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Finally asparagus season has arrived! In Germany asparagus time is a big deal. We eat a lot of asparagus in all kind of variations. I love green asparagus and white asparagus soup even though I’m not a huge fan of regular white asparagus in other recipes.  I also prefer my asparagus soup to be without any actual pieces in it. Chris on the other hand isn’t fond of the green kind but loves white one. Do you like asparagus? What side are you on: green, white or both?

Asparagus is called Spargel in German. Spargel is only in season for a really short period. Asparagus season usually starts end of April and ends at Saint John the Baptist’s Day (Midsummer’s Day) which is June 24. This is because the asparagus needs time to regenerate for the next year.

So today I’m showing you how to make soup out of white asparagus or if you fancy the German name it’s called Spargelsuppe. I love this traditional recipe for white asparagus soup. It’s super easy and made in a heartbeat. The best part: You basically make asparagus soup out of the “trash”. All you really need to make soup is asparagus peel which will give all that yummy flavor to this creamy goodness.

White Asparagus Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Asparagus peel
• 500ml Water
• 4 tbsp Flour
• 2 tsp Butter
• Vegetable broth (I used powdered)
• Nutmeg
• Salt, Pepper

Peel the asparagus from the top down, make sure that the outer layer is completely removed, but leave the heads as is.  Cut the lower ends and the woody parts of. You can cook the asparagus stalks for other recipes or you could add it into the soup. I usually eat the stalks separately with another recipe. Cook the asparagus peel in water with a splash of lemon juice so it stays a nice bright white. It takes like 20 minutes. Taste the water and when it has that distinct asparagus aroma you’re good to go. If not just let it cook a tad longer.

Take a colander and strain the liquid.

White asparagus soup is a bechamel based soup which you make by melting some butter. Once the butter has dissolved add the flour and start stirring immediately. You should end up with a doughy base.

Now to the most important step. Slowly add the asparagus water. Just a few splashes at a time and stir until all lumps have dissolved. This is crucial for the creamy consistency. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Now add all your seasonings. I topped it off with some chopped chive but you could also use parsley. Chive is just more traditional.

Have you ever had white asparagus soup? When I lived in the states this kind of soup seemed super uncommon unfortunately.

It’s one of my favorite soups of all time. And I love how it uses basically things you would usually throw away.