14 Ways To Use Wasabi You May Not Have Thought Of
If you're a sushi enthusiast, you're likely quite familiar with wasabi, the dollop of bright green paste that's served alongside many dishes. Its tangy, spicy heat adds a distinctive piquant flavor to Japanese specialties like sashimi, maki, and nigiri. But this unique ingredient has a world of uses beyond just adding a kick to raw fish.
One important thing to note – the wasabi you commonly come across at restaurants or the grocery store is likely not the real thing. True wasabi is difficult to grow, hard to find, and fetches a high price. So most items labeled as wasabi are actually horseradish, a close relative of the rare rhizome, mixed with mustard and artificially colored green to resemble the real thing. While the taste and pungency of real wasabi fades quickly after it's grated, these processed impersonators will keep their heat and flavor intensity for a long time, making them a more convenient option.
True wasabi is worth seeking out if you want to experience the real thing, but most of us will have to make do with the more affordable and plentiful imitations. Typically sold in the form of pastes or powders, wasabi is an incredibly versatile and simple way to add fresh, intense heat to all kinds of foods, and even drinks. Here are some of our favorite ways to use it.
Rev up your salad dressings
Let's face it, salads aren't always the most exciting dishes to prepare or eat. But they are a great way to get your daily dose of vegetables. So if you're finding yourself bored with bland and uninteresting salads, upgrading your dressing with the heat and flavor of wasabi may be just what you need. It'll take any salad to the next level.
Wasabi paste can be easily whisked or blended into any type of salad dressing, as its consistency melds well with liquid. A simple mixture of soy sauce and wasabi, commonly used as a dipping sauce for sushi rolls, can also be tossed with greens as a simple yet flavorful dressing, adding plenty of umami, salt, and heat. Liven it up the mixture with a little citrus, ginger, and shallot to make this Wasabi-Lemon-Lime Dressing.
Wasabi is right at home in creamy dressings, too — ingredients like milk, yogurt, or mayonnaise play off of its sharp spice notes, infusing the dressing with a balanced level of intensity. Sweet elements can also work well with wasabi, so if your dressing is honey or fruit-based, add a touch of wasabi paste to brighten its flavors.
Make an extra zesty cocktail sauce
Without the addition of horseradish, cocktail sauce is basically just ketchup — it's the heat and zip that gives this condiment its distinctive flavor. The next time you have a craving for shrimp cocktail, consider using wasabi instead of horseradish for a different kind of zing. Or try using both together to create an super sinus-clearing sauce with an extra punch.
The classic cocktail sauce reportedly evolved from a San Francisco invention known as an oyster cocktail, a bizarre creation that involved raw oysters served in a glass with their own liquid, along with horseradish, ketchup, hot sauce, vinegar, and Worcestershire. This was actually a cocktail, in the sense that it was served as a drink, oysters and all. Eventually, shrimp took the oysters' place and were served on the side to be dipped rather than guzzled in the form of the shrimp cocktail we know today.
Besides adding wasabi, there are other substitutions you can make to mix up your cocktail sauce that will enhance wasabi's flavor and heat. Sub in soy sauce for Worcestershire, throw in a dash of fish sauce, add ginger for a new dimension of spicy, or stir in some miso for a savory layer of flavor.
Spice up your sandwich spread
If you ask us, there's not a sandwich in the world that wouldn't benefit from a wasabi boost, and the easiest way to incorporate the flavor into a sandwich is by adding it to your spread. A little (or a lot) of wasabi paste blended into any spread or condiment will liven up even the most humdrum sandwich and give it new life.
Wasabi makes a great addition to mayonnaise, which tempers its spicy bite just a bit so it adds a subtle heat and doesn't overwhelm other ingredients. While wasabi and mustard are not directly related, they are in the same family and pair well when mixed together, punching up each others' zippy flavors. Wasabi and ketchup can go together as well, in their own way, with the wasabi heat balancing out ketchup's sweetness.
A simple dollop of wasabi paste added to any of these classic condiments is all it takes to boost your sandwich's flavor, but it's even more fun to mix and match them and add other ingredients to create a unique wasabi spread. Wasabi and mayo are enhanced with soy sauce, ginger, and lime juice, and make the perfect sauce for Blackened Ahi Steak Sandwiches. For sandwich fillings like egg salad, chicken salad, and tuna salad, trying adding a little wasabi directly to the mix to infuse the flavor throughout.
Give mashed potatoes a kick
When Guy Fieri says he's got a secret ingredient to kick up a recipe, it's worth listening taking note. The famed TV chef adds wasabi to his mashed potatoes, along with roasted garlic, to elevate his spuds to the next level. These may not be the mashed potatoes you'll want to serve all the time — they may not win over the kids at your Thanksgiving table, for example –- but the flavor combination is undeniable when you want a spiced up take on a classic.
You can add either wasabi paste or powder to mashed potatoes, mixing it in along with other classic ingredients like butter and cream. The combination of these rich, creamy, sweeter ingredients that coat your palate with the spicy wasabi means its sharp bite might come across as more subtle. You'll still get all of that fresh, zesty flavor, and the wasabi powder and paste will melt right into the mix without changing the mashed potatoes' texture. If you're lucky enough to get your hands on a real root, a dusting of freshly grated wasabi over the top adds a delicate flavor and makes an appealingly verdant garnish.
Shake up a wasabi cocktail
Wasabi is so versatile that you don't have to contain it to just dishes. It also makes a fantastic and unusual ingredient in beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, when you want to add a sharp kick to your drink. Because of its similarity to horseradish, it's a no-brainer addition to a Bloody Mary -– try it in this Talde Bloody Mary, which adds black vinegar and sriracha, too.
Because wasabi powder dissolves in liquid, it can be added to any drink you'd like. Heat and sweetness play off of each other, so wasabi is an excellent addition to fruit-based cocktails like this Lychee Mule. Wasabi and sake are natural companions, with each enhancing and balancing the other — add a little to this Rockin' Cucumber Cocktail for a bright, zesty combination of flavors. Wasabi powder can also be mixed with ground ingredients like salt, sugar, or other spices, and used as a cocktail rim garnish to add a fresh burst of heat to each sip.
Add heat to marinades
Wasabi's heat, flavor intensity, and its ability to meld with liquid are all qualities that lend it well to marinades. A little bit of powder dissolved in a marinade adds a touch of subtle heat. To pack in more fiery flavor, you can coat the items you're marinating with wasabi paste before submerging them in liquid. This method is particularly suited for meats that have strong flavors, like flank steak or venison, which can handle a big pop of wasabi ferocity.
A wasabi-infused marinade is super versatile. Red meats and poultry can all benefit from wasabi's zesty kick -– it's a great way to add heat to chicken wings. Wasabi and seafood are a perfect match, so try a wasabi marinade the next time you're cooking salmon or tuna steaks. Wasabi marinades can be used to add lots of flavor to neutral ingredients like tofu. You can also marinade vegetables to bump up their flavor -– this Wasabi Emulsion can be used with daikon, as the recipe states, or you can experiment with other veggies.
Jazz up deviled eggs
The creamy, rich filling of deviled eggs is the perfect playground for wasabi, which adds a whole new style of devilish heat. You can use it in place of the more traditional mustard, or in addition to it for an extra tang. The creaminess of the filling, which is typically mayonnaise based, smooths wasabi's more intense edges.
Wasabi paste or powder can be added to the yolk and mayo mixture to infuse it with heat and flavor and give it a subtle green tint. Avocado and wasabi make a good duo, and you can use mashed or pureed avocado to add natural creaminess to your deviled egg filling. Cucumbers, chopped or sliced, make a great garnish atop wasabi deviled eggs, enhancing wasabi's fresh, bright flavors. Or top them with a combination of pickled ginger, sesame seeds, and sliced scallions for a sushi-inspired garnish that will perfectly complement wasabi's flavor.
Upgrade your noodle dishes
Wasabi and noodles are no strangers. The spicy paste is often mixed in or served on the side of udon and soba noodles, or other dishes that have Japanese-inspired flavors. But wasabi doesn't need to be limited to just one region's cuisine. While it may seem most at home with ingredients like soy sauce, miso, and sesame oil, wasabi's piquancy and unique zesty taste can add delicious layers to all types of noodle dishes.
Thanks to its affinity with fish, a pop of wasabi can enhance any pasta dish that includes seafood. Whether it's as sophisticated as this Linguine with Shrimp and Lemon Oil or as hearty as a Tuna Noodle Casserole, a touch of wasabi can bring just the right heat. If you like your macaroni and cheese on the spicy side, some wasabi added to the cheese sauce gives it a fresh, zesty piquancy that balances out the creamy richness of the dish. Combine mac and cheese with seafood to let wasabi really bring out the best in your pasta.
Pep up your pizza
Wasabi might not be the first thing you think of when it comes to pizza toppings, but a little wasabi added to your pie can be a game changer. The paste or powder can be added to pizza sauce to add more pizazz, whether it's tomato or cream-based. Wasabi is more intense before it's cooked, meaning you will lose a bit of potency zapping it with high heat in a pizza oven, so if you want to maximize its impact you can add it in different forms.
Grated wasabi sprinkled all over the pie will add a fresh, zesty heat. A drizzle of wasabi aioli on pizza makes a piquant and creamy topping with a mellow bite. Try wasabi on its own or as a sauce to garnish seafood pizzas, like White Haven's famous White Clam Pizza, to add a dimension of heat that perfectly complements the shellfish. If you're the type of pizza fan who piles on the red pepper flakes, give wasabi a try instead to kick up the spice of your slice.
Enhance your hummus
Hummus is a great snack food, packed with protein and fiber and deliciously savory and creamy. If you enjoy hummus but are looking to pep things up a bit, a little wasabi mixed into it can give it a whole new dimension of flavor.
The typical ingredients of hummus, chickpeas and tahini, are fairly mild in flavor and make a solid backdrop for the heat and intensity of wasabi. To add more Japanese flavor, edamame beans can be used in addition to, or in place of, chickpeas. They have a similar consistency when mashed or pureed, and their delicate green color matches the hue of the added wasabi.
Other ingredients that can be added to punch up your wasabi hummus include grated ginger for even more zesty spice and sesame seeds for texture. Garnish your wasabi hummus with a dusting of Shichimi Togarashi, otherwise known as Japanese Seven-Spice, and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil for extra depth of flavor.
Make fiery roasted nuts and seeds
Roasted seeds and nuts are a tasty and healthy snack, and have a multitude of other uses from topping salads and pastas, to creating a crispy coating for meat and fish. There are tons of roasted nuts and seeds on the market, salted or unsalted, plain or flavored. But it's easy to make your own at home, and adding wasabi turns them into a spicy, crunchy treat.
Rich, viscous ingredients like butter, maple syrup, honey, egg whites, and oil will help dry seasonings, such as wasabi powder, stick to the seeds and nuts. Stir together one of these ingredients, wasabi, and any other desired spices, toss your nuts and seeds in the mixture, and roast them in the oven to give them a flavorful coating. While they're still warm, you can toss them with more dry seasoning for an extra layer of flavor -– just make sure you're conscious of your heat tolerance before going for this double dip.
Depending on their size, makeup, and thickness, each type of seed and nut will have different guidelines for proper roasting times and temperatures. Be sure to follow a recipe or keep a watchful eye on your oven — you want the wasabi to burn you, not the other way around.
Liven up guacamole
Classic guacamole typically includes an element of spicy heat in the form of fresh jalapeño, or serrano or habanero if you like it extra fiery. You can add a different variety of heat by using wasabi paste instead, or combining both if you're feeling brave and adventurous. The heat of wasabi hits your palate differently than the heat of peppers, giving you two very different taste sensations, with both bringing the burn.
Avocado is rich in fat, and works similarly to dairy in the way it tames heat in your mouth when it comes to peppers, but wasabi works a bit differently. The chemical compounds that cause wasabi's blazing sensation are more volatile than those found in chiles, which is why they vaporize quickly and end up burning your sinuses before fading away in a flash. Mouth-coating avocado can't do anything to tame the heat in your nose, so be aware of that before you add too much to your guac.
Wasabi guacamole is a good fit for fish or shrimp tacos, thanks to wasabi's flair with seafood. It also makes a great accompaniment to ceviche, or just served with tortilla chips as a fun spicy take on the classic dip.
Top your toast
Sure, avocado toast has been all the rage for a while now. But what about wasabi toast? Whether you're piling toppings on a meal-sized hunk of bread, making tiny toasts as finger foods for a cocktail party, or just looking for a quick carb-filled snack to tide you over until your next meal, any kind of toast can be improved with a little wasabi.
Actually, speaking of avocado toast, wasabi makes a nice addition to that, too — "Great British Baking Show" judge Prue Leith mixes wasabi paste with cream cheese in her version of the popular snack, according to USA Today. Mix wasabi with butter to make a simple spicy toast spread, an easy way to rev up a bland breakfast. Bite-sized bruschetta make great appetizers for gatherings, and often excellent vehicles for wasabi — especially if you're topping your toasts with seafood, like these Seared Shrimp Bruschetta. A little wasabi can do wonders to heighten the flavors of any type of toast.
Energize scrambled eggs
Soft, creamy, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture, scrambled eggs are often the perfect morning dish. But as satisfying as they are, sometimes their flavor can seem a bit on the bland side. If you're looking for a more exciting taste to start your day, wasabi is a fantastic way to add flair and heat to this dish.
Unlike traditional hot sauce made from chiles, wasabi's bite will hit hard and then fade away instead of lingering. This way, you can get the blast of heat you crave without worrying that it'll follow you around for the rest of the day. Eggs and wasabi pair well together — there are many types of sushi that feature egg, after all, such as tamago nigiri, that are served with wasabi as an accompaniment. And of course there's tamagoyaki, Japanese cuisine's gorgeously layered omelet. While that dish is certainly worth learning and perfecting, if you're not a morning person, or if you're just in a hurry to start your day, a quick and simple scramble is the way to go. And the hit of wasabi will surely wake you right up.