Grilled Asparagus With Miso and Olives

By Yotam Ottolenghi

Updated April 11, 2024

Grilled Asparagus With Miso and Olives
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Megan Hedgpeth.
Total Time
25 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(571)
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.

Featured in: Asparagus Season Is Fleeting. This Easy Recipe Is Forever.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1½ pounds asparagus, woody ends trimmed
  • 1tablespoon plus ⅓ cup olive oil
  • Fine sea salt
  • ⅓cup pitted green olives (preferably Castelvetrano) plus 1 tablespoon brine, olives crushed with the palm of your hand then finely chopped
  • 1½tablespoons pine nuts
  • 1tablespoon white miso
  • 2teaspoons lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon dill (optional), finely chopped
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

270 calories; 26 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 18 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 497 milligrams sodium

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
571 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.

Thea57

I loved asparagus with butter and lemon. And yet, a change once in a while is needed. What a wonderful change this recipe was. Such a great blend of flavors and textures. I made it exactly as recipe was written with one exception: I quickly blanched the asparagus before stove grilling them. As my husband and I ate this for dinner last night, we were musing over all the possibilities for this sauce. A perfect topping for sword fish, green beans, or even pasta? Just great recipe.

JoeNOTL

Great recipe. I reheated some of the asparagus and sauce for 5 minutes at 200F the next day. I used sliced pimento stuffed olives for a bit of colour.

Es

Served this as a side to grilled salmon. The sauce went nicely with the salmon too. I omitted the dill. Very tasty, adds depth and texture to the asparagus. I might substitute butter for the oil next time or add a dab of butter at the end.

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