Cream of Asparagus Soup

When I lived in the US, I used trim asparagus by bending the base until it snapped. This was an excellent way to remove the fibrous part of the stalk while leaving the tender part behind. But in Japan, where good asparagus can cost up to $2 a stalk, I've learned to peel my asparagus.

It turns out that the tough part of the stalk is the fibrous skin, so by using a vegetable peeler to remove it, you can expose the crisp, fleshy core underneath and enjoy it as well. Still, when preparing a lot of asparagus (like I did last week for my Asparagus, Egg, and Anchovy Salad), you're left with a lot of peels (about 15% of the total weight),

That's how I came up with this easy way to turn the trimmings into this rich, velvety soup. To make it easy, I use cooked rice or potatoes to thicken it, and the stringy peels can be pulverized into silky smooth soup with the help of a high-speed blender such as a Vitamix.