I love this time of year, when I can go to the grocery store and buy as much asparagus as I want without taking out a second mortgage on my house. But the problem with asparagus, from a food blogger’s standpoint, is that it’s a vegetable that tastes best when prepared simply. Its delicate flavor needs no more adornment than, maybe, a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of salt, and its texture is perfect with no more than the merest blush of heat. So once you know how to roast it, blanch it, grill it, or make it into pesto, there isn’t much left for me to tell you. You don’t need wild combinations of ingredients or fancy seasonings to enjoy asparagus, just your fork (or in my home, your fingers).
So here I present to you the most basic preparation of asparagus, blanched with a sprinkle of lemon zest and salt, on top of something that sounds fancy but is really homey and hearty: polenta (cornmeal mush or grits, as we call it here) and chickpeas. A light hand with the lemon and freshly ground black pepper lets the fresh asparagus flavor shine through, and a sprinkle of pine nuts pulls the whole dish together. On second thought, maybe it is a little fancy after all!
Polenta with Lemony Asparagus and Chickpeas
Ingredients
Polenta
2 1/4 cups water
2 cups vegetable broth or “no-chicken” broth
1 cup polenta
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil
Chickpeas
1/2 medium onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or canned, drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup vegetable broth or “no-chicken” broth
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon lemon zest (peel), freshly grated
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon arrowroot or cornstarch
1/4 cup water
Asparagus
12 ounces asparagus, ends trimmed and stalks cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon lemon peel, freshly grated
lemon juice, to taste
coarse or flaky salt (such as Maldon), to taste
4 teaspoons pine nuts (lightly toasted)
Instructions
Bring the 2 1/4 cups water and the 2 cups vegetable broth to a boil in a pressure cooker. Add the polenta while stirring. Stir in the garlic and basil, lock the lid in place, and bring to high pressure. Reduce heat but maintain high pressure for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let pressure come down naturally. Stir well, salt to taste, and keep warm until ready to serve. (No pressure cooker? See note below)
While the polenta is cooking, sauté the onion in a medium-sized sauce pan until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and drained chickpeas and stir for another minute. Add the broth, basil, and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the lemon peel and juice. Mix the arrowroot or cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and add it to the pan. Cook over medium low heat until slightly thickened. Keep warm.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and blanch asparagus for 2 minutes. Drain well and toss with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, and coarse salt to taste. Divide the polenta among 4 plates, and top each with a quarter of the chickpeas and asparagus. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of toasted pine nuts over each serving.
NOTE: To make polenta without a pressure cooker, use 2 cups broth and 1 cup water. Bring liquids to a boil in a heavy, deep saucepan, and slowly stir in polenta, garlic, and basil. Reduce heat and simmer gently, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until very thick (about 30 minutes). (Be careful and use a long-handled spoon because mixture can bubble and spit hot corn meal on your hand.) Add salt to taste and keep warm until ready to serve.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s) | Cooking time: 40 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 4
Nutrition (per serving): 276 calories, 15 calories from fat, 1.7g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 557.9mg sodium, 385mg potassium, 55.6g carbohydrates, 8.5g fiber, 2.4g sugar, 10.4g protein.
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{ 95 comments… read them below or add one }
This makes me think of spring! Such a lovely thing to dream of on this wintry (but sunny!) Chicago morning. I love the pressure cooker polenta instructions, I'll be trying this out soon.
This sounds so fantastic. Thanks so much for sharing!
This looks so delicious! I'm wondering what kind of polenta you use… I have never made it but I've got coarse corn meal in the pantry that I use under pizza crust when I cook it on a baking sheet. I'm wondering if you think that'd work, or if there's some other particular type of corn meal I'd need?
Thanks!!
Rosalie, I use Bob's Red Mill Corn Grits Also Known as Polenta (that's the complete label). You should be able to use your coarse cornmeal, but since it may take less time, I recommend using the regular cooking method (instead of pressure cooking) until you find out how long it will take.
Hi Susan,
This looks SO good. . the asparagus from Washington state right next door is just starting to show up in the markets up here in Idaho, so I will look forward to trying this out! Such a delicious way to welcome in the Spring.
Thanks,
moonwatcher
This looks beautiful and so tasty. We eat asparagus at our home as much as possible. Thanks for a new way to eat them.
Kristina
This looks fantastic! Can't wait to try it. Love your site!
This one is definitely going into my "to make" list! Looks and sounds delicious!
Oh this is so perfect for spring! I will definitely be making this!
This sounds absolutely delicious. My favorite way to eat asparagus is raw, either with a dip or plain. One of my teachers in middle school told us about that.
What a pretty and yummy sounding dish! I am still waiting for asparagus to get a bit cheaper here, but this is definitely at the top of my list of things to make when it does.
-K
Yum! I really enjoy asparagus with just a touch of lemon, so I see myself loving this dish. Thanks for sharing the great recipe!
A macrobiotic recipe….wonderful!!
I'm going to make this TONIGHT. Oh my god, does it look yummy.
You mean the asparagus season has already started there?! Not fair, we have to wait until May!
Well, at least chickpeas and polenta are always in season… as is frozen asparagus.
I LIVE for asparagus and have been waiting for it!!
I'm jealous. Here you are blogging about asparagus and we Wisconsinites still have snow on the ground.
oh, this looks fabulous! WE LOVE Polenta over here–but, I have never cooked it in a pressure cooker. I might have to try this!
Blessings,
Bella
yum…so fresh and tasty!
The texture of that polenta is gorgeous! Everything about this dish sounds wonderful.
This looks like a fantastic light and refreshing meal to cook up in the spring, I'm starring this for then!
Thanks!
Looks great! I have most of these at home right now. Definitely going to be next week's dinner.
I love asparagus! It's just now starting to appear back in our grocery stores here in MO…I almost did a backflip in the store yesterday to find a nice-sized cantaloupe for under $3.
Thanks for the recipe!
Sure enough, made it last night. Forgot the pine nuts, but I loved it anyway!
Turns out my boyfriend isn't a huge fan of asparagus. Oh well, more for me!!
This is perfect timing! I have some lovely asparagus in the fridge, polenta in the cupboard and chickpeas in the pantry. DONE. Looking forward to cooking up another great recipe from your site!
And one of the best features of your recipe (and many of your recipes) is that it is gluten free!!! Thank you!
This looks delicious, Susan! I think my dh will like this one. I have some organic limes I need to use up. Will lime juice and lime zest be okay?
Made this tonight and it was AWESOME!!!! Couldn't find pine nuts anywhere, but it was still amazing – thanks for the wonderful recipe!!!
Bought asparagus on a whim today and made this- YUM! So good- thanks.
This blog is amazing! Thank you so much!
Another terrific recipe. We aren't huge fans of polenta however, this sounds a bit different than how we have tried it in the past.
Wonderful and it looks so good!
Very interesting combination of the polenta and the chickpeas.
Looks delish, can't wait to try it; however, my husband doesn't care for asparagus. Could I substitute broccoli, zucchini or something else with the same effect?
CindyS, I'm sure it would be great with broccoli or any other vegetable you like.
This is now my favortie recipe (until your next one!) I love anything with lemons.
Thank you
I can't believe you're enjoying asparagus season already! I've still got 2 or 3 months to wait. You're right about asparagus+lemon+pepper: it's perfect!
I recently tried this recipe from Martha Rose Shulman in the NY Times. It's now my favorite way to cook polenta!
1 cup polenta
1 quart water
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. -Combine the polenta, water and salt in a 2-quart baking dish. Stir together, and place in the oven. -Bake 50 minutes.
-Remove from the oven, and stir in the butter.
-Return to the oven for 20 minutes. -Stir again + serve
Looks amazing. I also appreciate everyone's comments on types of polenta to buy and alternate cooking methods. Oven roasting veggies is the best. Brussel sprouts might be good with this as well… if you like it with a little zest, crushed red pepper flakes could be a great addition on the veggies!
Yuuuum! I love asparagus. Thanks for another suggestion on how I can gobble it up. Munch, munch.
Susan this was absolutely delicious!!!! I was so happy to make the polenta because I grew up eating it. The flavors worked so well together. I tweeked it a bit but hey that's what we do right?
this sounds absolutely amazing. It looks pretty too! can't wait to try it!
I love any and all combinations of lemon and chicken, I can't wait to try this one out. Thanks!
Asparagus lover here. On the lookout for more ways to enjoy it. Especially since my husband [who's not big on greens] actually likes asparagus. I think he would definitely enjoy this recipe. The lemon….lemon and lime bring out the *fresh* in dishes. Especially ones with a lot of raw ingredients. Mmmmm…..!!
I love anything with asparagus in it, and that looks really yummy. I'll have to try that out.
I have never managed polenta… but this looks doable! I look forward to trying it
This looks lovely…just lovely. I love everything about it!
Hi! I saw this and was so enticed, I made my own version, inspired by you! (I can't help but improvise my way through recipes!) Anyway, I posted a picture and included a link here to you! Here is the post.
http://foodpractice.com/2010/03/13/inspired-by-fat-free-vegan-kitchen/
Thank you so much for this! I loved it!
Yum, this looks good. You certainly know what to do with polenta–I'm still thinking about your Polenta Lasagna with Kale recipe and you posted that ages ago. Brava!
This looks delicious….we love asparagas in my Pensacola house!!!
This looks delicious….we love asparagas in my Pensacola house!!!
I think lemon is my most favorite taste enhancer – better than salt.
I admire your food discipline.
Hi – Your recipes are fantastic. Can I have permission to post them on my new website (soon to be live), with full credit to you of course. http://173.201.26.179
Dr. Berg, thank you for your interest. I prefer that you post only links to the recipes because reposting them hurts my site's search engine rankings.
Your site looks great! Good luck to you.
for those of you that are rookie polenta makers, don't make the same mistake I did. Put a COVER on the pot on the stovetop. I didn't want to assume to do that cause the directions didn't say and you know what they say when you assume. After I finally put the cover on it and cooked for another 25 minutes we could eat; unfortunately our family wasn't a fan of this one, maybe try it again with brown rice instead of polenta.
I made this for dinner and it was delicious! I used green beans in place of asparagus and love the lemony flavour with the chickpeas.
My only issue was the polenta. I followed the amounts for cooking it without a pressure cooker and found it was way too dry and there was definitely not enough liquid. I had to add another 2 cups.
I made this for dinner last night and it was amazing! I cooked the polenta in the slow cooker, just like grits. My partner said it looked like food out of a fancy restaurant!
I made this the other night and it was absolutely delicious. I cooked my polenta with soymilk for some extra creaminess. I will definitely make this again. Thanks for all the great recipes.
I made this last night and it was sooo good
I didn't have a pressure cooker, so I made the polenta on the stove. I was confused, because my polenta became very thick in less than 10 minutes, while the instruction said it should take 25. I didn't complain! I never thought anyone could get me to eat polenta, but you did! Thank you so much for your website, I love it.
Susan, this sounds like the perfect Spring dish. Asparagus season is such a joy and my husband and I try to eat as much as we can now so that when it's ridiculously expensive we don't feel so bad about not having it. I am going to give this recipe a try this week. Yum!
p.s. You may remember me…I used to have the Vivacious Vegan blog. I took a blogging break and am now back at it, although under a different address.
This looks delicious. I think I’ll try it this weekend.
Susan, I hope this is ok to say here….I was an avid read of the Vivacious Vegan blog, and missed it when it disappeared. I would love to read Crystal’s new blog. If it’s public, Crystal, can you please tell us where to find it? Thanks so much!!!
I would love to have the blog address, too! Crystal, if you see this, please let us know where to find you.
Thanks Susan! I didn't have any polenta around, but I've been going through this lentils and couscous faze, so I just switched them in instead. Thank you for something simple, balanced, and delicious. It hit the spot.
I made this tonight! Thanks for posting the recipe!
I don't own a pressure cooker so I used a pot to make the polenta. Took 7.5 minutes for it to become really thick. Is that normal?
I accidentally put too much lemon on the asparagus. Oops! I've never put lemon juice on vegetables before and wasn't sure how much to add. They were VERY lemony. My husband was impressed by the polenta as he had never had it before. Thanks for this recipe!
wow, look at that, I'm already drooling, great color, looks delicious
Made this on Sunday. DELICIOUS! I will definitely consider getting a pressure cooker before I try to make polenta again as it was a pain to do in a regular pot. Thanks Susan! I am a big fan!
Yummy! Your polenta looks moist, I like this version, it looks very warm and hearty. Will try a moister polenta as yours next time.
Found your blog yesterday. Made this dish for dinner tonight and it was AWESOME! It was sooo perfect for the first weekend of Spring. Even my husband who is apprehensive of anything "vegan" ate it happily and was stuffed. I'll be trying your Chili Mac later in the week!
I made this tonight and it was really good. I loved it, but would substitute green beans or cruciferous veggies like broccoli or brussel sprouts as others have suggested, for the asparagus next time as I feel the lemon overpowered the asparagus (I even used the milder, Meyer lemons). The polenta was absolutely delicious (my polenta-hating kids gobbled it up…I think they liked that it wasn't fried), and the lemony chickpeas were to die for. I'd be interested in something with asparagus, polenta and some sort of creamy mushroom sauce, I think…I'd try any recipe of yours with those ingredients in a heartbeat! You are my favorite on-line recipe site. Keep 'em coming!
I'd have to replace the asparagus with broccoli. Otherwise, it sounds good.
I just made this for dinner tonight and WOW it was good. The polenta was incredible, although it did thicken up much quicker than the recipe said. I can't wait to make this again!
Mmmm. I'd love to sup broccoli for this in the later summer months… Yum!
My polenta became thick within like… five minutes, but I think it was because my pan was very wide maybe? It was also very very thick, like cut it with a knife style thick.
But super super super tasty.
Lindsay and Amiee–I'm glad you both liked it!
About the polenta, so much depends on the kind you are using. Some finely-ground types are almost instant while coarser kinds, like I was using, take longer. I realize now that I should have specified that my instructions were for the coarse-ground polenta from Bob's Red Mill. Everyone, watch (and stir) your polenta carefully and be ready to take it off of the heat once it is thick!
What kind of liquid do you saute the onions in?
rmarkob, I don't use any liquid, just a non-stick skillet and almost constant stirring. But if you want, you can add a little water or veg broth if sticking is a problem. I find that cooking with liquid makes them taste "boiled" rather than browned.
Thanks for this recipe! I just had it for dinner. I usually hate polenta, but it was great! My hubby liked it too…we have just recently decided to become vegan and are thrilled to have found this site!
I live in Germany and green asparagus is hard to find, but white asparagus is more than plentiful. Can I substitute on for the other? So many of your asparagus recipes sound amazing.
This looks delicious! I'm going to try it this weekend. I love anything with asparagus in it. And by the way, thank you for posting the nutritional info. I'm a calorie counter and I hate when recipes don't have that info!
ew! I love asparagus! I am on this!
Beautiful combination. Great ways to eat veggies.
I recently found your Web site and this is the first recipe I’ve tried. It was delicious. I’ve always loved polenta but never really knew how to fix it. Thank you for helping us make fabulous food.
Made this the other night and it was fantastic! It was also very easy to make. Didn’t care for the leftovers but fresh it was great.
Is this recipe ok for Eat to Live? It’s not tagged as such but I don’t see any major problems. Is polenta a no no, too much of a simple carb?
I want to make this! If I start E2L soon, by the time I am done with the 6 weeks asparagus won’t be in season anymore.
Technically, polenta isn’t a whole grain, so some people might rule it out for Eat to Live. But Dr. Fuhrman allows limited amounts of things like whole wheat pita bread, and to my mind, polenta isn’t any worse than that. But since it’s so dense, I would probably limit myself to half a cup, rather than a whole, and only indulge in it every now and then.
Another idea: Skip the polenta and serve the asparagus and chickpeas over a whole grain. Lately I eat quinoa with everything!
I think I might be bad and do it with polenta. I want an excuse to use the new pressure cooker that I got for Christmas, which, I am embarrassed to admit, I have yet to try out.
Anyhow, when making my E2L menu, I think I may have to do a modified version. Which is fine with me.
I am someone who is compassionate about the treatment of animals and also a very proud vegetarian. Even though this is alot to ask but maybe somewhere on your site, or even if just you alone could you support me in my goal to becoming a member on glee. By doing this, I can become someone who is not only living my dream,and my goals.. but can be an influencial person of the vegetarian community.
Pleaseeee help to get me on the cast of glee by giving me some gold stars and spread the word
http://www.myspace.com/gleeauditions?link=529191070
and scroll down
im trying to get as much support as possible!
Thank you so much, I adore your recipies! yum
Dee
Hi Susan,
I knew I was going to make this when I first read the post. But I had to think about how to do it so it would be good for a few times, since I am cooking for one. I decided easily to just steam some of the asparagus, so each night it would be fresh. I worried that the polenta would get too hard or gummy on reheating. But I had a pleasant surprise. It was all delicious the first time, even though I had forgotten an onion and used a combination of green onion, chives (coming up in garden) and onion flakes. I put the rest of the lemony chickpeas and polenta side by side in a baking dish. Next time I heated them up in the oven. Oh my goodness, did that bring the lemony zing of the chickpeas out! And the polenta kept a very nice consistency and sort of got “steamed” by the flavors in the sauced chickpeas. So it ended up being one of those things that is somehow even better as leftovers, even though it was great when I first made it! The last time I finished it up, I didn’t have any more asparagus (I am an asparagus glutton when it is around, I admit it), I topped some lightly steamed greens (dandelion and spinach and mustard combo–from early garden volunteers) and that was scrumptious, too. I now have some asparagus from the farmer’s market grown locally, so I am about to make it again–this time with the required onion–and I am looking forward to the leftovers, again, too!!
Thanks, Susan–
xo
moonwatcher
We made this last night with friends and it was terrific! We grilled the asparagus. Hooray for seasonal recipes!
This was fabulous! I made it last night for my hubby and I. Some friends dropped by and loved it too.
I’ve just made this. Delicious!!! thanks for a great recipe.
This recipe is fantastic. I wasn’t sure about polenta and chickpeas together but the “sauce” that the chickpeas are cooked with really elevates them. I never thought about cooking with lemon juice before but between this recipe and the Lemony Quinoa recipe we are now officially fans of lemon juice in recipes.
I just made this and am eating it right now, it is amazing. Beautiful, easy lemon sauce over the chickpeas, contrasts so nicely with the flavorful polenta. Susan, this one is genius (no surprise). I do an easy stove top polenta for anyone interested. Only takes 10 minutes of cooking! Bring 6 cups water (or broth/water combo) to a boil, then add 2 tsp salt (if not using broth). Add 1 1/4 cups cornmeal in a slow stream, whisking as you go. Let simmer about 10 minutes, whisking about every minute or two. You don’t have to whisk it constantly, but don’t forget about it, either. Put your add-ins at the end (corn, herbs, garlic, whatever). I used the Bob’s Red Mill as well. Thanks again! Dawn
I linked to this recipe in my blog post about the upcoming Meatout:
http://veganfazool.blogspot.com/2011/03/meatout-is-coming.html
Hope that is OK, if not please let me know.
Thanks for a great fast-fancy meal! Love your recipes as always.
Dawn
Instead of serving this over polenta I served it over a mix of mashed sweet potato and celery root. I also used oregano rather than basil and a vegan “beef” broth and I have to say this was hands down one of my favorite meals EVER. Even my son who hates chickpeas loved this.
Yummo! Love the look of this, and will definitely put it on my list of things to make when the weather turns a bit warmer! I’ve never cooked with polenta before, but am keen to learn. Thanks Susan!
Already done and eaten! It’s so delicious!!! Thank you for this website, I find it plenty of fantastic recipes!
As I live in Italy, I decided to prepare this plate because this is period of polenta eating!
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