This May Make Your Pee Smell, But Boy, is it Worth It!

Asparagus, a green vegetable belonging to the lily family, has one notorious side effect for some diners who eat enough of it. Within a half-hour of asparagus consumption, some people notice their urine has acquired a very pungent odor. The effects of asparagus on urine are generally fleeting and harmless, but it's not necessarily the consumer's finest hour, bodily excretion-wise.


The good news is that asparagus does not affect everyone. Studies conducted on the "asparagus urine" phenomenon (aren't you glad you didn't volunteer!) indicate that roughly 40 to 50 percent of those tested developed the distinctive odor. Surprisingly enough, there is also a segment of the population who cannot smell the sulphurous fumes of asparagus-laced urine. It is believed that both the generation of the odoriferous urine and the ability to smell it are based on genetics. Only those with a certain gene can break down the chemicals inside the asparagus into their smelly components, and only those with the proper gene can smell the results of that chemical breakdown.


That being said, keep some nose-plugs in the bathroom and lets get ready to make some creamy asparagus soup!

I make soup at least twice a week.  It is low maintenance, delicious (usually), and there are always left-overs for lunch the next day.  With my soup-making background this is, hands down, the best soup that I have had a long time that didn't have bacon or cream as a main ingredient!  I used one package of fresh and one package of thawed, frozen asparagus.  Drizzle some olive oil onto the bottom of you stock pot.  Add one chopped onion and 4 cloves of chopped garlic.  Saute for a few minutes on low heat and add two stalks of chopped celery and one chopped carrot.  Saute for a further few minutes.  Add the fresh asparagus with the spears cut into thirds or fourths, depending on the size.  Also, add two peeled and diced russet potatoes.  The potatoes are going to thicken the soup when you blend it so that dairy is not a necessity.  Add two sprigs of fresh thyme, two bay leaves, 1 tbs. of herbs de provence, one sprig of fresh oregano, salt and pepper to taste.  Let everything cook together for a few minutes before adding the chicken broth and diced frozen asparagus.  Once the broth is added, cover and simmer for one hour.  Times up???  Okay, now remove the bay leaves and stems from the fresh herbs (the leaves should fall off after heating into the soup, they should look like mini bare branches).  Now we are ready to motor boat!  Take a hand blender or use a regular blender and cream the soup.  If using a hand held you can just do it directly in the soup pot.  If using an actual blender do it is small batches and let the liquid cool a bit before blending.  Otherwise the soup will fly out of the top of the blender and you will be cleaning the ceiling instead of reaping the benefits of your souping labor!  Once everything is all blended I added about 1/2 c. of buttermilk for a creamy consistency.  If you are a non-dairier it is okay.  The soup will still be delicious and creamy without it!