This quick dinner came together as I developed our egg-free Lemon-Sumac Snacking Cake, which uses the aquafaba from a can of chickpeas for stability and lift instead of eggs. Cakes notoriously take a lot of testing, so you can imagine the amount of canned chickpeas that were amassed during the process.

After a long day of baking cake after cake, I peered into my fridge to see some early-season asparagus, a chunk of feta, and some Greek yogurt staring back at me. Blended with some lemon zest and garlic, the feta and yogurt turn into a cooling, briny landing pad for blistered asparagus, as well as the leftover canned chickpeas, which get bolstered by coriander, cumin, chili powder, and sumac. Mint provides some lush verdancy, but any tender green herb—like dill, cilantro, parsley, or basil—works here. Serve with plenty of warm pita, naan, or flatbread.

Cook’s note: If you’re really in a hurry, you can skip the whipped feta and just use Greek yogurt (just make sure to season it with a little salt) or labne as a base, then crumble the feta on top or omit it completely.

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Ingredients

½ pound (227g) French or Bulgarian feta
2 tablespoons (28g), plus ¼ cup (57g), plain, full-fat Greek yogurt
6 tablespoons (90ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
1 lemon
3 garlic cloves
12 ounces (340g) asparagus, trimmed (about 1 bunch)
One 15.5-ounce can (439g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon Nandini Coriander seeds
½ teaspoon Jodhana Cumin seeds
1 teaspoon Surya Salt
1 to 2 teaspoons Byadgi Chili powder
1 teaspoon Wild Heimang Sumac, plus more for finishing
Big handful mint leaves

Methods

To make the whipped feta, combine the feta, 2 tablespoons yogurt, 2 tablespoons olive oil, the zest of 1 lemon, reserving the rest of the lemon for later, and 1 finely chopped garlic clove in a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and mix in the remaining ¼ cup yogurt. Cover and refrigerate until serving. (The whipped feta can be made up to 2 days in advance.)
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or cast iron pan over medium-high heat. When shimmering, add the asparagus, stirring to coat in the oil, spread into an even layer and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Cook undisturbed until starting to brown and blister on the side touching the pan, 2 to 4 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until tender but still retains a bite, 2 to 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the asparagus. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Return the skillet to medium heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Thinly slice the remaining 2 garlic cloves and add them to the pan along with the coriander and cumin seeds. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic starts to turn light brown around the edges and the coriander seeds turn a couple shades darker, 45 seconds to 1½ minutes. Add the drained, rinsed chickpeas and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas are heated through, 4 to 7 minutes. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons Byadgi chili powder, depending on your desired heat level, and continue to cook for 1 minute to bloom the chilies, then turn off the heat and stir in the sumac and juice of half the reserved lemon. Taste and season with salt, if necessary.
To serve, spread the whipped feta on a platter, spoon half the chickpeas onto the feta, top with the blistered asparagus, and top with the remaining half of the chickpeas. Tear a big handful of mint over the top and garnish with an extra sprinkle of sumac and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired. Cut the remaining half lemon into wedges and serve for squeezing over at the table.

Asha's Blistered Asparagus with Chili-Sumac Chickpeas & Whipped Feta

Asha Loupy

Serves: 4

Ingredients

½ pound (227g) French or Bulgarian feta
2 tablespoons (28g), plus ¼ cup (57g), plain, full-fat Greek yogurt
6 tablespoons (90ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
1 lemon
3 garlic cloves
12 ounces (340g) asparagus, trimmed (about 1 bunch)
One 15.5-ounce can (439g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon Nandini Coriander seeds
½ teaspoon Jodhana Cumin seeds
1 teaspoon Surya Salt
1 to 2 teaspoons Byadgi Chili powder
1 teaspoon Wild Heimang Sumac, plus more for finishing
Big handful mint leaves

Methods

To make the whipped feta, combine the feta, 2 tablespoons yogurt, 2 tablespoons olive oil, the zest of 1 lemon, reserving the rest of the lemon for later, and 1 finely chopped garlic clove in a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and mix in the remaining ¼ cup yogurt. Cover and refrigerate until serving. (The whipped feta can be made up to 2 days in advance.)
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or cast iron pan over medium-high heat. When shimmering, add the asparagus, stirring to coat in the oil, spread into an even layer and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Cook undisturbed until starting to brown and blister on the side touching the pan, 2 to 4 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until tender but still retains a bite, 2 to 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the asparagus. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Return the skillet to medium heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Thinly slice the remaining 2 garlic cloves and add them to the pan along with the coriander and cumin seeds. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic starts to turn light brown around the edges and the coriander seeds turn a couple shades darker, 45 seconds to 1½ minutes. Add the drained, rinsed chickpeas and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas are heated through, 4 to 7 minutes. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons Byadgi chili powder, depending on your desired heat level, and continue to cook for 1 minute to bloom the chilies, then turn off the heat and stir in the sumac and juice of half the reserved lemon. Taste and season with salt, if necessary.
To serve, spread the whipped feta on a platter, spoon half the chickpeas onto the feta, top with the blistered asparagus, and top with the remaining half of the chickpeas. Tear a big handful of mint over the top and garnish with an extra sprinkle of sumac and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired. Cut the remaining half lemon into wedges and serve for squeezing over at the table.