Name: Miso Sesame Ginger Dressing
Prep time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1-2 teaspoons sesame oil; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons white miso paste; 2 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup (vegan honey, agave, sugar); 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice; 2 tablespoons soy sauce (tamari for gf); 2 tablespoons rice vinegar; 2 teaspoons ginger, minced (~1") more or less to taste; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, more to taste; sesame seeds

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This epic miso sesame ginger dressing is so irresistibly flavorful, you'll want to drink it straight out of the blender! But don't drink it ALL because this tasty miso dressing is incredible on salads, Buddha bowls, veggie wraps, and so much more.

Jar full of dairy-free miso ginger salad dressing.

The Best Miso Ginger Dressing Recipe

Ever since my first taste of miso sesame ginger dressing at my favorite salad joint, I've been obsessed with making it at home. After much recipe testing and tweaking, I finally hit the magical combination of ingredients that has this 5 minute Miso Ginger Dressing bursting with all the savory, tangy, flavors you expect from an unforgettable Asian dressing. It really is everything you want a good salad dressing to be - trust me!

Just like my Chinese Chicken Salad Dressing, Lemon Vinaigrette, creamy White Balsamic Dressing, and Vegan Ranch, this miso dressing is made with simple (dairy free, gluten free) ingredients that when mixed together make a killer vegan salad dressing.

Miso Ginger Dressing Ingredients

I think you'll be surprised at how quick and easy it is to make this zippy miso ginger dressing from scratch. Gather together these ingredients:

Ingredients for miso sesame ginger dressing.

White Miso: Originating from Japan, white miso is a fermented paste made from rice and soybeans. It has a mild umami flavor with a mellow, nutty sweetness. White miso is the mildest (least fermented) of the types of miso.
Fresh Ginger: A key ingredient that adds a nice kick of flavor and freshness.
Fresh Garlic: Adds a pungent bite to the dressing.
Sesame Oil & Olive Oil: Adds both richness and a nutty flavor.
Maple Syrup: The sweetness from maple syrup balances the salty soy sauce and acidity from vinegar and lime.
Acid: A combination of lime juice and rice vinegar add tang and tartness.
Soy Sauce (regular or low sodium): Gives the dressing a savory, salty flavor with umami notes. Be sure to use tamari for gluten free dressing.
Coarse Black Pepper, Sesame Seeds, Red Pepper Flakes (optional for heat)

How to Make Miso Sesame Ginger Dressing

I love this miso sesame ginger dressing! It's so simple to prep on Sunday then use all week. Let's whip up a batch together:

Miso ginger sesame dressing ingredients in a blender.

Miso Ginger Dressing ingredients in a Vitamix.

Mix it: Place all the dressing ingredients into a blender*, bowl or jar and mix together until smooth. *I like the creamy, emulsified blender version of this dressing best.
Taste it: Taste the dressing and adjust the ingredients to suit your taste.
Chill it: Store the citrus miso dressing in the fridge for up to a week.
Serve it on everything: Not just for side salads, this dressing is the perfect addition to any chopped Asian salad, grain bowl, grilled veggies plus so much more. It makes everything taste 1000% better!

Miso Ginger Dressing being whisked in a measuring cup.

Tips and Options

This vegan salad dressing recipe has a BIG punch of flavor as written. However, there's lots of room to customize this dressing to suit your personal taste. Here's a few flavor tips:

Too tangy?: If the miso ginger dressing is too acidic, add another teaspoon or two of oil or ½ teaspoon maple syrup to balance out the flavors.
Is your dressing missing something?: If the salad dressing tastes flat or it's missing something, the answer is usually salt which makes flavors pop. For this dressing, the salty flavor comes from soy sauce; but you can add salt to taste.
Too strong?: This is a super flavorful dressing, to cut back on the dressing intensity, use less miso, ginger or sesame oil to taste or add a tablespoon or two of water to dilute it.
Oil options: Sub in any oil for olive oil like grapeseed oil, vegetable oil or canola oil.
Umami flavor: White miso paste adds a mellow, nutty sweetness to the dressing. Add more or less to taste.
Sweetness: Add more maple syrup (agave or sugar) to increase the sweetness of the dressing.

Spoonful of miso sesame dressing in a jar.

More Dressing and Sauce Recipes

I'm obsessed with an extra flavorful salad dressing, sauce or dip. If you are too, here's a few recipes to try next:

Miso Sesame Ginger Dressing

This zippy 5 minute miso ginger dressing is a great way to brighten up quick salads, Buddha bowls, and grilled veggies. Prep it on the weekend then use it all week long! Vegan, gluten free, dairy free.

Author : Tracy Halasz

Servings: cup

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Prep Time 5

INGREDIENTS

1-2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white miso paste
2 ½ tablespoons maple syrup (vegan honey, agave, sugar)
1 ½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce (tamari for gf)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons ginger, minced (~1") more or less to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, more to taste
sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

Place all ingredient in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, please all dressing ingredients in a jar or bowl and shake or whisk until incorporated.
Taste the dressing and adjust the ingredient as needed to make it sweeter, saltier, etc.
Store in the fridge for up to a week.

NOTES

Salt: I didn't add extra salt because I found the dressing salty enough from the soy sauce. Feel free to add some to suit your taste. Alternatively, use low sodium soy sauce if you are watching your salt intake.

Sweet: I like maple syrup (Canadian girl), but agave or vegan honey are great alternatives or you could also use sugar to sweeten the dressing.

White Miso Paste: Find miso in the refrigerated section at the grocery store usually in the 'health' aisle. White miso paste is fermented for the shortest time and therefore is the mildest of all the miso varieties.

Blender Version: I always make this dressing in my Vitamix for a few reasons, I don't have to chop up the garlic or mince the garlic and the high power blender emulsifies the dressing to a ultra creamy, velvety consistency.

Storage: This miso ginger dressing will stay fresh in the fridge in a jar or container for up to a week.

Homemade Vegan Dressing: If you like making dressings from scratch, check out more of my 5 minute vegan dressings and sauces on the blog.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Please leave a rating and/or review below. Your feedback means a lot to me, and helps others find my recipes! Please tag me on IG @ceeceecooks - I LOVE seeing what you're cooking!