One-Pot Asparagus and White Bean Soup
The coconut milk embraces the slight bitterness of the asparagus while the nutritional yeast gives this dish a delicate cheesy flavour. The white beans thicken the soup while adding protein, fibre and iron.
4
Ingredients
- 2 large bunches fresh asparagus, washed and trimmed
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 160g (5.6 oz) roughly chopped yellow onion
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp roughly chopped garlic (see Top Tips)
- 960ml (2 pints) low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 397g (14 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 414ml (14 oz) can full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Method
- In a large stockpot fitted with a steamer basket, add 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) of water and steam the asparagus for 5 to 7 minutes, until bright green. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Cut the tops from half of the asparagus and set aside for garnish.
- Drain and dry the stockpot. Add the olive oil, turn the burner to medium and heat until shimmering. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the onion and salt. Sauté until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Increase the heat to medium and add the vegetable broth, cooked asparagus, cannellini beans, coconut milk and nutritional yeast. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, until the beans are soft. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth and creamy. 4 Stir in the lemon juice and garnish with the asparagus tops and pepper. Serve immediately.
Vegan Life tip
• No steamer basket? No problem! You can steam asparagus in the microwave. To do this, wrap the trimmed asparagus in damp paper towels and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Just be careful removing it from the microwave. The steam will be very hot!
• Two large cloves of garlic are about equal to 1 tablespoon (9g) of minced garlic.
Recipe from 5-Ingredient Vegan Cooking by Kate Friedman (Page Street Publishing Co. 2021). Photography by Kate Friedman
