Roasted Asparagus with Rosemary Cashew Cream Sauce
Spring is peak asparagus season and I’ve been taking advantage of it. Roasting asparagus is a really simply way to prepare it and it is my favorite. I LOVE roasted asparagus and this rosemary cashew cream sauce really takes it to the next level.
To make the cream sauce, please make sure you are using RAW (not roasted) cashews. Soaking raw cashews not only makes them easier to digest, it also makes for the creamiest of sauces. I highly recommend using a high speed blender. I’m not one to recommend lots of kitchen gadgets but a high speed blender is an essential for me. I use mine every day and it is what makes this sauce super creamy. I have both a Vitamix and a NutriBullet. Both work well for this recipe. For more information on high speed blenders, check out “9 Essentials for a Raw Vegan Kitchen.”
Roasted Asparagus with Rosemary Cashew Cream Sauce
Ingredients
Roasted Asparagus:
- 1 pound fresh asparagus with the tough ends cut off
- 2 large carrots sliced
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Rosemary Cashew Cream Sauce:
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked for 4-6 hours
- 1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
Asparagus:
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- In a 9 X 13" glass baking pan, combine the asparagus, carrots, oil, lemon, salt and pepper. Stir so the lemon juice and oil coat the asparagus.
- Bake at 450 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, until asparagus is soft.
Rosemary Cashew Cream Sauce:
- After soaking the cashews, drain them and rinse.
- In a high speed blender, combine the soaked cashews, rosemary, nutritional yeast, salt, lemon juice and water.
- Blend until mixture is thick and creamy.
- Serving suggestion: Drizzle the cream sauce over the roasted asparagus.