Miso Ginger Dressing
Learn how to make Miso Ginger Dressing at home with pantry staples. This bold, balanced, restaurant-style dressing keeps in the fridge for up to a week.
“Such a quick and easy dressing! I quickly whipped up this dressing in 5 minutes and added some to my wrap. Turned my “meh” lunch into something I really enjoyed!”
—Athena
A Restaurant-Style Miso Ginger Dressing You Can Make At Home
If you’ve ever tried the dressing at a Japanese steakhouse (or Sweetgreen) and thought, “Why can’t I just make this at home?” You absolutely can. And better yet, you can tweak it to your exact preferences. This version is creamy, zingy, and just a bit sweet, with a balance that keeps your fork going back for another bite.
This miso dressing is one you’ll want to keep in your fridge at all times. It is perfect for tossing with greens, spooning over grain bowls, or even as a dip for crunchy veggies.
Heads up! The dressing recipe below includes lots of fresh ginger. If you’re not a ginger fan, you might prefer this miso sesame dressing that does NOT include ginger:
Why You’ll Love This Ginger Miso Dressing
- The perfect balance of savory miso, zesty ginger and tangy rice vinegar makes this dressing pretty irresistible.
- Ready in just minutes with simple ingredients and minimal prep work.
- Easy to adjust the sweetness, acidity or saltiness to suit your taste preferences.
Is Miso Ginger Dressing The Same As Japanese Steakhouse Dressing?
If you’ve ever had the slightly sweet ginger dressing that’s a staple at Japanese steakhouses, you might be wondering how this miso ginger dressing compares. The short answer is that they are closely related, but not exactly the same.
Traditional Japanese steakhouse ginger dressing includes blended carrot and onion, which gives it a lighter color and sweet flavor. This homemade miso ginger salad dressing recipe leans more savory, and without the carrot and onion it keeps much longer in the fridge.
That said, if you’re craving that restaurant-style vibe, you can stir in a few tablespoons each of grated carrot and onion (just thin it out with a splash of water, if needed).
Miso Ginger Salad Dressing Ingredients
A full recipe card, including exact ingredient amounts, appears at the bottom of this post.
- rice vinegar – this mild Asian white vinegar is our first choice for miso and ginger dressing, but white wine vinegar or lime juice is a good sub.
- white miso – our go-to brand is Miso Masters, and we use their Organic Mellow White Miso paste.
- freshly grated ginger – nothing beats the flavor punch of buying a ginger root and grating it yourself, but see the Home Chef tips for the next best option.
- honey – to add a bit of sweetness to the miso sesame ginger dressing. Agave nectar is a good sub.
- toasted sesame oil – adds nuttiness and big flavor.
- soy sauce – this seasons (salts) the dressing and adds big umami flavor. We use regular soy sauce, but low sodium soy sauce or tamari also work.
- sesame seeds – these add texture and extra flavor. Either white or black sesame seeds will work. Toasted sesame seeds are even better!
- canola oil – we wanted to use a neutral oil so that you can taste the miso and ginger more than the oil. The flavor of olive oil can be overpowering here. If you want extra sesame flavor, add a few dashes of sesame oil.
How To Make Miso And Ginger Dressing At Home
- WHISK. In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, ginger, honey, miso, sesame oil and soy sauce.
- EMULSIFY. Slowly drizzle in the canola oil, whisking constantly to emulsify. Stir in the sesame seeds.
Ginger Miso Salad Dressing Home Chef Tips
- If you absolutely hate peeling and grating your own fresh ginger (we get it!), the jarred minced ginger from The Ginger People is the best jarred option we’ve found.
- Add a splash of water if you need a thinner dressing, or extra miso if you’d like to thicken it.
- This miso ginger dressing recipe doubles as a marinade for chicken, fish, or tofu.
What To Do With This Miso Ginger Dressing Recipe
When we make this ginger miso dressing, we usually make a double or even triple batch, because we want to eat it all week long.
The salad in these photos was made using mixed greens, rainbow carrots, radishes, cucumbers and snap peas. This is an easy side salad for our Korean Meatballs, or even Stuffed Salmon.
We also love this ginger sesame miso dressing tossed with spinach or shredded cabbage.
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Storage
- Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
- Freeze: Not recommended. The emulsion can break once thawed, leading to a separated, less appealing texture.
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Miso Ginger Dressing Recipe
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Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon white miso
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- In medium bowl, whisk vinegar, ginger, honey, miso, sesame oil and soy sauce until smooth.
- Gradually add canola oil, while whisking, until all oil is fully incorporated. Stir in sesame seeds. Makes about 2/3 cup dressing. Dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Beyond scrumptious
Thank you!
Such a quick and easy dressing! I made a curried chickpea wrap this afternoon for lunch. The flavor was great but it was pretty dry. I quickly whipped up this dressing in 5 minutes and added some to my wrap. Turned my “meh” lunch into something I really enjoyed!
I’m so glad to hear that, Athena!
This dressing is amazing. Funky, sweet, sour … Everything you want on a salad. It definitely lines up with the Asian kick we have been on lately.
This dressing sounds yummy! I already like your other miso dressing, so I’m sure I’ll like this one. I won’t tell you how long my package of miso has been in my fridge – I definitely need to use it more, and am glad it keeps. I was just thinking about using it, and think it might be good on the prosciutto and manchego salad I’m making for lunch this week…
Miso keeps FOREVER! I almost threw mine away because I saw that it had expired in February, but Jeff stopped me just in time – it said Feb 2023. Apparently I don’t know what year it is, but at least I have another year to use my miso.
I made this for lunch a few days ago, for a manchego and prosciutto salad that usually has a mayonnaise and lemon dressing. We both enjoyed it. I did cut the amount of sesame oil in half because my husband doesn’t care for the flavor when it’s strong. This is a definite keeper recipe, and it goes very nicely with prosciutto and manchego. I get tired of mayonnaise and lemon dressings, and this is a perfect substitute.
I would have never thought to pair this with manchego and prosciutto, but that sounds like an amazing combo! I agree, I get tired of creamy dressings, too.