Yuzu-Miso Glazed Asparagus Tart

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Updated May 6, 2026

  • Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Media 1 of 3
Ready In
45 min
Rating
5(77)
Comments
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As the temperature thaws, asparagus becomes the vegetable workhorse that makes weeknight cooking easy yet exciting. In this simple yet visually arresting tart, the flowering spears are enlivened with a tangy sour-and-sweet glaze. Yuzu juice (available online or at Japanese and Asian grocery stores) brings a surprising acidity to the asparagus, with fruity, floral notes that pair harmoniously with the miso paste. Glazing the asparagus both before and after baking gets the spears crisp while keeping them moist. Feta delivers sharp saltiness, but there’s room to try other soft white cheeses: Ricotta will deliver creamier results, while goat cheese imparts a lovely tang. Puff pastry is easiest to work with when it is cold, so thaw in the fridge overnight and use it straight from the fridge. No yuzu juice? Simply substitute with another citrus, such as lemon or lime.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 8 servings

For the Yuzu-Miso Glaze

  • 2 tablespoons white (shiro) miso paste

  • 2 tablespoons yuzu juice (or lemon or lime juice)

  • 1 tablespoon runny honey

For the Tart

  • 1 sheet puff pastry (about 9 ounces), thawed overnight in fridge 

  • 1 (6- to 7-ounce) block feta in brine, drained and finely crumbled 

  • 1 pound medium-thick asparagus, woody stems removed, trimmed to 8½-inch spears

  • Salt and black pepper

  • 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon of milk

  • 1 tablespoon raw white sesame seeds

  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

  • 2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Place a rack in the middle of the oven. 

  2. Step 2

    Make the glaze: Place the miso, yuzu juice and honey in a small bowl and whisk to combine.

  3. Step 3

    Prepare the tart: Place the puff pastry on a sheet of parchment paper and roll it out so it measures approximately 10-by-13 inches. Using the parchment, carefully transfer the pastry to a baking sheet. 

  4. Step 4

    Using a small knife, lightly score a ¾-inch border around the edge of the puff pastry. Scatter half the feta inside the scored border. Place the asparagus on top of the feta, lining them up and pressing them down so they sit flat. Brush about half the yuzu-miso glaze all over the asparagus. Season with salt and black pepper.

  5. Step 5

    Brush the border of the pastry with the egg-and-milk mixture. Scatter sesame seeds along the egg-washed edge. Drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the asparagus and the border, and place in the middle rack in the oven. 

  6. Step 6

    Bake until the pastry is puffed and the border is golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 1 to 2 minutes, and then brush the asparagus with the remaining glaze. (You can use it all, or use just some of it, this is up to you.) Dot the remaining feta and the scallions on top and allow to cool for 5 minutes. (This allows the pastry to settle and makes it easier to cut.)

  7. Step 7

    Cut into squares and serve hot or at room temperature.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
77 user ratings
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Comments

Laura Ann

I'm not a big asparagus lover and still really enjoyed this. Made with lemon juice, will try to find yuzu next time. Had to bake longer than written for the bottom crust to cook through, but the asparagus was still firm and not mushy. Next time, I will cut the asparagus into smaller bite-sized pieces, since the spears are obscured once the feta and scallions are sprinkled on top. I think this would also taste good with a Dijon mustard sauce instead of the miso. Beautiful, easy, and tasty!

AMK

Delicious! Made with a lovely sheep’s milk feta, which I should have let it sit on paper towels to dry out a bit. Flavors were unexpectedly wonderful together. Definitely making again!

Lane

Last weekend I brought this dish to a potluck birthday party and it was a hit. Perhaps it was a sophisticated choice for a picnic, but my Brooklyn Gays loved it. I used the asparagus that my uncle grew on his farm (humble brag - go farmers!). It spurred a newfound affection and admiration for Hetty Liu McKinnon; I just ordered her cookbook and hope to see more videos of her on NYT Cooking! She is just so charming and smiley.

Marcelo Nobrega

This was delicious and I will definitely do it again. However, I thought it was too salty, probably because of the feta, which is not my favorite cheese for exactly this reason. Next time I will mix feta with ricotta salata and will skip the salting step suggested. I also used Trader Joe’s “everything but the bagel” sesame seasoning instead of straight up sesame seeds. The borders came out delicious. Really an amazing dish to make for a brunch with friends and quite easy, once you have the ingredients at hand.

Cecilia

Absolutely delicious - agree with other commenters on the fact that the juice from the asparagus makes it hard for the bottom dough to get cooked. We used vegan "Feta" which unfortunately melted and added to the sauce - next time will just sprinkle on when done.

Maggie

I’m looking at this recipe over and over, and just can not understand the combo of Asian flavors with feta cheese. Am I alone on this? As interested as I am, I think I’ll have to try the Melissa Clark asparagus tart first. Would love to hear any other skeptics who’ve tried this recipe. TIA!

Marcelo Nobrega

@Maggie I agree completely and just wrote a comment on this. This was delicious and I will do it again but the feta made it too salty. I am thinking of using ricotta salata next time, but would love to hear what you have in mind to substitute the feta.

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