Creamy miso-ginger dressing
When I was at Whole Foods the other day, at I was amazed by the dozens of people cradling ingredients for the big Cleanse. I can’t imagine choosing to drink lemon juice and maple syrup mixed with cayenne pepper even once, let alone for several days straight in order to detoxify my body. Sorry peeps, no cleanse recipes here! I hate to disappoint you if you were expecting instructions on how to starve yourself cranky, but why not just eat clean, real food? I know, it’s not a fad and we are obsessed with fads, especially diet-related. If a cleanse is the only way for some people to break some bad habits, then ok. But I haven’t seen any research-based evidence that our bodies need such a crazy drink to get rid of toxins. In fact, I actually think it’s pretty cool how efficient our bodies can be at eliminating toxins, provided we don’t overload our systems non-stop. Just a thought.
I personally have never done a “cleanse.” I really don’t do well when I’m told there are entire food groups that are off limits. So I indulge a little more than normal during the holidays, but then I make a commitment to start eating normally again. I especially like to pay particular attention to vegetables which never seem to be controversial in any diet, new or old. I think it’s pretty unanimous advice that we should be consuming loads of vegetables. In the winter I eat fewer raw vegetables since they tend to be more cooling to the body, but I do love my salads. So to “warm” them up a bit, I like to make this delicious cream-less dressing which is based on fresh gingerroot and miso. Ginger is perfect for winter since it’s warming to the body, and did you know it’s incredibly anti-inflammatory? Fresh ginger has a real hot and spicy kick to it, so a little goes a long way. I found that out the hard way when I juiced a big piece of ginger once with some kale and celery and I thought my eyes would pop out of my head. Peel it like I did here with a vegetable peeler and then get into the hard-to-reach spots by scraping the peel with a small spoon.
Although most of you are likely familiar with ginger, I don’t meet a lot of people who know what miso is or how to use it. It’s your lucky day!! Miso is a fermented soybean paste made by combining cooked soybeans, mold (called koji), salt and various grains. Then it’s fermented for 6 months to several years. There are dozens of varieties of miso, as well as different colors from pale beige. As you would imagine, each type has its own distinctive flavor ranging from meaty and savory to sweet and delicate. In general, the darker and deeper the color, the longer the miso has been fermented and the richer the flavor. The first time I tasted miso straight out of the tub, it reminded me of parmesan cheese, which is how I came to use miso to make a vegan/dairy-free pesto.
I usually buy the white miso to make soup and use in sauces and dressings, like this one. It seems to be the most versatile, although a word of caution — not all miso pastes are gluten-free. Miso is a live food with many microorganisms that are beneficial to your digestion. That said, you must only buy unpasteurized, refrigerated miso and you must avoid boiling it otherwise you will kill the good bacteria. Since most soy in this country is genetically modified, also look for miso labeled “organic” or at least “non-GMO.” I prefer to buy miso sold in glass jars, like South River Miso, but I can’t always find it, so Miso Master packaged in this plastic tub is the next best thing. My family has eaten at enough Japanese restaurants and Benihanas to know what miso soup and miso salad dressings are, so that’s how I introduced miso at home. It’s always easier for me to present a “health food” to the kids if it looks reasonably familiar, and most importantly, if it’s delicious. Because for this girl, deprivation ain’t no way to welcome a brand new year.
- Vinaigrette:
- 2 Tablespoons unpasteurized organic white miso
- 2 Tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons raw honey
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 1 Tablespoon chopped, peeled fresh ginger (use less for a more subtle ginger flavor)
- 1 small clove garlic, peeled
- ¼ cup unrefined, cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces mixed baby greens
- Optional vegetables: thinly sliced radishes, julienned carrots or sweet bell peppers, sliced avocado, thinly sliced unpeeled Japanese cucumber
- Puree all vinaigrette ingredients in a blender until smooth. Taste for salt.
- Place greens and any vegetables you are using in a serving bowl. Add enough vinaigrette to coat lightly and gently toss.
Fresh ginger freezes really well. Peel it first, then tightly wrap it before storing it in the freezer. Allow it sit on your countertop a few minutes before cutting it. It is not a good idea to use a ceramic knife to cut frozen ginger (ask me how I know this.)
25 Comments
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Another home run, Pamela! I wanted to use up some miso in the fridge and had a salad to make for dinner. I didn’t have any fresh ginger (we just sold our house so trying to clean the pantry and fridge out), so I used a 1/4 tsp of ground ginger. The salad I made included a piece of cut up grilled salmon I made last night using one of your marinade recipes. You were doing double duty our meal last night:)
Thank you, Meri! Sounds delish. Good luck on your move 🙂
Thank you! Great market to sell.
We recently moved away from Miami and our favorite sushi restaurant that had the most delicious miso salad dressing. We used to buy a tub of it to take out it was so good. I decided to try to search for recipes online and tried this one. I made it exactly according to the recipe except I did not add the ginger. I was pretty sure that what I was trying to replicate hadn’t had ginger in it. I am just thrilled with the result! Yum! I think I could put this on just about anything, fish, raw veggies as a dip, tempura. Just delicious! I made an extra batch of it with the ginger for my husband because he likes ginger more than I do and he loved it! Definitely a hit!
That’s wonderful! It lasts for a long time in the fridge, too!
This was delicious! I used it on a salad of arugula, white beans, roasted asparagus, avocado, and tomatoes. Thank you so much – I know I’m going to put this dressing on everything all week!
Gosh, that salad sounds pretty incredible! I sometimes dip raw crudites in the leftover dressing during the week. Yum!
Hello there! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after browsing through a few of the articles I realized it’s
new to me. Regardless, I’m definitely pleased I discovered it
and I’ll be book-marking it and checking back regularly!
This sounds exactly like what I am looking for: does this recipe taste similar to what is served in some Japanese restaurants on a house salad?
It depends on the Japanese restaurant. There is one that is more orange and that has carrot juice in it and that is a little more sweet than this. But otherwise, very similar.
Awesome! I am so excited to make this!
Could you please provide the nutrition info, mainly the sodium content.
I’m sorry, but I don’t do the calorie or sodium counts for any of my recipes. But there are so many websites and apps that can help you figure that out.
I added some toasted sesame oil to this and used it as a coleslaw dressing instead of a mayonnaise based sauce. It came out delicious.
That’s a genius idea!
I have never made a dressing before and I made this tonight. I saved the link months ago and it is delish!! Thank you so much for sharing, I had so much fun in the kitchen doing it 🙂
Also I didn’t have a vegetable peeler for the ginger, and so I used a spoon for the whole thing, it worked out perfect.
You can definitely peel ginger with a spoon for the whole thing. Good call!
I hope this is your first of many delicious dressings to come! Thank you for writing in. Big smiles!
OMG!!! This is sooo easy and yummy!!! I have been making a batch every week now for the past 3 weeks! Thank you Pamela!!
Great excuse to eat another salad! I actually like it w/ micro greens, cabbage, and kale as well as the standard greens!
I’m so happy you like the dressing. Thank you for the other leafy green suggestions!
Light in texture, deep in flavor. Delicious! My daughter prefers this dressing over peanut butter or ranch dressing for her crudite. I think it’s a perfect green salad dressing, but it’s also great for mixing into a bowl of soup. Great recip
Hallelujah! Thanks, Edie. So awesome that your daughter likes it. Try offering it to her with a food she has been reluctant to try and you may have a win-win!
This is a delightful dressing. I have made it many times with tons of compliments. Thank you for it!