Last Updated on July 19, 2022

[グリル焼きアスパラガスのヴィーガン味噌ライムマヨネーズ添え]

Grilled Asparagus with Vegan Miso Lime Mayo is a perfect Japanese fusion side dish to savor in Spring when asparagus is in season. Lightly charred grilled asparagus is accompanied by a savory and tangy mayo dip with a hint of Japanese element, miso.

Inspiration of Grilled Asparagus with Vegan Miso Lime Mayo

Many recipes that I make here on my blog are inspired by my mom’s food. My mom certainly didn’t make any grilled veggies but she would always steam veggies. And those steamed veggies were always accompanied by mayo. It’s so simple yet very addicting. There’s something about dipping in mayo, I always love still to this day.

Outside of my home, I remember, many izakaya (Japanese style dining bar) offer raw veggie sticks with miso mayo dip and I would order one at every izakaya I went to. Because of that, I always knew the taste of miso and mayo work very well. By the way, miso mayo goes very well with cooked protein, too.

So, with the good old memory of my miso mayo experiences in Japan, I wanted to create my own dish with my own vegan twist!

Vegan Miso Lime Mayo

While asparagus is the main component of this recipe, I have to say the vegan miso lime mayo is the highlight of it!

Mayo is not a Japanese ingredient although there is a famous Japanese mayo out there (non-vegan.) And, it’s safe to say, the non-vegan mayo is one of the most popular condiments that’s used in Japanese cooking. Because of that, there are tons of Japanese dishes that features mayo that go very well with rice.

Miso mayo dip is one of them!

The non-vegan Japanese mayo is rich and slightly tangier than the typical American mayo. Even when using vegan mayo, in my opinion, it’s missing a tangy element. But in my Vegan Miso Lime Mayo the lime covers the tanginess that I’d like to have in the miso mayo dip!

I use both lime juice and lime zest. Lime juice is for the actual tanginess which is also refreshing and the lime zest is to enhance the presence of lime.

For the miso part, I use real Japanese miso which, in my opinion, always tastes more complex than American made miso.)

Grilled Asparagus

Asparagus always reminds me of the backyard of my childhood home. There was a few asparagus grown there and we would harvest 1 or 2 at a time. LOL. It sure wasn’t enough to feed a whole family of four but I remember it always brought me the joy of seasonal eating.

Fast forward many years, asparagus seems to be eaten throughout the year. However, asparagus in spring to early summer still tastes the best. In this recipe, I use thin green asparagus but thick asparagus also works as well.

Also, I like grilling the asparagus for this recipe which gives the charred flavor that I like. I simply use a stovetop grill pan to do this. But if you don’t have a grill pan, you can cook in the oven or may pan-fry the asparagus. Please note that oven-roasting and pan-frying would not give the charred flavor. However, with the vegan miso mayo dip, it still tastes fantastic!

Shichimi Togarashi, A little Special Touch

Grilled Asparagus with Vegan Miso Lime Mayo is served with Japanese shichimi togarashi. Shichimi [七味] means 7-spice (flavor) and togarashi [唐辛子] means hot chili pepper. It’s often called “shichimi”, “shichimi pepper” or “shichimi togarashi pepper”, they’re all the same.

Shichimi togarashi is a blend of 7 spices, typically contains red chili pepper, Chinese citrus peel, black sesame seeds, white sesame seeds, sansho pepper, ginger, and aonori. As you can imagine, shichimi is uniquely aromatic, pleasantly spicy and has a complex taste. Its often used as a condiment for udon noodles and soba noodles.

Shichimi togarashi pepper often pairs with mayo and that’s what we do here, too.

Be sure to check out the “Step-by-Step Instructions (w/ Photos)” after the Printable Recipe!

Print Recipe

5 from 41 votes

Grilled Asparagus with Vegan Miso Lime Mayo

Grilled Asparagus with Vegan Miso Lime Mayo is a perfect Japanese fusion side dish to savor in Spring when asparagus is in season. Lightly charred grilled asparagus is accompanied by a savory and tangy mayo dip with a hint of Japanese element, miso.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Course: Sides

Cuisine: Japanese Inspired

Servings: 4

Author: Plant-Based Matters

Ingredients

Vegan Miso Lime Mayo

• 1/4 cup vegan mayo
• 2 tsp miso paste of your choice preferably authentic Japanese miso
• lime zest from a half lime
• 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice from 1/2 to 1 lime
• 1/4 tsp toasted sesame oil

Grilled Asparagus

• 1 lb green asparagus
• 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Suggested Condiment

• Shichimi togarashi pepper Japanese 7-spice hot pepper blend

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• In a small bowl, combine vegan mayo, miso paste, lime juice, lime zest and toasted sesame oil. Mix well and set it aside.
• Next, prepare the asparagus. Rinse the asparagus under running water to clean. Pat dry them with a towel to remove excess water.
• Snap off the bottom (tough part) of asparagus where it naturally breaks. Then, trim off the end to have a clean cut (optional.) For thick asparagus, you may partially shave the peel using a vegetable peeler. Tips: the cut-off bottoms can be perfect for making asparagus soup. Save and freeze them!
• Coat the asparagus with extra virgin olive oil then season with salt and black pepper. Give a quick toss to coat evenly.
• Heat up a grill pan at medium high heat. Cook the asparagus in a single layer (don’t overcrowd the grill pan. Leave them on one side to get a good char and turn to cook the other side. It should take about 5 to 10 minutes to cook and get charred depending on the thickness. Repeat the process if you cook in a few batches.
• Serve immediately with the miso-mayo dip on the side with a sprinkle of shichimi pepper for the spice and aroma.

Notes

Vegan Mayo

• You can use any vegan mayo of your choice.
• I use Organic Vegenaise from Follow Your Heart.

 

Miso Paste

• You can use any miso paste of your choice (white, red, blend etc.)
• I use Japanese soybean koji miso which is slightly sweeter, yellow-brownish color miso. Soybean koji miso is the most standard miso used in Japanese home cooking.

 

Asparagus

• Asparagus may vary in thickness. Both thin & thick asparagus work for this recipe.
• If you use thick asparagus, you may want to use a vegetable peeler to partially shave off the peel (about 2/3 from the bottom.)
• After cutting the tough bottom parts, don’t throw them away! You can save them and keep in freezer. It’s perfect for making creamy asparagus soup!

 

Alternative Cooking Method

• If you don’t have a grill pan? Roast in the oven at 375˚F / 190˚C for about 15 minutes depending on the thickness. (Note: oven-roasting would not give a charred flavor.)
• You can also pan-fry them until tender. (Note: pan-frying would not give a charred flavor.)

 

Shichimi Pepper

• Shichimi pepper is a Japanese 7-spice hot pepper blend that’s spicy and aromatic.
• I use Shichimi Togarashi from The Japanese Pantry.
• Yuzu shichimi is a great alternative to regular shichimi pepper.

Did you make this recipe?Mention @plantbased_matters or tag #plantbased_matters!

Step-by-Step Instructions (w/ Photos)

1. In a small bowl, combine vegan mayo, miso paste, lime juice, lime zest and toasted sesame oil. Mix well and set it aside.

2. Next, prepare the asparagus. Rinse the asparagus under running water to clean. Pat dry them with a towel to remove excess water.

3. Snap off the bottom (tough part) of asparagus where it naturally breaks. Then, trim off the end to have a clean cut (optional.) For thick asparagus, you may partially shave the peel using a vegetable peeler.

Tips: the cut-off bottoms can be perfect for making asparagus soup. Save and freeze them!

4. Coat the asparagus with extra virgin olive oil then season with salt and black pepper. Give a quick toss to coat evenly.

5. Heat up a grill pan at medium high heat. Cook the asparagus in a single layer (don’t overcrowd the grill pan. Leave them on one side to get a good char and turn to cook the other side. It should take about 5 to 10 minutes to cook and get charred depending on the thickness. Repeat the process if you cook in a few separate batches.

6. Serve immediately with the miso-mayo dip on the side with a sprinkle of shichimi pepper for the spice and aroma.

If you enjoy the recipe, please share, leave a comment below and tag us @plantbased_matters on Instagram! We appreciate your kind support 🙂