Miso-Sesame Dressing

Name: Miso-Sesame Dressing
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon (17g) white miso; 2 ½ tablespoons (37g) unseasoned rice vinegar ((see Note 1)); 3 cloves garlic, (grated or finely minced); 1- inch piece fresh ginger, (peeled and grated (or smashed into a paste)); 1 ½ tablespoons (30g) pure maple syrup or agave nectar; 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard; 2 teaspoons soy sauce ((or tamari for GF)); 2 ½ tablespoons (35g) sunflower oil ((or neutral-flavored oil of choice)); 1 ½ tablespoons (21g) toasted sesame oil ((see Note 2))

There are two types of salad dressing in this world:

Ho-hum dressings you resort to because your salad greens are about to expire;
Razzle-dazzle dressings that make eating salad genuinely exciting.

Not only does this Miso Dressing fall into the latter category, it pretty much wrote the book on how to be a razzle-dazzle dressing.

Its East Asian-inspired flavor profile is a symphony of delightful notes—nuttiness, tanginess, slight sweetness, umami—and it comes together quickly and easily.

Turn to this versatile salad dressing to jazz up all manner of crunchy salad, and watch yourself fall in love with salad.

Sesame miso dressing in a small mason jar and a bowl of salad on a wooden serving board.

Out of the archives, onto the blog 🎉

I am very excited to finally share this recipe.

When I first started writing Big Vegan Flavor 5+ years ago, I planned to devote a whole chapter to salads and salad dressings. But when my editor told me that my first manuscript was too long (it would’ve been a 1,000-page book 😱), I had to relegate many, many recipes to the archive of my Google docs.

This darling dressing was one of them (along with my savory oatmeal, and several recipes we’ve since published on our Meal Plans website).

But it’s simply too good to languish in the archives—so, after many years, I’m delighted to share this Miso-Sesame Dressing with you all.

digital drawing of a silicone whisk and spatulas.

Ingredient notes

sesame miso dressing ingredients in various small bowls on a table.

White miso: Miso is fermented soybean paste (made from soybeans, salt, and a koji starter). White miso is a slightly sweet variety of miso and it supercharges this dressing with savoriness and umami, which keeps you coming back for more (and more salad).
Rice vinegar (AKA rice wine vinegar): This contributes a pleasantly mellow acidity to the dressing, giving it brightness without sharpness.
Toasted sesame oil + neutral oil: Every vinaigrette needs a fat source to emulsify (and to taste good), and here I use a mix of a neutral-flavored oil and toasted sesame oil. We want the latter for its rich, irresistibly nutty flavor, but if we used solely toasted sesame oil, it would overwhelm the other flavors in the dressing.
Dijon mustard: This is chiefly here as an emulsifying agent, encouraging the oil and water-based ingredients to combine into a smooth dressing that doesn’t split or break.
Maple syrup: I almost always add a bit of sweetener to vinaigrettes to temper any sharpness from the acidic elements and. You can also use agave.
Soy sauce: Since we’re leaning on East Asian flavors for inspiration, we turn to soy sauce instead of salt to provide saltiness and an additional hit of umami (enhancing the miso).

Shopping Tips and Substitutes

White Miso: Sold in well-stocked grocery stores, East Asian grocers, or online. May also be called “shiro miso.” Not to be confused with darker misos, like brown or red miso, which have been fermented for a longer period of time and have a more intense flavor.
Rice vinegar: You want unseasoned rice vinegar. If all you have is seasoned rice vinegar (which contains added sugar and salt), use less maple syrup and soy sauce to begin with, then add more to taste.
Toasted sesame oil: Not all brands are created equal! I love Otoki (Korean brand) and Kadoya (Japanese brand). Beware: some western supermarket brands do NOT taste good!
Neutral flavored oil: Use what you have, such as avocado oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, etc.
Gluten-free? Use tamari or gluten-free soy sauce.

digital drawing of a journal and pencil.

Step-by-step instructions

miso and rice vinegar in a bowl with a whisk.

Add the miso and rice vinegar to a bowl (or a jar for which you have a lid).

Whisk well until no large miso clumps remain and the mixture is mostly smooth.

garlic, ginger, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, and soy sauce added to the whisked miso and vinegar.

Add the garlic, ginger, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, and soy sauce.

Whisk well to combine.

person streaming sunflower oil into the bowl.

Stream in the neutral oil and toasted sesame oil, whisking as you go, until smooth and emulsified. Or, simply add to the jar, seal, and shake vigorously to combine everything.

person whisking finished sesame miso dressing in the bowl.

Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

Tips for making this recipe

Whisk the miso well

To avoid little clumps of miso in the dressing, make sure to whisk the miso with the vinegar as well as you can in step 1 of the recipe, until no large chunks of miso remain.

For a smoother consistency, blend

If you prefer a completely smooth consistency, you can add all of the ingredients to a food processor or small-capacity blender (there’s not enough volume to blend this in a large blender).

Alternatively, put everything in a wide-mouthed jar or measuring cup and use an immersion blender on high-speed to blitz it up.

Double the recipe

This recipe yields a scant ¾ cup (170g), about 6 servings. If you are feeding a crowd or plan to use it multiple times throughout the week, simply double the ingredients.

How to use this dressing

One of the many selling points of this dressing is its versatility. It works
great with virtually any crisp and crunchy veggies or lettuces:

Any kind of cabbage—napa cabbage, green cabbage, red cabbage, etc.
Hearty greens such as shredded kale or shaved Brussels sprouts
Crisp lettuces like romaine, Little Gem, or iceberg
Non-lettuce salads, like cucumber, carrot, or radish salads

Here are a few of my favorite ways to use this miso dressing:

A standout slaw (version 1): shredded red cabbage + shredded carrots + chopped cilantro and mint + roasted peanuts + mandarin segments; optionally, fold in edamame or baked tofu for protein
Another standout slaw (version 2): shredded green or napa cabbage + thinly sliced radishes and scallions + roasted cashews + diced avocado
Rainbow crunch salad: chopped romaine or Little Gem lettuce + thinly sliced red and yellow bell peppers + sliced snow peas + shredded red cabbage + cubed or sliced avocado + crispy wonton strips or roasted sunflower seeds
Cucumber salad: smashed or sliced cucumbers + thinly sliced scallions + chopped cilantro + roasted white and black sesame seeds + cubed or torn avocado
Tofu salad: baked tofu, fried tofu, or air fried tofu + thinly sliced radishes + microgreens or baby arugula + roasted sesame seeds + sliced avocado
Roasted veggie salad: roasted sweet potato cubes + roasted broccoli florets + edamame + pickled onions + roasted pepitas or cashews
Noodle salad: soba noodles (or noodles of choice) + shredded carrots or cabbage + blanched broccoli or green beans + baked tofu, fried tofu, or air fried tofu + scallions + roasted sesame seeds

person tossing salad with sesame miso dressing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this dressing ahead of time? How should I store leftovers?

This is a great one to make ahead! It will stay good for 5 to 6 days stored in a sealed jar in the fridge.

Help! My dressing solidified in the fridge.

No problem! Just let the jar of dressing sit at room temperature before serving. If you’re in a rush, add the sealed jar of hot water to bring it to room temp quickly.

Whisk the dressing well before serving to re-emulsify.

Can I freeze leftover dressing?

Sadly, vinaigrettes do not freeze well—the oil and vinegar separate when frozen and thawed, leading to a grainy, unappealing texture.

If you must freeze it, try freezing leftovers in small quantities in an ice cube tray. Once frozen, you can pop the cubes out into a freezer-safe bag. Thaw the cubes in the fridge and re-blend to emulsify.

More dressings to fall in love with salad

Red Wine Vinaigrette: a classic dressing but upgraded
Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette: another majorly upgraded classic
Lemon Tahini Dressing: nutty, creamy, lemony, and SO good
Vegan Ranch Dressing: the creamy dressing of your childhood made vegan

Person removing a spoon from a jar of sesame miso dressing.

Is this Miso Dressing leveling up your salad game? Leave a rating and review below, and let me know your favorite ways to use it!

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