bang your boots and keep your head down
Recipe: miso salad dressing
Triage. I am in triage mode right now. But it’s all good. Except for the lens that is en route back to California right now – to the Nikon Service Center. Here’s some useful advice: don’t drop your 105mm macro from 3 feet above the ground unless you want your aperture blades to play like a kaleidoscope. Yup.
yosemite dogwoods
redwoods and ferns
Whenever I return from a shooting trip, I crave fresh and simple food. I think most folks who enjoy cooking can relate to that. What I really wanted was a salad with miso dressing – the kind you get at a sushi bar. During the shoot, my mind kept wandering back to the dressing. I definitely tasted vinegar. And it was slightly sweet. By the time I got home, I couldn’t wait to give it a try.
miso paste
mix with mayonnaise
My taste memory is pretty reliable, so when I let Jeremy taste the first trial he said something about, “I think it needs more miso to mellow it out.” Miso doesn’t mellow it out, it makes it saltier and more pungent. This is why I write a food blog and Jeremy does not. I shook my head. A quick dash of sesame oil would add that little bit of nutty overtone I was missing.
sure enough – some sesame oil does the trick
and a pinch of sugar
The dressing itself will taste a little salty. That’s alright because you aren’t drinking it straight – at least I hope you aren’t. When tossed with a salad, it’s the perfect amount of creamy, tangy, nutty, and sweet. Tweak it to your tastes and get your daily vegetables too.
Edit: And if you’re not in the mayonnaise mood (I have a love-hate relationship with The Mayonnaise), I am still very much in love with this ginger carrot dressing.
make a good salad a great salad
is it summer yet!?
Miso Salad Dressing
[print recipe]
2 tbsps miso paste
6 tbsps mayonnaise (or you can sub in some plain yogurt, which I didn’t have on hand)
1-2 tsps rice wine vinegar (to taste)
dash of sesame oil (to taste)
pinch of sugar (to taste)
Mix everything together in a small bowl until well blended. Serve over salad. Makes 1/2 cup.
May 19th, 2010 at 3:02 am
What kind of miso? I recently discovered about 4 different kinds of miso paste in a whole foods-type supermarket in the area and have actually been waiting for an excuse to buy some :) (as well as wakame)
May 19th, 2010 at 3:36 am
Amazing! I love anything miso. Miso-glazed salmon is soo good! :D There’s also another kind of Japanese salad dressing that I like, a sesame-based one. :)
May 19th, 2010 at 4:18 am
I’ve never cooked with miso. It sounds great in the dressing.
May 19th, 2010 at 4:40 am
Oooh, I have all the ingredients to make this right now, and salad greens in the fridge!! Thanks for the inspiration.
May 19th, 2010 at 5:11 am
I’m on a miso kick at the moment. I wasn’t sure what to buy so I bought the red and white bean mix. I just use it as a soup, but will try some in a dressing.
May 19th, 2010 at 5:42 am
I feel your pain; dropped a lens into a duck pond a couple years ago and it was not a pretty outcome.
May 19th, 2010 at 6:06 am
I was just checking your recipes for an orange miso dressing. I’ll start with this and, who knows….maybe I’ll stop with this.
May 19th, 2010 at 6:08 am
Oh my, this sounds lovely…the dressing, not the busted lens.
May 19th, 2010 at 6:53 am
I’m giggling at your little nudge at Jeremy! Indeed, this is why you write about food. This looks and sounds like a winner.
May 19th, 2010 at 7:07 am
Jen, I will make it today b/c I’ve been looking for this recipe for a long time and could not reproduce it every time I had it in a sushi bar. thanks a lot.
May 19th, 2010 at 7:27 am
Oh I can’t wait to give this a try. I am a big fan of miso flavors but never know exactly how to incorporate them into sauces.
May 19th, 2010 at 8:13 am
Gorgeous shots! That salad sauce is very interesting! I love the idea…
Cheers,
Rosa
May 19th, 2010 at 8:35 am
Yum, I always wondered how to make that salad dressing. Thanks!
May 19th, 2010 at 8:51 am
Homemade dressings are the only way to go. Store bought dressings have so much crap in them. I think I will be making this one all summer long. Thanks!
May 19th, 2010 at 9:36 am
Recipe after recipe, you are posting what I am googling at the moment. You and your jedi mind tricks!
This past weekend Luke and I were visiting friends at Tara Mandala in Pagosa Springs, CO and their kitchen served a miso and tahini dressing that was amazing too. I am planning to make both versions now–thanks!
May 19th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
Miso adds such a wonderful flavour to so many things; especially fresh crunchy salads… great simple dressing… thanks for sharing!!
May 19th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
OMG I love miso dressing! And I just hit a serious salad rut, so I think you have saved me. Off to the asian grocer now!
May 20th, 2010 at 12:05 am
Love it Jen. I will try this miso dressing recipe this weekend!!
May 20th, 2010 at 1:57 am
Oooh! I have some leftover miso and some Kewpie mayo that I think I’ll be reserving for this recipe! ^^
May 20th, 2010 at 3:46 am
Bummer about the lens Jen… They are out babies. I’ve had to ship one back to the barn myself. It’s always stressful when one is missing from it’s particular place in the camera bag. Hope the outcome is favorable.
May 20th, 2010 at 4:19 pm
Beautiful beautiful beautiful looking salad! and I am sure it tastes amazing too.
May 25th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
Mmmm. I have a container of miso, a jar of mayonnaise and a bag of shredded cabbage in my refrigerator. I know what’s for dinner!
May 31st, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Esther – I used white miso. I’m sure you can use any kind, depending on your preferences.
Barbara – I think either would work (but I used white miso)
Maria – I’m totally with you on that! I had that fake taste of store-bought dressings. Blegh!
Nichole – JEDI! :) I always try to anticipate what yummy things you might like to eat next, sweetie. xo
Nan – I think as long as we are under warranty or willing to pay for repairs, the outcome will always be “factory condition” :)
June 1st, 2010 at 10:22 pm
Delicious dressing – you were dead-on accurate about the dressing being fairly strong until you actually taste it on the greens, then it’s perfect. Thanks for a great recipe.
July 17th, 2010 at 2:38 pm
it soundsl like what I want and have had but cant get a recipe….does anyone have a good miso soup recipe, easy one
July 19th, 2010 at 8:19 am
margo – I usually follow instructions on the packet – a few tbsps of paste mixed with boiling hot water (or dashi if you have it). Add green onions, cubed tofu, and seaweed.
July 22nd, 2011 at 8:40 pm
This dressing is good as a base for any other sort of miso dressing you like. Another
good dressing is pretty everything in this one, but add 3tbs fresh shiso leaf, 2 tbs fresh lemon juice (or yuzu), 3tbs fresh minced ginger, and 3tbs sweet onion minced. I used a mortar and pestle and just mashed them together except for the shiso leaf. It came out good. Oh I also put some sake in it about 3 tbs.
November 7th, 2011 at 8:56 am
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March 7th, 2012 at 9:59 pm
What type of mayo are you using?? American mayo (like Best Foods) or Japanese mayo (like Kewpie)?
March 8th, 2012 at 8:44 am
Jen – American mayo
September 29th, 2012 at 9:47 pm
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September 30th, 2012 at 5:14 am
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