These Vegan Pea and Asparagus Cannellini Beans are extra creamy thanks to a cashew nut based sauce. Get the recipe below.
White bean recipes
I love beans - especially white beans. Whether it's butter beans or cannellini beans I can't get enough of them!
Beans are essential for a well balanced vegan diet.
They are packed full of plant-based protein and they are high in other nutrients like B vitamins and minerals like magnesium and iron. Of course they are also full of fibre.
White beans are my favourite way to get all of these health benefits.
What are cannellini beans?
Cannellini beans are a type of white bean are a white bean from Italy.
They are shaped a bit like a kidney bean (which is why they are sometimes referred to as white kidney beans).
They also have a wonderful fluffy and creamy texture when they are cooked.
How to cook cannellini beans
In this recipe they are cooked alongside leeks, peas and asparagus in a creamy sauce made of cashew nuts.
How to make a creamy cashew sauce
My go-to method of creating a creamy sauce that's completely plant based is using cashews.
When they are left to soak or alternatively boiled in water the plump up. If you then blitz them in a good processor with water and seasonings you get a wonderful creamy consistency that can be added to dishes.
For this recipe I boil the cashews for 15 minutes before draining them and leaving them to cook. I then blitz them in a food processor with water, plenty of lemon juice, fresh garlic and nutritional yeast. I add quite a bit of water so the creamy sauce is quite thin.
It's then poured over the beans and veggies.
The recipe
Creamy Vegan Pea and Asparagus Cannellini Beans
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil thinly sliced
- 1 large leek
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 150 g asparagus
- 150 g frozen peas
- 235 g cannellini beans drained weight from a 400g tin
- 50 g cashew nuts
- 200 g water
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 lemon juice only
- 1 tablespoon parsley chopped
Instructions
- Add the cashews to a saucepan and cover with water.
- Boil on a high heat for 15 minutes then place them to one side to cool.
- Begin by heating the olive oil in a pan then add the leeks with a good pinch of salt.
- Saute the leeks until they are softened.
- Cut off the tips from the asparagus and then cut them in half. Place these to one side.
- Thinly slice the rest of the stalk (except the really woody bit) and add to the pan along with the minced garlic.
- Next add the peas and cook until they are just thawed.
- While the veggies are cooking place the cashew nuts into a blender along with the water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
- Blitz the cashew nuts on high until you have a smooth creamy sauce.
- Add this to the pan and bring up to a simmer.
- Cook the sauce until it's thickened to your desired consistency.
- Add the thin tips of the asparagus into the pan and cook until just softened.
- Serve with a sprinkling of parsley.
Nutrition
More cannellini bean recipes
I told you I love cannellini beans. Here are some wonderful recipes using this delicious ingredient.
Can you tell I'm bean obsessed?
Taryn says
We substituted fresh snow peas and sugar snap peas from our garden. We initially thought that the sauce would be too thin, but it thickened up nicely. I also added a few grinds of pepper at the end. Next time I would add a few chilli flakes too.
This was lemony and fresh and a nice alternative if you dont feel like risotto or pasta with your veg.
Emma says
Hi Taryn
Pleased to hear you liked it. Your substitutions sound delicious!