Miso Dressing

Miso dressing starts with a fermented paste that has so much flavor you only need to use a small amount to taste it. Honey clearly adds sweetness, but different types of honey also introduce texture and flavor (we particularly like clover honey in salad dressings). The rest of the ingredients—rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame and canola oils and ginger—are essential Japanese ingredients and pantry staples. If they’re already in your kitchen, this dressing can be ready in no time. Give your go-to vinaigrette a break and add miso to your roundup of homemade salad dressing recipes.

What is miso?

Miso is made by fermenting soybeans with salt and koji, a fungus that jump-starts fermentation. The soybeans ferment for months to years, with the mixture growing darker and funkier the longer it sits. The resulting thick paste tastes salty, slightly sweet, rich, toasty and savory—the essence of the term umami.

Miso has endless uses in Asian cooking, including the well-known miso soup. Just a tablespoon or so of the paste adds rich, salty tones to everything from appetizers to main dishes to desserts—and not just Asian ones. Stir it with butter and garlic before slathering it on bread, use it in a marinade for miso salmon or mix it into buttercream for a salted caramel frosting.

Ingredients for Miso Dressing

• Rice vinegar: Rice vinegar has relatively low acidity. This makes it slightly sweeter and lighter than other types of vinegar.
• Miso paste: A little miso goes a long way in saltiness and in flavor. It has more than 620 milligrams of sodium per tablespoon but is also rich in antioxidants, B vitamins and probiotics. You need just a dab to make it the dominant taste in a salad dressing.
• Soy sauce: Soy sauce is another umami ingredient made from soybeans, but it differs from miso paste in flavor. If salt intake is a concern, use reduced-sodium soy sauce in this recipe.
• Sesame oil: Made from toasted sesame seeds, this oil can become rancid when stored improperly. Keep the well-sealed bottle away from light and heat, such as in a cool, dark pantry. You can refrigerate it instead, but it may grow cloudy over time.
• Honey: Honey adds multilayered sweetness and acts as an emulsifier, helping the oils and vinegar meld together into a thick, creamy dressing. Another long-lived pantry staple when properly stored, it needs to be kept in a tightly sealed jar and away from moisture.
• Ginger: The dried, powdered form of ginger distributes itself more evenly in a dressing than the freshly peeled and minced root. It has a warm and slightly sharp flavor, so you need just a pinch or two to make an impact.
• Canola oil: Sesame oil has such a strong flavor that you wouldn’t want to use it as the only oil in a dressing. A neutral-tasting oil like canola oil does a better job of thinning the mixture to a pourable consistency.

Directions

Step 1: Mix the dressing

In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, miso, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey and ginger. Gradually whisk in the canola oil until blended.

Taste Recipes

Miso Dressing Recipe Variations

• Replace the honey with garlic: Like honey, garlic acts as an emulsifier for oil and vinegar. For a more savory dressing, press or mince a clove of garlic instead of using the sweetener.
• Use citrus: Instead of vinegar, brighten this miso dressing recipe with equal parts orange juice and lemon juice. To keep the color just as bright, leave out the soy sauce.
• Add yogurt: For an even creamier dressing, stir in a couple tablespoons of plain yogurt. When using a super tangy type, you may want to dial back the rice vinegar.
• Throw in some carrot: Grate a carrot to blend in for a thicker, richer dressing. Instead of whisking by hand, you’ll need to combine the carrot and other ingredients with an immersion blender or in an upright blender to make the dressing smooth.

How to Store Miso Dressing

Miso salad dressing lasts for about a week in the refrigerator. Store it in a jar or other container with an airtight lid. If the oil starts to separate from the other ingredients, let the dressing sit at room temperature for a few minutes, then shake or whisk it again until recombined.

Miso Dressing Tips

Taste Recipes

What type of miso is best for miso dressing?

Different types of miso paste vary in saltiness and depth. White miso, or shiro miso, has the lightest color and flavor, making it a good choice for this miso salad dressing recipe—especially if you’re new to cooking with miso. For a stronger flavor, choose red miso, or aka miso. It goes through a longer aging process and has more sodium than white miso, so you may want to cut back on (or skip) the soy sauce. As the middle ground, choose yellow miso, or shinshu miso.

Is miso dressing gluten-free?

You can make this salad dressing recipe gluten-free if you choose the ingredients with care. Some brands of miso, soy sauce and rice vinegar use grains that contain gluten, so check the labels closely. The recipe’s other ingredients are naturally gluten-free. They’re vegetarian too, but most vegans avoid honey because it is produced by bees. For a vegan-friendly version, replace the honey with another sweetener or garlic.

How do you use miso dressing?

This miso dressing tastes delicious drizzled over easy side salad recipes or one of our top green salads, but it has many other uses. Toss it with skinny bean thread noodles and cabbage for a glass noodle salad, or with sturdy soba noodles made with buckwheat flour for a heartier meal. Refrigerating the dressed noodle salad or slaw for at least two hours infuses the flavors.

Beyond salads, use this miso dressing recipe as a sauce for crispy tofu or as a marinade for a firm fish fillet cooked on a grill. Drizzle it on kimchi fried rice or even a bowl of steamed rice piled with fresh or stir-fried vegetables.