccoli Soup!  Also, vegetables can be added -- things that would normally be discarded, like carrot peelings and celery tops -- also, onions, garlic and ginger or other fresh herbs.  Additionally, if a citrus fruit like lemons or oranges, cut up, are added, then egg shells or crustacean shells may be added.  The citrus fruit enables the egg shells and bones to release additional minerals. (The lemons or oranges should not be a problem with IC.)

Cover the bones and water and bring it to a boil.  Reduce the heat to simmer and continue to cook it over a low boil for 6 up to 24 hours.  The longer the broth simmers, the better it is, both nutritionally and flavor-wise.  The broth pictured had been simmering for about 5 hours at the time of the photo.  

If any foam or floating bits of material, as can be seen in the photo, rise to the surface, use a spoon and scoop them out.  Throw this material away, as it is the contaminants and impurities coming out of the soup and will tend to make the soup bitter.

Use in any recipe calling for broth or stock.  Enjoy!