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 minutesmins
Cook Time10 minutesmins
Total Time20 minutesmins
Course: Sides
Cuisine: Japanese Inspired
Servings: 4
Author: Plant-Based Matters
Ingredients
Vegan Miso Lime Mayo
1/4cupvegan mayo
2tspmiso paste of your choicepreferably authentic Japanese miso
lime zest from a half lime
1/2tbspfreshly squeezed lime juicefrom 1/2 to 1 lime
1/4tsptoasted sesame oil
Grilled Asparagus
1lbgreen asparagus
1/2tbspextra virgin olive oil
1/4tspsalt
1/4tspblack pepper
Suggested Condiment
Shichimi togarashi pepper Japanese 7-spice hot pepper blend
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.
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.