Grilled asparagus with miso and maple
- Preparation 10 min
- Cooking 6 min
- Servings 4
- Freezing I do not suggest
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🍁 A sauce from my third cookbook
This sauce. I fell so hard for it that I wanted to put it on everything. It comes from my third cookbook, where I used it on other vegetables, and I figured it deserved to meet some asparagus. Sweet and salty, fragrant with garlic and ginger, with that little umami hit from the miso that tastes like heaven. Once you’ve tried it, you’re going to want to put it on pretty much everything.
🔥 Crispy, never soggy
The secret to great grilled asparagus is not cooking it too long. A few minutes over high heat is more than enough. Just enough to get a nice char without letting it go limp. You want asparagus that still has a bite to it, not sad, mushy spears that spent too long on the grill.
🍽️ The winning side dish for a BBQ dinner
This is exactly the kind of side dish that steals the show next to a big piece of meat or a grilled fish. And the best part is that this miso-maple sauce doesn’t stop at asparagus. You can use it on chicken, broccoli, cauliflower or pretty much any vegetable you throw on the grill. A true all-purpose sauce I always keep on hand in the summer.
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⏱️ The number one mistake: overcooking
If your heat is too low, your asparagus risk falling through the grates. But the most common mistake is still cooking them too long. That gives you limp, sad spears. You want asparagus that are well-grilled but still crisp, so keep a close eye and pull them off as soon as they’re nicely charred.
📐 Lay them perpendicular to the grates
That’s the trick to avoid losing asparagus to the fire. By placing them at an angle to the bars rather than parallel, they rest flat and won’t slip through the grill.
🍜 Granulated miso, my favourite
I always use granulated miso rather than paste, because it keeps much longer without losing its flavour. You can swap it for an equal amount of miso paste if that’s what you have. It tastes just as good, the important thing is that it tastes.
🌡️ The sauce never gets cooked
This sauce is made raw and simply poured over the hot asparagus, which warm it on contact. No need to heat it on the stove. This way it keeps all its freshness and the bright flavour of the ginger and garlic.
♻️ A sauce to use on everything
This miso-maple sauce is so good that I use it on pretty much anything: chicken, broccoli, cauliflower or other grilled vegetables. Make a double batch and keep the extra in the fridge. You’re going to want to put it on everything all summer long.
🔥 No barbecue? The oven works too
Spread the asparagus on a baking sheet and roast at 425 °F (220 °C) for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender-crisp and lightly golden. Finish under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes for a nice colour, then drizzle with sauce just like you would on the barbecue.
✅ What to serve with my grilled asparagus with miso and maple?
They pair beautifully with my Beef kebabs marinade, my Lime and chili BBQ beer can chicken with corn salad or my BBQ grilled cajun lobster tails for a complete BBQ dinner.
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Sauce
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) maple syrup
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce (or tamari)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) sesame oil
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) granulated miso (see tips below)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) rice vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 tsp (5 ml) fresh ginger, grated
Asparagus
- 2 bunches of asparagus (about 2 lb / 900 g), woody ends snapped off
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Garnishes
- Toasted sesame seeds, to taste
- Green onions, sliced on a bias, to taste
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Preparation
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients until the miso is fully dissolved. Set aside at room temperature while you prep the asparagus. This helps the miso dissolve evenly.
- Preheat the barbecue to maximum heat and oil the grate.
- In a large dish, toss the asparagus with vegetable oil, then season lightly with salt and pepper. Don’t over-salt. The soy sauce takes care of that.
- Lay the asparagus perpendicular to the grill grates to prevent them from falling through. Grill for 5 to 6 minutes total, turning halfway through, until nicely charred but still crisp.
- Transfer the asparagus to a serving dish and pour the miso-maple sauce generously over top while they’re still piping hot. The sauce never gets cooked. It simply warms up on contact with the asparagus.
- Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and green onions. Serve immediately.
The two most frequent ones: going too fast with the heat too low, which causes the asparagus to fall through the grates, and above all cooking them too long, which makes them limp. You want asparagus that are nicely charred but still crisp. Never wilted.
Miso is a Japanese fermented paste made from soybeans, salt and a rice or barley culture called koji. It brings that deep, salty, umami quality found in Asian soups, sauces and marinades.
Yes, and it’s actually a great idea. It keeps easily for 4 to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Whisk it again before using, then let it warm up naturally on contact with hot grilled asparagus or another grilled vegetable.
Absolutely. That’s honestly its greatest quality. It’s delicious on chicken, broccoli, cauliflower or just about any grilled vegetable. A true all-purpose sauce to keep on hand all summer long.
They’re perfect alongside my beef kebabs marinade, my lime and chili bbq beer can chicken with corn salad or my bbq grilled cajun lobster tails.
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