How to Reuse Asparagus Cooking Water in The Kitchen: 4 Ideas to Avoid Waste!

In leftover recipes, which are becoming increasingly popular with a view to reducing waste, you can use anything: not just the peels, as happens for example in the case of carrots and potatoes, but also the blanching and cooking water.

This is the case of asparagus cooking water, which can be a real secret ingredient. In fact, the liquid has all the concentration of the most important nutrients of asparagus, a very curious vegetable, famous for its beneficial properties and typical of spring, even if it is now available all year round.

Asparagus is normally blanched in water before being used, and the water in which it is cooked can become a real ally in the kitchen. Despite its pungent smell and its not very inviting appearance, in fact, it is rich in mineral salts and vitamins, and maintains the same diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties as vegetables.

1. Use it as a Detox Herbal Tea

The most practical, useful and beneficial way to reuse the asparagus cooking water is to transform it into a herbal tea: as a drink, in fact, it is particularly suitable for purifying the body from toxins, thanks to its high diuretic properties. To make the liquid more pleasant, you must filter it and enrich it with a little lemon juice, or alternatively with grated ginger.

2. Use it To Cook Risotto

Asparagus Risotto is the most classic preparation you can get from the vegetable symbol of spring, an exquisite main dish that is mixed with creamy cheese to create a tasty and creamy dish. Since according to the recipe, and as with all risottos, you will need broth to prepare it, the cooking water of the asparagus is perfect in place of the classic broth and will give an extra boost of flavor to your dish.

3. Boil Pasta

In addition to risotto, asparagus can be used to prepare many tasty main dishes, including classic bowls of pasta. To enhance the flavor of the vegetable, you can cook the pasta in the asparagus cooking water, but be careful to add less salt or not to salt it at all because the flavor of the liquid is already very salty.

4. Use it To Water Plants

If the smell and taste of asparagus cooking water are too strong for you, don't worry: there is another way to use it that does not involve using it in the kitchen. The liquid, once cold and provided that it has not been salted beforehand, is perfect for watering plants and flowers. This is because the same mineral salts and vitamins that are good for our body are also healthy for plants, making it a true "elixir of long life". Asparagus water can therefore become an excellent fertilizer at zero cost and environmentally sustainable.