White Beans and Asparagus With Charred Lemon

By Ali Slagle

Updated Oct. 11, 2023

White Beans and Asparagus With Charred Lemon
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist. Mariana Velásquez.
Total Time
35 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(500)
Comments
Read comments

These velvety, vegan beans get a lift from lemon, but they also hold a smoky secret. Aromatics are often sweated in fat to bring out their sweetness, but crank the heat and char them instead for, as Tejal Rao wrote, “serious, almost meatlike depth of flavor.” This is a common technique in pho, black-eyed peas and other long simmers, but it also develops flavor in quicker dishes. After searing lemon wedges, their blackened bits scatter throughout beans, asparagus and coconut milk, creating a creamy bowl that’s subtly smoky and comforting. When asparagus isn’t in season, replace it with a dark, leafy green like kale or chard. Serve solo, or with rice.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil
  • 1large or 2 small lemons, quartered lengthwise and seeds removed
  • 1(14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
  • 3cups cooked, rinsed white beans (homemade or two 15-ounce cans)
  • 1bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), tough ends trimmed, stalks cut into 1-inch lengths
  • Salt
  • Handful of cilantro or basil leaves, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

817 calories; 33 grams fat; 21 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 100 grams carbohydrates; 26 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 40 grams protein; 908 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the lemon wedges, peel-side down, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes to release their oils. Flip onto cut sides and cook until the flesh is browned and charred in spots, 3 to 6 minutes. Flip onto the other cut sides and repeat.

  2. Step 2

    Remove the lemon wedges, pour in the coconut milk and scrape to release all the charred bits stuck to the skillet. Stir in the beans and asparagus, season well with salt, and simmer until the asparagus is crisp-tender, 5 to 8 minutes. At first, the mixture might look thick, but there’s no need to add more liquid; the asparagus will release liquid as it cooks.

  3. Step 3

    Remove from heat and squeeze in the lemon. Season to taste with salt and serve topped with herbs.

Ratings

4 out of 5
500 user ratings
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Comments

Jean C

Since my friend does not like anything coconut, I added a small amount of white wine (or water) plus parmesan to create a creamy sauce, and followed the rest of the recipe...served with Scallops...excellent.

JD

I find it interesting that this is tagged as "healthy" when it has a lot of saturated fat per serving courtesy of the coconut milk. It makes me wonder what the criteria is for that "healthy" label.

Henry

Tasty but too soupy. Next I’ll only use half a can of coconut milk.

Seattle

- add 2 lemons vs one. - cook outside of lemon then inside - leave some lemon innards for squeezing at end - seasoned well with minimal salt and alt of parmesan, red pepper, black pepper (for lower sodium content). - goes well with pork. -if using dry beans, soak overnight before. - if using canned beans, rinse them.

Jean

I don't see any reference in comments to what happened with mine. The coconut milk curdled in the pan after the lemons I guess. it tasted fine, but was unattractive.

Jen H

Omitted coconut milk. After removing lemons, added Trader Joe’s Crunchy Chili Onion to heated olive oil and a splash of white whine, then simmered asparagus covered. Added white beans to heat up, then lemon juice before serving.

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