You can whip up my easy and refreshing Homemade Miso Dressing in just minutes. This dressing strikes a perfect balance of flavors with just a touch of sweetness. Use it on salads, wakame seaweed, noodles, fish, meat, and tofu! {gluten-free and vegan friendly}

Do you have a definition of a great dressing? Taste aside, I think it has to be easy, healthy, store well, and infinitely versatile. Agree? Let’s meet the mother sauce of Japanese cuisine: Miso Dressing.

In my humble opinion, this homemade miso dressing recipe checks all the boxes. Not only is it simple to make, it is also rich in probiotic—thanks to the fermented miso—and pairs well with many dishes. We use it to enliven everything from salads, noodles, and grilled veggies to tofu. I hope you give this marvelous dressing a try!

What is Miso Dressing?

In Japan, we enjoy all kinds of salads with dressings made with basic Japanese condiments. If you haven’t tried the soy sauce version, you can try my Wafu Dressing.

Similarly, this homemade miso dressing is made of simple Asian pantry items such as miso, rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, and fresh ginger. A little bit of grated ginger lends a refreshing zing and a kick to this savory dressing.

Miso (味噌), a salty-savory Japanese condiment, is fermented soybean paste. It’s made by fermenting mashed soybeans with salt and a culture called koji (麹), or Aspergillus oryzae—the fungus that is also used to make sake, shochu, and rice vinegar.

Bonus: Miso has amazing health benefits and is considered as one of the top superfoods for gut health.

How to Make Miso Dressing

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Miso – Feel free to use a different type of miso you have at home. More about it later.
• Ginger – It adds a lot of depth, so highly recommended! If you’re unsure how much spicy ginger flavor you’d like, start with less and add more later.
• Sugar – It helps to neutralize the acidity, so add just a little. You can use honey or maple syrup if preferred.
• Soy Sauce – Why soy sauce in miso dressing? Just a little bit of soy sauce adds umami and a savory layer to the dressing. For GF, use the gluten free soy sauce.
• Rice vinegar – It is milder than other types of vinegar. Please use less if you had to use a different vinegar.
• Neutral-flavored oil – You can use vegetable oil, rice bran oil, canola oil, etc. My go-to cooking oil is untoasted (clear) sesame oil.
• Toasted Sesame oil – I like adding just a little for the aroma and nutty taste, but too much of it will be overpowering. If you don’t have it, you can skip it and use 100% neutral-flavored oil.
• Lemon juice – The citrus adds a pop of flavor to the dressing. If you don’t have a lemon, you can skip it, but try it next time!

Overview: Cooking Steps

1. Whisk all the ingredients besides neutral-flavored oil and sesame oil.
2. While whisking the mixture, add the neutral-flavored oil to the mixture very slowly, in a thin stream, for a successful emulsion. Then, slowly add the roasted sesame oil while whisking.
3. Add a splash of lemon juice and whisk it all together.

Different Types of Miso, Different Miso Dressing!

The types of miso would determine the flavors of your dressing, so have fun with trying them out! For the best flavors, stick with milder and rounded miso types and avoid Saikyo miso and Hatcho miso varieties, which have more distinct flavors.

Read more about different types of miso.

Hikari Miso’s Organic White Miso [Gluten-Free & Vegan]

For this miso dressing, I used Hikari Miso’s Organic White Miso that’s gluten free and vegan. This Organic Miso White is the traditional Shinshu-style miso made from organic rice and soybeans, with bright beige in color. With an excellent balance of refreshing aroma, and umami, it is the most versatile among Hikari Miso organic miso series to match any cooking.

You can purchase this product on Amazon.

Various Ways to Enjoy Miso Dressing

Miso dressing is not only great for a green salad, but it goes well with so many dishes! Here are some of my favorites:

• Chilled tofu or hot tofu – In the summertime, drizzle the miso dressing on a chilled silken or regular tofu out of the package to enjoy. In the wintertime, drizzle it over hot tofu cooked in kombu dashi as a warm tofu salad!
• Wakame seaweed – Rehydrate the dried wakame seaweed and squeeze the water out. Serve the wakame with sliced cucumbers, sesame seeds, and some green leaf lettuce. Drizzle the dressing to enjoy.
• A modern take on a one-bowl dish – This dressing goes really well with rice and noodle bowl dishes like this Vegan Poke Bowl and Pan-Fried Teriyaki Tofu Bowl. Protein, veggies, and carbs are in a bowl and delicious dressings and sauce make a big difference!
• Steamed or grilled fish, shrimp, pork, chicken, and beef – Yes, this miso dressing goes well with just about everything.
• Steamed or blanched vegetables – Think of your favorite green veggies like broccoli, spinach, asparagus, cabbage, and more!
• Noodles – We love drizzling this miso dressing on chilled udon noodles, julienned cucumbers, and tomatoes in the summertime! Don’t forget soba noodles, somen noodles, and gluten-free glass noodles.

FAQs

How long does homemade miso dressing last?

You can keep the dressing in an airtight container and keep it for 7 days in the refrigerator. To be honest, I think it will last a bit longer, but I always recommend making a fresh batch that’s enough for up to two times since it’s very easy to make.

Is miso dressing vegan?

Yes, it is vegan. However, if you use dashi-included miso, then it is not vegan. Where to find that information? Check the miso tub or bag to see if there is any mention of dashi (だし) on the package.

I have miso in the fridge that I bought a long time ago. Does miso paste go bad?

Miso doesn’t go bad due to its high salt content, but the color darkens over time, especially in warm environments.

Since miso is a fermented food, you can generally keep miso for a long time. Once opened, make sure to store the miso in your refrigerator. As long as it’s quality miso, the taste should be consistent for up to a year (or even longer). Then, the taste will start to degrade, so check to taste before use.

If you notice any change in smell, color, texture, or spotty molds, it’s best to be safe and toss the product.

Where to buy miso dressing or miso ginger dressing?

Since miso dressing is such an easy dressing to make at home, I’ve never purchased the store-bought one. I heard about a popular miso dressing at the Hollywood farmers’ market, but I’ve never tried it. Do you have a favorite? Let us know in the comment below.

More Japanese Dressing Recipes

If you enjoy Japanese-style dressings at Japanese restaurants or want to serve a salad with Japanese food, try these dressings!

• Carrot Ginger Dressing
• Wafu Dressing (Japanese-style Shoyu Dressing)
• Sesame Dressing
• 4 Basic Japanese Salad Dressings

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