Asparagus Soup

The grocery store had some good-looking asparagus two weeks in a row, so I couldn't resist buying it again!  I forgot to post the soup recipe last time I made it, so I made it a point to remember this time.  This is a fairly simple, healthy soup (no oil or butter!) that has a lot of flavor.  I like keeping the asparagus tops intact so that I have something crunchy when I eat the soup.  However, if you like soup that is more uniform in consistency, you can add the tops in Step 3 and blend it with everything else or save the tops for another recipe.

Ingredients

1 lb asparagus

1/2 cup onion, chopped into big pieces

2 cloves garlic, chopped in half

1 large potato, peeled and cut into big pieces

1 medium tomato, cut into large pieces

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp dried oregano

3 cups water

Directions

1.  Cut the top 1.5 inches off the asparagus and leave on the side for topping.  Cut the bottom 1 inch off the asparagus and discard (this part is usually very tough and strandy).

2.  Cut the remaining asparagus stems into 1 inch pieces and place in a large pot.

3.  Add all of the remaining ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 20 mins.

4.  Let the mixture cool slightly.  Then blend until all the pieces are gone.

5.  Bring the soup back to a boil.  Add the asparagus tops and boil for 2 minutes.  Serve hot!