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!