Name: Miso Ginger Dressing
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon ginger (grated); 1 garlic clove (grated); 1/4 cup white miso paste; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1/4 cup rice vinegar; 1 tablespoon honey; 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil; 1/4 cup avocado oil

Miso ginger dressing is my favorite to make when I am meal-prepping our lunches for the week. This salad dressing features freshly grated ginger and garlic, white miso paste, soy sauce, honey, and rice vinegar for the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and deeply umami flavors.

Plus, you can easily whisk up this miso dressing in under 5 minutes. This miso ginger dressing is my favorite versatile condiment that can be tossed with any salad, used as a marinade for salmon or chicken, or a dip for raw vegetables as a snack!

What is Miso Ginger Dressing?
Ingredients
How to Make Miso Ginger Dressing
Expert Tips
Storage Instructions
Pairing Suggestions
FAQ
Miso Ginger Dressing Recipe

What is Miso Ginger Dressing?

Miso ginger dressing is a Japanese-inspired condiment that is made with ginger, garlic, white miso paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, and avocado oil. It has a sweet, savory, tangy, and deeply umami flavor that pairs well with most salads. You can alternatively use it as a marinade for your favorite protein, a dip for raw vegetables, or a drizzle on any grain bowl.

Ingredients

You can find all the ingredients for this miso ginger dressing recipe at your local grocery store. Full measurements and links to everything I used are listed in the recipe card below.

Ginger: the main aromatic that adds a rich spicy, ginger flavor.
Garlic: adds a garlicky kick.
White miso paste is the base of the dressing, adding a delicate, slightly sweet, and savory flavor. It is my favorite miso to use in all my recipes, like miso mushroom risotto, baked miso sweet potato slices, and miso scalloped potatoes.
Soy Sauce: adds a salty umami savoriness.
Rice Vinegar: adds a mild, slightly sweet and tangy acidic element to the miso ginger dressing.
Honey: adds a natural floral sweetness to the dressing.
Toasted sesame oil: adds a nutty, toasty flavor to finish.
Avocado Oil: has a mild, buttery flavor and a rich and creamy texture which emulsifies into the miso salad dressing well.

Substitutions and Additions

Substitutions

Miso paste: yellow miso for a deeper, richer miso flavor.
Soy sauce alternatives: tamari or coconut aminos for gluten-free alternatives.
Rice vinegar alternatives: apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
Sweetener: sugar, brown sugar, or maple syrup.
Neutral oil: any neutral oil, such as canola oil, grapeseed, sunflower, or vegetable oil.

Additions

Tahini or peanut butter: for a thicker, richer creaminess.
Lime juice: for a brighter acidic kick.
Spice: sambal oelek or chili oil for a spicy kick.
Sesame seeds: for a nutty texture.

How to Make Miso Ginger Dressing

Here are the step-by-step instructions for making this miso ginger dressing.

Mix the grated ginger, garlic, miso paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and honey until combined.
Slowly drizzle in the sesame oil and avocado oil while whisking quickly to emulsify the dressing.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Expert Tips

Use fresh ginger and garlic. For the best aromatic flavor, use freshly grated ginger and garlic.
Whisk until emulsified. The oil may take a minute to emulsify, so whisk quickly or use an electric mixer.
Taste and adjust: adjust the seasonings according to your preferences. If it is too tangy, add more honey. Not tangy enough, add more rice vinegar. If it needs more salt, add more miso or soy sauce.

Storage Instructions

You can store the miso ginger dressing in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to one week. Shake the jar until the oil is emulsified, then serve.

Pairing Suggestions

This miso ginger dressing can be tossed with your favorite salad, used as a marinade for proteins, used as a dip for raw veggies, or paired with the following suggestions.

Salads like Vietnamese noodle salad, or sunomono salad (Japanese cucumber salad).
Protein dishes like miso salmon, beef pepper rice, enoki beef rolls, oyakodon (Japanese chicken and egg rice bowl), or Japanese katsu curry.
Noodle dishes like zaru soba (cold soba noodles), mentaiko pasta, uni pasta, or miso carbonara udon.
Desserts like miso peanut butter cookies, browned butter miso chocolate chip cookies, miso caramel sauce, or miso banana bread.

FAQ

How long does miso ginger salad dressing last?

This miso-ginger salad dressing will last up to 7 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The oils will separate over time. Bring the dressing to room temperature before shaking and serving.

What type of miso should I use?

For a mild, sweet miso ginger dressing, use white miso. If you’d like a saltier, punchier ginger and miso dressing, use yellow miso.

What salad base does this miso salad dressing taste best with?

Kale, mixed greens, and roasted vegetables like butternut squash, broccoli, and sweet potatoes. It also pairs deliciously with rotisserie chicken or salmon.

Additional Condiment Recipes to Try