The first time I ate asparagus with mayonnaise goes back to… wow, how many years have gone by! Amazing — a full 28 years!
We were in Mallorca. My husband and I, not yet husband and wife at the time, were young, carefree and… skinny! 😄 Even then we loved gourmet vacations, and we could afford them (more than now!). During the whole trip we practically visited every restaurant on the island, some more than once, and I keep vivid memories of all the delights we ate.
Three things I remember especially: the gazpacho (which I posted here on the blog in this version very similar in flavor to the gazpacho we ate there), a meat and eggplant pie that I unfortunately only ate on the very last night before leaving — I still regret it because I would have loved to try it again it was so good! — and asparagus with mayonnaise.
The asparagus with mayonnaise were exceptionally good; if we didn’t eat them every day of the vacation, it was close!
I remember a very pale mayonnaise, almost white, and in our naivety we wondered why it wasn’t yellow like the one we were used to. Now sometimes I think… who knows, maybe it was vegan?!? Hm, frankly I still don’t know why it wasn’t yellow, but it was such a good mayonnaise!
It wasn’t a custom in my household to eat asparagus with mayonnaise, but after that it became one. And if you haven’t tried them yet, you must — I assure you it’s a perfect pairing!
Now that I’ve learned to make vegan mayonnaise, who can stop me! 😃
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Looking for more asparagus recipes? Here they are! 👇
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring
Ingredients
- 2 bunches asparagus
- vegan mayonnaise
- pepper (to taste)
- extra virgin olive oil (optional)
Tools
- Stainless steel saucepan
- Immersion blender
Steps
First of all, prepare the vegan mayonnaise following this recipe of mine.
Put the mayonnaise in the fridge to set.
Clean the asparagus.
👉 If you plan to use the woody ends of the stalks for a later preparation, you can cut them off and store them in the fridge. I gave some guidance on this page, where you can find information on how to clean asparagus and a list of my other asparagus recipes (I’ll add this one later), including ideas for using the stalks instead of throwing them away.
If instead you want to cook the asparagus whole, you need to peel the stalks very well with a small knife or a peeler to remove the tough outer layer that would lengthen the cooking time (and make the tips overcook).At this point, cook the asparagus.
👉 I don’t cook asparagus following the classic method — that is, standing them upright in a tall pot so the stalks are immersed and the tips remain out of the water — but I simply cook them in a skillet with a closed lid.
The great thing about asparagus is that they cook very quickly and I might even cook them a bit less than usual because I try to preserve as much of their flavor as possible, which is essential when cooking without salt.Cook them in a shallow pan over low heat with the lid on.
Less than 10 minutes will be enough, depending on variety and thickness of the asparagus (and considering that time can vary if the stalk is very woody).Serve the asparagus warm or cold, dressed with a little oil (but it’s optional) and topped with vegan mayonnaise.
Finish with a good sprinkling of freshly ground pepper.👉 Pepper is my personal variation; in the asparagus-with-mayonnaise I remember from Mallorca there wasn’t any. But since I don’t use salt, neither on the asparagus nor in the mayonnaise, pepper gives that extra flavor we like.
Mmmm so tasty! 😋
Salt-free tips
If you’re interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
▫ Reduce salt gradually so the palate adjusts slowly and doesn’t notice the progressive decrease.
▫ Use spices: chili, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
▫ Use aromatic herbs: basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
▫ Use seeds: sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
▫ Use pungent vegetables or fruits: garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
▫ Use my salt-free vegetable granulate and gomasio.
▫ Prefer fresh foods.
▫ Avoid boiling in water; prefer cooking methods that don’t disperse flavors (griddle, foil, steam, microwave).
▫ Avoid putting the salt shaker on the table!
▫ Allow yourself an occasional indulgence. It does wonders for morale and helps you persevere.
If you don’t want or can’t give up salt:
▫ You can still try my recipes and salt them according to your habits.
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On the WhatsApp channel and on Instagram, on the Facebook page, on Pinterest boards, in my two groups: Il gruppo di Catia, in cucina e oltre and Proprio quello che stavo cercando! — and if you like… subscribe to my Newsletter
