Grilled Asparagus With Miso and Olives

By Yotam Ottolenghi

Updated April 10, 2024

  • Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Megan Hedgpeth.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
25 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(627)
Comments
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Grilling asparagus brings out its natural sweetness and adds delightful charred notes. Here, the asparagus is doused in a salty, nutty and umami-rich olive, pine nut and miso dressing. This recipe calls to cook the asparagus in a grill pan, but you can instead opt for a cast-iron skillet or set your asparagus on an outdoor grill. You can also achieve similar flavor by popping the asparagus into the broiler or roasting at the highest temperature your oven can reach. A touch of dill adds a fragrant note, enhancing the overall aroma of the dish, but feel free to omit, or use other soft herbs that you have on hand, like chives. Eat alongside a roast chicken, or incorporate into a spring salad spread.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 1 ½ pounds asparagus, woody ends trimmed

  • 1 tablespoon plus ⅓ cup olive oil

  • Fine sea salt

  • ⅓ cup pitted green olives (preferably Castelvetrano) plus 1 tablespoon brine, olives crushed with the palm of your hand then finely chopped

  • 1 ½ tablespoons pine nuts

  • 1 tablespoon white miso

  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice

  • ½ teaspoon dill (optional), finely chopped

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

9 grams carbs; 270 calories; 18 grams monosaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 26 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 497 milligrams sodium; 5 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat a grill pan over high heat.

  2. Step 2

    Season the asparagus with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Grill in two batches for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, or until tender and charred. Transfer to a serving plate once cooked.

  3. Step 3

    Add the olives, pine nuts and the remaining ⅓ cup oil to a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, for 7 minutes, until the pine nuts have turned golden brown. Carefully whisk in the miso, lemon juice and olive brine.

  4. Step 4

    Pour the sauce over the asparagus and sprinkle the dill on top, if using.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
627 user ratings
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Comments

Max

Made this with miso butter, pine nuts, lemon but no dill. I put the olives in my martini instead. And I grilled a steak. Good times.

John

The sauce seriously overpowers the flavor of the asparagus and is much too heavy for this delicate and wonderful vegetable. The dill is optional, fortunately; dill does not complement asparagus at all. Nothing is better than asparagus, butter, and a bit of salt.

Annabella

I still love my Neapolitan grandmother's simple asparagus: boiled or steamed, dressed with olive oil, a crushed garlic clove, and a hint of vinegar or lemon, salt & pepper. Or she tucked it into a frittata! My greatest pleasure was to visit my grandparents' farm, where they grew at least an acre of it. It is a delicate vegetable, so less is more.

Debbie

Bake the oiled and salted asparagus on a sheet pan at 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes for convenience and similarly delicious results.

risa

So glad I ignored the negative comments, this dish was amazingly good! I didn’t have Castelvetrano olives so substituted with 2 tablespoons chopped capers and 2 teaspoons caper brine. With less volume, I used half the oil. Cooked the asparagus in an air fryer at 400F for 7 minutes. I skipped the optional dill.

Sara

If you have good-quality asparagus, this sauce is superfluous.

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