This easy miso salad dressing is a great way to liven up your salads with punchy Japanese-influenced umami flavours and everyday store-cupboard ingredients.
Miso salad dressing
This gorgeous Asian style miso salad dressing recipe is one of the stars of my dressing ‘wardrobe’. With notes of sweetness, acidity, salt, toasty sesame and umami depth, it has everything you need to turn a simple salad into a star turn.
See also
- So easy and creamy – tahini dressing is one of my favourites
- Mediterranean salad dressing brings a touch of sunshine to your salads
- Tart and tangy this pomegranate dressing enlivens the dullest leaves
- If you love miso try my miso aubergine
I am a creature of habit. My partner and I work from home and our favourite year-round lunch is a salad, soup and a toastie (we skip the soup in the hottest months or opt for a cold soup).
Unless you grow it yourself, however, shop lettuce can be disappointing. The solution for me is to have a great repertoire of dressings that you can bring out to ring the changes. A great dressing can bring interest to the even the dullest of leaves.
This miso dressing recipe has a lovely toasty depth of flavour that pairs nicely with salad leaves, grated root salads and noodle salads alike. This looks like a lot of ingredients but many are pantry staples.
A dark miso will ramp up the flavour punch or you can use a lighter white/shiro miso for that umami hit without the intensity. Either way, do not be tempted to add salt. There’s salt in the miso and in the soy sauce. You do not want more.
Why make miso dressing
- a delicious dressing with plenty of depth and umami flavour
- simple, store-cupboard recipe
- a great way to vary dull salads
Miso salad dressing – ingredients
- Miso paste – I used a dark barley miso for a big, intense flavour hit. Use a lighter one if that suits you better.
- Toasted sesame oil – if it’s not toasted, it won’t have all that fabulous flavour
- Olive oil – good, unrefined, extra virgin olive oil. You don’t need anything fancy as it is not there for the flavour, which will be hidden.
- Honey – runny honey thickens, emulsifies and sweetens the dressing. Again, you don’t want fancy honey with complex flavours that will be lost.
- Rice wine vinegar – a delicate, traditional flavouring
- White wine or cider vinegar – not too sweet, as you need some acidity
- Soy sauce – pair a dark soy sauce with a dark miso and a light soy with a light miso. Use tamari if you want your miso dressing gluten free.
How to make miso dressing – step by step
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this miso salad dressing recipe perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step One – Put all the ingredients into a jar with a lid that will screw on tightly.
Break up the miso paste in the other ingredients (otherwise you will have to do a lot more shaking!). A mini whisk is very useful for this.
Then seal the jar.
Step Two – Shake well to mix and emulsify the dressing.
Taste the dressing and adjust if necessary, adding a little more of an ingredient if you want to change the balance.
I like to use a bottle to store my dressing, as this makes it easier to pour. If you want to transfer your dressing, use a funnel to save on mess and waste.
Store in the fridge, but remove and allow to come up to room temperature before use. Shake well before serving.
Serving suggestion
This miso salad dressing works in any salad that suits a vinaigrette dressing or that would suit an Asian twist (read more in my guide to homemade salad dressing recipes).
It will stand up to robust, strong flavoured leaves or provide a unifying element when served on a side salad alongside East Asian dishes.
I like to serve it on the side in a bowl for drizzling over the salad, topped with sesame seeds.
Variations
- Vary the intensity of this dressing to suit different salads by playing around with light and dark miso and soy sauces.
- For a vegan version, use rice syrup or maple syrup instead of honey.
Storage
Fridge – Keep your miso dressing in the fridge but take it out half an hour before serving to come up to room temperature. Keeps well for one week.
Hints and tips
- It really helps to use a small whisk to break up the miso before shaking. It will save you an aching arm! If you don’t have a whisk, use a fork.
- Rice vinegar is not especially acidic, so you need this element to come from the wine or cider vinegar. Choose something with a bit of bite.
- Do not fall into the trap of adding salt out of habit. There is plenty of salt in the ingredients, and if you add extra, you will spoil the dressing.
FAQs
Yes. Use a tamari soy sauce and check your miso paste is gluten free.
My homemade miso salad dressing recipe is very natural and free of unpleasant additives. The miso paste itself is a fermented food which promotes a healthy gut.
Yes, once you have opened the jar, it is best kept in the fridge.
More salad dressing recipes
- Balsamic dressing – a delicious classic vinaigrette with plenty of flavour
- Lemon dressing – fruity, fragrant and perfect for Mediterranean dishes
- Pomegranate dressing – perfect on Middle Eastern style salads
- Find more easy homemade salad dressing recipes.
Miso Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp miso
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
- 2 tsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Put all of the ingredients in a jar with a lid that fits tightly.1 tbsp miso, 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp cider vinegar, 2 tsp honey, 2 tsp soy sauce
- Break up the miso paste in the other ingredients. A mini whisk is very useful for this but you can use a fork instead.
- Put the lid on tightly and shake well until all the ingredients are well combined. Transfer to a dressing bottle using a funnel if you like. Store in the refrigerator.
Notes
- It really helps to use a small whisk to break up the miso before shaking. It will save you an aching arm! If you don’t have a whisk, use a fork.
- Rice vinegar is not especially acidic, so you need this element to come from the wine or cider vinegar. Choose something with a bit of bite.
- Do not fall into the trap of adding salt out of habit. There is plenty of salt in the ingredients, and if you add extra, you will spoil the dressing.
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