Charred asparagus with cashew cream

Charring asparagus is a great way to add extra flavour to this spring hero, you can even do it on the barbecue in summer, too. In this Academy recipe, we've paired the smoky asparagus with a smooth vegan cream, to create a delicious side for any feast.

For more vegan recipe inspiration, why not book on our Let's cook: Vegan class at the Gordon Ramsay Academy in Woking.

Print recipe

Serves 2-4

Vegetarian

Vegan

Gluten-free

Dairy-free

Ingredients

For the cashew cream:

200g cashews (soaked overnight – see step 1)
½ tsp garlic powder
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
140ml water
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
½ tsp sea salt
2 tbsp olive oil

For the asparagus:

8-12 thick spears of asparagus (try white asparagus if you can find it!)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Few sprigs of basil, to garnish

Cooking instructions

Start the day before with the cashews. Put the cashews in a bowl and cover completely with cold water. Cover with cling film, put in the fridge and leave to soak for 12 hours.
Drain thoroughly and pat dry then tip into a food processor along with all the remaining ingredients. Blitz to combine, stop and scrape down the sides then continue to process until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Taste and adjust the seasoning, blitzing briefly to combine. Scoop out and serve as a soft cream – it can be dolloped or spread easily.
To cook the asparagus, peel the tough out layer from the bottom of each spear then trim off 2-3cm from the base at an angle.
Steam the asparagus for 5 minutes in a steamer basket over a large wok or pan with a few cm of simmering water.
Finish the asparagus off in a hot frying pan or griddle pan. Get the pan really hot over a high heat then toss together the asparagus and vegetable oil for 1-2 minutes until lightly coloured all over.
Serve the asparagus with the cashew cream alongside and a few basil leaves picked over.

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