You know when you buy bunches of asparagus to steam or roast, and you snap off the woody ends of the stems because they are so fibrous and chewy?

In the past, I have thrown them away or saved them for stock. But no more!

Today I used them to make a delicious asparagus soup! I added the lemon butter left over from the roasted asparagus I made last night, so as not to waste that wonderful flavor. So this soup is twice frugal.

Wow, it is tasty! Here’s how:

Lemon butter:

1 stick grass-fed butter
juice of a medium-size lemon

Asparagus soup:

1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
16 ounces chicken bone broth (use commercial chicken broth or vegetable broth in a pinch)
woody stems snapped off 3 bunches of asparagus, cut or snapped into smaller pieces
5 sprigs of fresh thyme
about 1 tsp Real salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
juice of one lemon
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Reggiono

Melt butter over low heat and stir in lemon juice.

Sauté chopped onion in lemon butter. Once softened, add garlic cloves and bone broth. Raise heat and add pieces of asparagus stems. (Add water if stems are not covered by broth.) Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes.

Add thyme, salt, and pepper, and add juice of one lemon if more tanginess is desired.

Pour soup into Vitamix and process, dialing up to highest setting for 1-2 minutes, until soup is thick and well-blended but no longer fibrous.

Pour back into pot and stir in the grated Parmesan. Taste, correct seasoning if needed, and serve! It’s great cold, too!