Pickled Asparagus

Fresh asparagus and onion are quick-pickled in a tangy, and slightly sweet-spicy mixture in this Pickled Asparagus recipe. Enjoy as a snack, serve as a salad, or add to salads, sandwiches, and more.

Prep Time15

Cook Time3

Total Time18

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pickled asparagus

Servings: people

Ingredients

1 pound asparagus stalks
1/4 cup red onion , thinly sliced into half moons
1 small clove garlic , minced
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup mirin (sweet rice wine - see note below)
1 cup water
1/4 cup honey
3 teaspoons vegetable oil (or avocado oil)
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Sesame seeds , for serving

Instructions

Trim and discard the woody ends of 1 pound asparagus, then cut the asparagus into approximately 2-inch pieces.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes until just tender and bright green.
Remove the asparagus from the pot and place them in a bowl of ice water to cool and prevent further cooking. Drain the stalks, place on a paper towel and pat dry.
Divide the asparagus pieces between 2 (11.5-ounce) jars (or place all in 1 pint sized jar), along with a 1/4 cup sliced red onion and a small minced clove of garlic.
Place 1/2 cup rice vinegar, 1/2 cup mirin, 1 cup water, 1/4 cup honey, 3 teaspoons vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt in a spouted measuring cup and whisk to combine, then pour evenly over the asparagus to cover.
Loosely fasten the lid and let the jar(s) come to room temperature. Then tighten the lids and place in the fridge overnight.
You can either keep them in the fridge and munch on them like pickles, or if serving as a salad, drain the asparagus, transfer to a shallow bowl along with the red onion and sprinkle with some sesame seeds just before serving.

Notes

Mirin is a Japanese rice wine and ideal for this recipe, but can be substituted with a few different options: Sake is a good option as it's also a rice wine. Rice vinegar or marsala can be used if you add a bit of sugar to mimic mirin's sweetness.

Nutrition