• Home
    • Meet Me & Mr B
  • Recipes & Food
    • Appetizers, Snacks & Small Bites
    • Beverages
    • Bread Recipes
    • Condiments Recipes
    • Desserts & Sweets
    • German Recipes
    • Main Dish Recipes
    • Salad Recipes
    • Side Dish Recipes
    • Soup & Chowder
    • Sourdough Recipes
    • Recipes by Eating Style
      • Dairy-free Recipes
      • Gluten-free Recipes
      • Vegan Recipes
      • Vegetarian Recipes
    • Recipe Round-ups
  • Cozy Living
    • Arts, Crafts & DIY
    • Music Notes
  • Cozy Travel
    • Pacific NW
      • Pacific NW Hikes
      • Portland Area
      • Oregon Coast
      • Orcas Island WA
      • Southern Oregon
    • Hikes Near & Far
    • Mountain States
    • Southwestern US
    • Hawaii
    • Tennessee for Music Lovers
    • International Travel
    • One Day in…
  • Subscribe
    • Privacy Policy
      • Cookie Statement
      • Disclosure
    • Work with Us!
      • Media Kit
    • Contact Us!

The Good Hearted Woman

Home Cooking & Cozy Living

  • SOURDOUGH RECIPES & RESOURCES

Cashew Asparagus Pilaf

September 5 By Renée 7 Comments

Jump to Recipe

Cashew Asparagus Pilaf

For years I was kind of jealous of people who loved asparagus because they just seemed to relish the eating experience so much. Every spring, I’d hear giddy little squeals of delight at the farmer’s market and in the grocery store: “Thank goodness it’s asparagus season!” So each year, I would dutifully try it – again – and hope that my palate has “matured” enough to enjoy it with everyone else. But time after time, I would take one bite and a weird green-bitter flavor would bounce around on my tongue and that was it.

Then about two years ago, I decide to try a different tactic. Maybe starting with a pile of naked asparagus wasn’t the answer – maybe it needed to be “in” something. First I tried Shaved Asparagus Pizza – which is basically bread, sauce, cheese, and a little bit of asparagus and lemon.  Pretty good.  I could do that.  So on a whim, I made this Cashew Asparagus Pilaf, an adaptation of an old Armenian recipe. As we sat down to dinner, I took a my first bite, fully expecting that bitter bleck once again. But low and behold, instead of strange and unpleasant, my mouth filled with an amazing complexity of flavors! I loved it!! Somehow, the cashews and lemon provide exactly what is needed to bring out the lovely, delicate sweetness of the asparagus with none of the weird aftertaste. At least for me. It was so delicious I couldn’t stop eating it.

Cashew Asparagus Pilaf
5 from 1 vote

Cashew Asparagus Pilaf

This adaptation of an old Armenian recipe is a great way to stretch expensive seasonal asparagus and pricey cashews. It’s excellent as a side dish or as a vegetarian entree.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Side Dish, Vegan
Cuisine: Armenian
Prep Time:30 minutes
Total Time:30 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Renée ♥

Ingredients

  • 4 Tablespoons butter divided (use Vegan Butter if that's your deal)
  • 2 oz uncooked spaghetti broken into 1-inch pieces (make sure it is vegan-friendly)
  • ¼ cup minced onion
  • ½ tsp minced garlic
  • 1 cups uncooked jasmine rice or your favorite – adjust cooking time accordingly
  • 3 cups light vegetable broth
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ lb fresh asparagus trimmed and cut into 1 – 2-inch pieces
  • ½ cup raw cashew halves or more!
  • Juice and zest of ½ lemon

Instructions

  • Melt 3 tablespoons vegan butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Increase heat to medium and stir in spaghetti pieces, cooking until coated with the melted butter and lightly browned.
  • Stir onion into the saucepan and cook about 2 minutes, until translucent. Stir in garlic and rice,* and saute for about 5 minutes. Pour in vegetable broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring a couple of times, until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed. Check and add liquid as needed toward the end of cooking time.
  • While the rice mixture is cooking, melt remaining vegan butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add asparagus pieces and cashews and sauté until asparagus is tender. (Be careful not to overcook it!) Season with a little kosher salt to taste.
  • When rice mixture is done cooking, remove from heat and stir in asparagus and cashew halves. Sprinkle with lemon juice and zest. Serve warm.

Notes

In the example pictured, I used brown rice. It gives the dish a nice nutty flavor, but it does almost double the cooking time.
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

 

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Yummly
  • Flipboard

Filed Under: 30-Minute Meals, Recipes, Side Dishes

About Renée

Renée is writer, music maker, artist, and storyteller. In her spare time, you can find her writing love songs about cowboys, exploring the moss-covered nooks and crannies of the Pacific Northwest, and making music with her talented singer-husband.

Comments

  1. blankdropscone says

    September 5 at

    Good for you for keeping on trying asparagus! Took me a while too, I really like it on pizza now though.

    Reply
  2. blankRandi (laughfrodisiac) says

    September 5 at

    Your blog is TOO CUTE! I’m adding it to my list. That pilaf looks really good and I’m kind of squeeing that my typing is coming up in cursive, hahaha. My boyfriend is an omnivore, so I’m looking forward to hearing your words of wisdom.

    Reply
  3. blanktofu mom says

    September 8 at

    I’m SO GLAD YOU’RE BLOGGING FOR MOFO!!!

    And while I’m usually just a Mofo “lurker” with so many blogs to read, I love the looks of this recipe so just HAd to comment –

    YUM!

    Reply
    • blankRenée ♥ says

      September 9 at

      Thanks, Marti! I’ve been doing a little MoFo lurking over at your blog too 🙂

      Reply
  4. blankdeerly beloved bakery says

    September 17 at

    I love asparagus so much and Cashews! Such a lovely blog! Happy Vegan mofo!
    Love Kayleigh X

    http://www.deerlybelovedbakery.blogspot.com
    http://www.facebook.com/deerlybelovedbakery

    Reply
  5. blankSara says

    October 6 at

    Thisl ooks great! And I love asparagus, simply baked in some olive oil with garlic and sometimes a sprinkle of lemon juice.

    Reply
    • blankRenée ♥ says

      October 6 at

      Thanks! I really like what lemon does for it – it may sound counter-intuitive, but for me, it takes away the bitter taste I usually experience when I eat asparagus.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hello! We’re so glad you’re here.

Hello! We’re so glad you’re here! | The Good Hearted Woman {& Mr B}

Join me & Mr B as we share the best in home cooking and cozy living - from the beautiful Pacific Northwest and beyond.

Follow Us!

Sponsors
Privacy Policy

© Harmony Cat LLC, 2011-2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. The Good Hearted Woman is a subsidiary of Harmony Cat LLC.

sponsored