Spring has barely arrived and the asparagus season has already begun. The first spears can often be harvested as early as April, and the “asparagus New Year’s Eve” on June 24 traditionally marks the end of the asparagus harvest. Hardly anyone wants to miss out on a delicious asparagus meal during the season, the white spears taste too good in many different ways. But asparagus can do more than just taste good: asparagus is often referred to as a “detox star” and is simply healthy.

Asparagus for your health

Asparagus is said to strengthen the immune system, be good for the heart, muscles and digestion and detoxify the body. It also has very few calories. With just 20 kcal per 100 g, the asparagus vegetable can perhaps only be topped by the cucumber. And asparagus has one thing in common with the latter: it consists mainly of water. Good for the body in the warmer months of the year – eating asparagus provides additional fluids that the body needs to function properly. We need a total of about 2.6 liters of fluid per day, of which between 1.5 and 2 liters should be drunk. The rest is absorbed through food – e.g. through water-containing foods such as asparagus.

But be careful, even though asparagus is a low-calorie source of fluid, it also has a diuretic effect. In addition to water, asparagus contains a lot of potassium and aspartic acid, which is also responsible for the smell of urine after eating asparagus. This combination stimulates kidney activity and leads to increased urine excretion in the short term. The amount of fluid lost in this way should be replaced so that the fluid balance is correct. A moderately mineralized water is well suited for this purpose, as it not only supplies liquid, but also refreshes the palate and helps you to experience new tastes throughout the meal.

Asparagus as a source of vitamins

With a meal of asparagus, you are already taking in its healthy ingredients: asparagus contains a range of valuable vitamins such as A, C, E, B1 and B2, as well as minerals and trace elements such as iron, potassium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and zinc. Vitamin C and E in particular reduce the risk of vascular disease. The fiber contained in asparagus also stimulates digestive and kidney function, which not only leads to the increased fluid excretion mentioned above, but also supports the elimination of metabolic products. This is the reason for asparagus’ reputation as a detoxifying vegetable.

If you suffer from gout or have kidney problems, you should not feast on asparagus quite so often and extensively. Its ingredients can exacerbate existing problems. If you want to be on the safe side, consult your doctor or nutritionist.

The icing on the cake: asparagus water

But it’s not just the asparagus itself that is healthy and tasty. Asparagus water is an insider tip and should not be thrown away, but drunk or made into soup. Simply boil the peel of the valuable vegetable in the asparagus water for some time. Then season this liquid with lemon and a pinch of sugar and you have a delicious detox drink that you can drink throughout the day to absorb the healthy ingredients of the asparagus dissolved in the water, benefit from its detox effect with an additional portion of liquid and detoxify your body.

However, if you want to try your hand at cooking, you can use the asparagus water to make a classic asparagus cream soup.

For this you need:

250 g asparagus
40 g butter
40 g flour
1 l liquid (asparagus water and vegetable stock)
1 egg yolk
3 tbsp milk or sweet cream

Then add a pinch of sugar, salt, pepper, nutmeg and a little lemon juice to taste

Once cooked, drain the asparagus and collect the asparagus water. Heat the butter in a pan, add the flour and fry until light yellow, stirring constantly. Then deglaze with the asparagus water while stirring, bring to the boil and leave to soak in the residual heat. Then pour in the vegetable stock. Mix the egg yolk with milk or cream and add to the soup when it is no longer boiling. Finally, season to taste with sugar, salt, pepper, nutmeg and lemon juice. If required, the remaining asparagus pieces can be added and the plate decorated with croutons before serving. This gives you double the pleasure and you really benefit from the last piece of asparagus.

Asparagus enjoyment right to the end

As a seasonal vegetable from the local area, asparagus simply belongs on the plate in spring. As a source of vitamins, minerals and additional fluids, every asparagus meal is good for the body. To make the most of the detox effect of asparagus, you can use the leftover asparagus water to make either a healthy and tasty drink or a delicious soup. This means that none of the valuable vegetables are lost, and even the last drop becomes a healthy treat.