Asparagus with Sesame-Vinegar Dressing | アスパラの胡麻酢和え

If you want to get to the heart of Japanese home cooking, you will appreciate Phaidon’s most recent Country Cookbook, Japan: The Cookbook by Nancy Singleton Hachisu. This hefty collection of over 400 recipes showcases the breadth of Japanese home-cooking today, and is a great reference book for any cook keen on the cuisine.

Read my full review of Japan: The Cookbook here, and enjoy the second extracted recipe, below. The first recipe I shared was Stir-Fried Japanese Leeks with Miso.

Asparagus with Sesame-Vinegar Dressing from Japan: The Cookbook by Nancy Singleton Hachisu

Asparagus with Sesame-Vinegar Dressing from Japan: The Cookbook by Nancy Singleton Hachisu
5 from 1 vote

Asparagus with Sesame-Vinegar Dressing | アスパラの胡麻酢和え

Course Side Dish
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 6 6 people (if part of a multi-dish meal)
Author Nancy Singleton Hachisu

Ingredients

  • 600 g (1lb 5oz) asparagus
  • 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil [canola]
  • 2 teaspoons gold sesame seeds
  • 2 teaspoons black sesame seeds
  • 2 teaspoons white sesame seeds
  • 3 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons mirin
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 pinch of flaky sea salt

Recipe Notes

A trio of sesame seeds brightens up asparagus with its subtle flavor and pretty combination of colors.

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Snap the bottoms off of the asparagus where they naturally want to break. Blanch until crisp-tender, 2–5 minutes depending on the thickness. Refresh under cold, running water. Pat dry in a clean tea towel. Cut on the diagonal into 2 cm (3⁄4-inch) pieces.

  • In a small frying pan, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the sesame seeds when you can feel some heat rising from the pan. Cook, stirring until you can smell the aroma of sesame, about 1 minute. Scrape into a small bowl to cool.
  • Toss the asparagus pieces with the cooled sesame seeds, vinegar, mirin, soy sauce, and salt. Serve at room temperature, or cold the next day as a salad or vegetable side dish.
Asparagus with Sesame-Vinegar Dressing from Japan: The Cookbook by Nancy Singleton Hachisu

Photography from book

Japan: The Cookbook by Nancy Singleton Hachisu 

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Asparagus with Sesame-Vinegar Dressing from Japan: The Cookbook by Nancy Singleton Hachisu

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Kavey Eats received a review copy of Japan: The Cookbook by Nancy Singleton Hachisu from publisher Phaidon. Food photography by Jennifer May. Recipe published with permission.

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7 Comments to "Asparagus with Sesame-Vinegar Dressing | アスパラの胡麻酢和え"

  1. Danielle

    We usually just have asparagus grilled with some lemon and garlic but this sounds like a nice change.

    Reply
  2. Linda Nortje

    We love Asparagus and you totally had me with the Sesame-Vinegar dressing, which I am sure my family would love !

    Reply
  3. kim

    This looks so good and I love how easy it is!! Will be making these for sure!

    Reply
  4. david turner

    a delicious salad. i used 1/2 and 1/2 grape seed oil and sesame oil. and added grated lemon rind. i also used Tamari instead of soy sauce as it is a bit milder.

    Reply

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