Instant Pot Miso Butter Umami Dressing

Name: Instant Pot Miso Butter Umami Dressing
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 17 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons (54 g) white miso paste; 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into ½-inch (1.3 cm) cubes; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce; 1½ tablespoons (22 ml) mirin (sweet rice wine); 2 cloves (6 g) garlic, minced; ½ cup (120 ml) dashi stock or vegetable broth

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A deeply savory, velvety dressing made by gently warming white miso, unsalted butter, soy sauce, mirin, and garlic together in an Instant Pot. The slow-cooking method melds the flavors into a cohesive umami-rich sauce without breaking the emulsion. Drizzle over roasted vegetables, grains, or greens for an instant flavor upgrade.

Prep: 5 min
Cook: 12 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 22 min
Makes: ¾ cup (180 ml) dressing

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Steps

Before you start

Remove butter from the refrigerator 15 minutes before starting so it's at room temperature—this prevents lumps when whisking into the warm liquid
Mince the garlic finely so it releases its flavor evenly
Have a fine-mesh strainer ready if you prefer a completely smooth dressing (optional)

1
Prepare Instant Pot setup
- Add 1 cup (240 ml) water to the Instant Pot and insert the trivet.
- Place the stainless steel bowl on the trivet.
- This creates a gentle water bath to heat the dressing slowly.
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Tip: Using a water bath prevents the dressing from cooking too quickly or separating.
2
Mix miso paste base
- In a small glass bowl, whisk together the white miso paste and dashi stock until smooth and no lumps remain.
- This prevents the miso from clumping when added to the warm mixture.
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Ready when: Miso paste is fully dissolved and mixture is uniform
Tip: Whisking miso with the broth first ensures it distributes evenly without lumps.
3
Combine soy sauce and mirin
- In the stainless steel bowl sitting on the trivet, pour the soy sauce and mirin.
- These will warm gently as the Instant Pot comes to pressure.
4
Pressure cook the base
- Cover the Instant Pot with the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on low pressure for 3 minutes at 40% power (or use the "low" setting if your model has it).
- This gently warms the soy-mirin base without cooking off the alcohol or damaging the flavors.
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Ready when: Instant Pot beeps after the 3-minute low-pressure cook
Tip: Using low pressure ensures delicate flavors aren't lost and the emulsion stays stable.
5
Quick release and temper bowlOven 160°F / 70°C
- Carefully turn the valve to venting to quick-release all pressure.
- Open the lid and check that the soy-mirin mixture is warm (about 160°F / 71°C).
- If using a thermometer, do not let it exceed 180°F (82°C), as this will break the emulsion.
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Ready when: Soy-mirin mixture is hot and fragrant, valve releases steam
Tip: Keep the temperature below 180°F (82°C) to prevent the butter from separating.
6
Whisk in miso mixture
- Slowly pour the miso-dashi mixture into the warm soy-mirin base while whisking continuously with a whisk.
- The gradual incorporation prevents the miso from clumping and keeps the emulsion smooth.
- Whisk for about 1 minute after all the miso mixture is incorporated.
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Ready when: Mixture is smooth and uniform with no streaks or lumps
Tip: Whisk constantly while adding the miso to create a smooth, cohesive sauce.
7
Add minced garlic
- Stir the minced garlic into the warm miso mixture.
- The residual heat will soften the garlic and release its aromatic oils into the dressing.
- Let sit for 1 minute.
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Ready when: Garlic is fragrant and slightly softened
8
Incorporate butter slowly
- Remove the bowl from the Instant Pot using oven mitts and place it on a stable surface.
- Add the room-temperature butter cubes, one or two at a time, whisking constantly between additions.
- This gentle method creates an emulsion where the butter stays suspended and the dressing becomes silky and luxurious.
- Total incorporation time is about 3 minutes.
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Ready when: All butter is incorporated, dressing is glossy and smooth, no greasy separation visible
Tip: Add butter slowly and whisk constantly to emulsify. If the mixture breaks and looks greasy, stop adding butter and whisk in a teaspoon of cold water to help re-emulsify.
9
Cool and strain (optional)
- Let the dressing cool for 2–3 minutes.
- If you prefer a completely smooth dressing without any garlic solids, pour it through a fine-mesh strainer into a glass jar.
- Otherwise, leave it as is for a rustic texture with visible garlic flecks.
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Ready when: Dressing has cooled to room temperature and is ready to use or store
Tip: Straining is optional but gives a silky, professional appearance.
10
Store and serve
- Transfer the dressing to a clean glass jar or bottle.
- Use warm or at room temperature as a drizzle over roasted vegetables, grains, noodles, or salads.
- It will thicken slightly as it cools but remains pourable.
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Tip: The dressing can be reheated gently (do not boil) by warming it in the Instant Pot's water bath again if it thickens too much in the refrigerator.

Good to know

Tips

If your dressing breaks during the butter-whisking step and looks grainy or oily, stop adding butter. Whisk in a teaspoon of cold water or an extra teaspoon of the cooled dashi stock, which will often help re-emulsify the mixture.
For a vegan or dairy-free version, replace the butter with neutral oil (see substitutions), though you will lose the creamy richness.
This dressing pairs beautifully with roasted cauliflower, roasted Brussels sprouts, grilled fish, soba or ramen noodles, or a simple salad of peppery greens.
If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can make this in a small saucepan over very low heat, whisking constantly for about 5 minutes instead of using the pressure cooker.

Make ahead

This dressing is best made fresh and served within 1–2 days, as the emulsion is most stable then. You can prepare the miso-dashi and soy-mirin bases separately up to 3 days ahead; store them covered in the refrigerator and warm them together in the Instant Pot before whisking in the butter.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours (not recommended, as the emulsion will break). Refrigerator: up to 4 days in a sealed glass jar. The dressing will thicken as it cools but will remain pourable. Freezer: not recommended, as freezing will permanently separate the emulsion. To reheat, place the sealed jar in the Instant Pot's water bath (as described above) on low pressure for 2 minutes, then quick-release and whisk gently until smooth.

Substitutions

white miso paste → red miso (aka aka miso). Red miso will create a deeper, more robust umami flavor with a slightly darker color. Use the same amount, but the taste will be stronger and less delicate.
dashi stock or vegetable broth → chicken or vegetable broth. Any neutral broth works, but dashi provides the most authentic Japanese flavor. If using a very salty broth, reduce the soy sauce by ½ tablespoon.
mirin (sweet rice wine) → honey or agave syrup. Use the same amount to maintain sweetness and balance. The result will be slightly less complex but still pleasant. Avoid aji-mirin (sweetened seasoning), as it contains salt.
unsalted butter → olive oil or neutral oil. Use 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of oil whisked in slowly instead of butter. The dressing will be lighter and more herbaceous but lose the richness and luxurious mouthfeel. The emulsion will be less stable.