Japanese Miso Ginger Dressing
A bright, creamy, savory-sweet dressing in the style of Japanese steakhouse salads, made by blending white miso, fresh ginger, carrot and rice vinegar until silky. Ready in 10 minutes and great on greens, grain bowls and roasted vegetables.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- —
- Wait
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Makes
- About 1 cup (240 ml), eight 2-tablespoon servings
Steps
Before you start
- Use white (shiro) miso for a mild, sweet flavor; red miso is much saltier and will overpower the dressing.
- Peel the ginger by scraping with the edge of a spoon, which removes the skin with little waste.
- Use a blender or a tall jar with an immersion blender; a whisk will not break down the carrot and ginger.
- Allow 20 minutes in the fridge for the flavors to meld before serving.
Prep the vegetables
- Peel the ginger and chop it roughly into ¼-inch pieces.
- Peel the carrot and cut it into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces.
- Small pieces help the blender make a smooth dressing.
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Ready when: Pieces are small and uniform, with no large chunks.
Tip: Chop the ginger against the grain of its fibers if you can, to avoid stringy bits.
Add ingredients to blender
- Add the miso, ginger, carrot, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, honey, soy sauce and water to the blender jar.
- Add the neutral oil last, on top.
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Ready when: All ingredients are in the jar.
Tip: Measure the honey with an oiled spoon so it slides off easily.
Blend until smooth
- Blend on high for 60 to 90 seconds, stopping once to scrape down the sides with a spatula.
- If using an immersion blender, blend in a tall jar for about 2 minutes, moving it up and down.
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Ready when: Dressing is pale orange, creamy and thick, with no visible carrot or ginger flecks, and it coats a spoon.
Tip: If it is too thick to circulate, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time.
Taste and adjust
- Taste the dressing on a lettuce leaf.
- Add 1 teaspoon more rice vinegar if it needs brightness, a little more honey if too sharp, or 1 tablespoon water if too thick, then blend 10 seconds.
- Pour into a jar and stir in the sesame seeds if using.
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Ready when: Balanced: tangy, lightly sweet and savory, with a pourable consistency like heavy cream.
Tip: Miso is salty, so adjust with vinegar or honey rather than more soy sauce.
Chill to meld
- Seal the jar and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
- Shake well before serving.
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Ready when: Dressing is cold and slightly thicker; it pours slowly from a spoon.
Good to know
Tips
- Do not skip the neutral oil; toasted sesame oil alone would be overpowering and bitter.
- Blend longer for a restaurant-smooth texture; a high-speed blender gives the silkiest result.
- Thin with water to use as a drizzle, or reduce the water by 1 tablespoon for a thicker dip for raw vegetables.
- Try it on cabbage slaw, grilled salmon, soba noodles or steamed broccoli.
Make ahead
Make up to 5 days ahead and keep refrigerated; shake well before using.
Storage & reheating
Refrigerate in an airtight jar for up to 7 days. Not recommended at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Freeze up to 2 months in an ice cube tray, then thaw in the fridge overnight and shake or re-blend. Separation is normal; shake well.
Substitutions
- white miso paste → Yellow miso. Slightly stronger and saltier; start with 2½ tablespoons.
- unseasoned rice vinegar → Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Gives a sharper tang; use the same amount.
- honey or maple syrup → Maple syrup or agave. Use in equal amounts; makes the dressing vegan.
- soy sauce → Tamari. Makes the dressing gluten-free if the miso is also gluten-free.