Roasted Asparagus with Sesame-Miso Butter

This might just become your new favorite spring vegetable side dish!  Crisp-tender roasted asparagus is topped with an umami-rich sesame-miso butter, a sprinkle of sesame seeds and fresh green onions for a super quick and tasty side. I love miso because it adds this savory, je ne sais quoi flavor to just about anything, plus it helps make sauces and dressings creamy when blended with other ingredients.  I generally use white (shiro) miso because it is a little more mellow and almost-universally usable in recipes that need a little something extra in comparison to red miso.

If you’re not familiar with miso, it is a fermented soybean paste, high in protein and minerals.  It can come in several colors depending on what the exact ingredients are and can be fermented for varying lengths of time.  It adds a funky umami flavor to dishes that you just can’t get from other ingredients.  It’s also healthy so it’s a guilt-free addition of flavor in my opinion.  Obviously, the longer the miso ferments, the more intense the flavor so I recommend starting with a white miso if you’re not familiar with the taste!  I buy mine from the refrigerated section at Whole Foods, but Asian markets and online retailers (like Amazon) will have different versions-some are shelf-stable.  Roasting asparagus is my go-to way to cook this sweet spring vegetable because it’s easy and concentrates the flavor and sweetness.  I always look for bright green stalks with intact heads and prefer the thicker stalks.  Sadly, my family prefers the thin (read: wimpy-looking!) asparagus that is so easy to overcook to mush, but when I’m picking it out and cooking it, I get what I want!  Just make sure to adjust your roasting time up or down depending on how thick your stalks are.

It’s always nice to have a new way to cook easy side dishes, and this one definitely falls into that category.  Get your asparagus started in the oven and quickly whip up your miso butter.  When the asparagus is done, transfer to a platter, dollop with the butter and garnishes and you’re done in 15 minutes or less!

[tasty-recipe id=”36219″]