This roasted asparagus with stewed chickpeas is a springtime comfort dinner. Tender roasted asparagus is served with thick, stewy chickpeas and potatoes. It’s finished with a bright, zingy lemon-dill sauce that perfectly ties everything together. It makes for a perfect vegan dinner recipe!
I love the early part of the asparagus season, and, to me, early April is the absolute best time to enjoy it. Early spring asparagus has a mild flavor; the stalks are always tender and not too woody. Not to say that late spring asparagus isn’t good in its own way, but nothing beats the early part of the harvest.
In this recipe, asparagus is the star of the show, adorning a beautiful and simple stew of potatoes and chickpeas.
How to make this roasted asparagus with stewed chickpeas
Fortunately, this dish doesn’t require too many ingredients. It has three main components: the stew, the roasted asparagus, and the lemon-dill sauce. Each component is relatively simple to prepare.
The stewed chickpeas
For the stewed chickpeas, you need just a few ingredients, including:
- Shallots: You can use any onion you like, though.
- Baby red potatoes: I prefer red potatoes here because they hold their shape nicely. You can use your favorite potato variety, but be mindful that it will break down as it cooks.
- Capers: These add a nice briny flavor to the stew. If you don’t have them, you can omit them. You could also add chopped green olives or chopped caperberries instead.
- Dijon mustard: This goes heavy on the Dijon flavor. I don’t recommend skipping the mustard; it cooks into a gloriously flavored broth that works perfectly with asparagus.
- Vegetable broth: You can use water instead, but the veggie broth is nice here. I really love the vegetarian chicken broth from Better than Bouillon in this.
Making the stewed chickpeas is just a matter of layering in the ingredients and then simmering.
- Step 1: Sauté the shallots and then add the potatoes.
- Step 2: Add the chickpeas, capers, and Dijon mustard.
- Step 3: Add the broth and then bring to a boil.
- Step 4: Simmer rapidly for 30–45 minutes. I recommend simmering over medium-low. You want the liquid to reduce until it’s very thick and stewy. You really should only have–at most–one cup of liquid left in the pot.
The lemon-dill sauce
The sauce is beyond easy to make. You need just chopped dill, minced parsley, lemon juice and zest, and olive oil. I also add a bit of sugar, but vegan honey or maple syrup would also be great. Whisk together and set it aside for garnish.
The asparagus
During the last ten minutes of the stew simmering, roast the asparagus.
- Step 1: Start by removing the woody ends from the asparagus. Snap the end off one of the spears to see where it naturally breaks. Use that as a guide to cut the remaining woody ends from the rest of the bundle.
- Step 2: Toss the asparagus with extra virgin olive oil on a baking sheet. Arrange the spears in an even layer. Season with salt and pepper.
- Step 3: Roast for 8–10 minutes, turning once midway through cooking.
How to serve the asparagus with stewed chickpeas:
Spoon the stew onto a large serving platter I like to arrange half the asparagus facing diagonally in one direction and the other half facing diagonally in the opposite direction. From there, drizzle a few tablespoons of the sauce over the entire dish. Serve the rest of the sauce at the table.
I mean, how gorgeous is this dish? Isn’t it perfect for spring?
I hope you loved this recipe as much as I did. If you decide to make it, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. I’d love to hear how you enjoyed it!
Roasted Asparagus with Stewed Chickpeas
Equipment
Ingredients
Potatoes and chickpeas:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 small shallots, peeled and diced
- 1 pound baby red potatoes, halved or quartered if large
- 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas drained
- 2 tablespoons capers drained
- ¾ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- Salt and pepper
Lemon-dill sauce:
- 1 large lemon, juiced and zested
- 1 tablespoon roughly chopped dill
- 1 tablespoon minced parsley
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1–2 teaspoons sugar or maple syrup
- Pinch of salt
Asparagus:
- 1 pound asparagus, woody ends trimmed
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Make the potatoes and chickpeas:
- Preheat the oven to 450ºF.
- Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 3–5 minutes.
- Add the chickpeas, capers, Dijon mustard, and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and stir to combine the mustard with the liquid. Reduce the heat to medium-low and rapid-simmer for 30–45 minutes or until the liquid reduces significantly. Adjust the heat as needed if the liquid reduces too quickly or not quickly enough.
- The finished result should be thick and stewy as the chickpeas and potatoes begin to break down. You should be left with about 1 cup liquid in the pot. Taste and season periodically, but be mindful of the salt, as the dish will become saltier as it reduces.
Make the lemon-dill sauce:
- Combine the lemon juice, dill, parsley, extra virgin olive oil, and sugar in a bowl. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and the ingredients are well combined. Taste and add a pinch of salt.
Cook the asparagus:
- Arrange the asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer to the oven and roast for 8–10 minutes, flipping once midway through cooking. Remove from the oven and set aside.
To serve:
- Spoon the potatoes and chickpeas onto a large serving platter. Arrange the asparagus on top. Drizzle a few tablespoons of lemon-dill sauce over the dish, serving the remaining sauce at the table. Enjoy!
Awesomeness!
Thank you! 🙂
Super delicious! I didn’t have parsley and made the sauce with dill only but it was still very tasty:)
Thank you for the comment! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!