Ginger Miso Dressing Recipe

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This Ginger Miso Dressing is the ginger-y, umami-y dressing I've been putting on chicken salad, cabbage kale slaws, grain bowls, and roasted tofu and vegetables for years. It looks creamy, but there's no dairy, no mayonnaise, so the dressing is vegan. And if you use tamari or coconut aminos instead of regular soy sauce, the dressing is also gluten-free.

If you've ever eaten at sweetgreen, and you like their miso sesame ginger dressing, you will LOVE this Ginger Miso Dressing.

Ginger Miso Dressing Notes, Resources, and Substitutions

• Ginger. The easiest way to peel fresh ginger is to use a spoon or the back of a small paring knife to scrape the peel off. If you are using a high-power blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec, you don't have to grate the ginger, just slice the ginger cross-wise as thinly as possible to add to the blender.
• Miso. There are several different types of miso, which vary in color, depth of flavor, saltiness, and "funk." I use white miso, which is lighter in color, and less salty. This brand, and this brand are the two organic brands I buy most often.
• Tamari. Tamari is a soy-based sauce, but fermented without wheat, so it is gluten-free. If you can tolerate gluten, you can use regular soy sauce. This is the organic brand I use, available at Whole Foods and online.
• Rice Vinegar. Make sure to use rice vinegar, and not rice wine which is an alcohol, or mirin, which is a seasoned rice vinegar with salt and sweeteners. I use this organic rice vinegar. If you can't find rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar is a good substitute.
• Sesame Oil. Toasted sesame oil is added for the toasty, umami flavor, not as the usual oil component of a salad dressing or vinaigrette. This is the brand of sesame oil I use.
• Avocado Oil. Avocado oil has a light, neutral flavor, which sort of blends into the background of this dressing. I use this organic avocado oil. Olive oil works in almost every other salad dressing, but might be too intense in flavor for this Ginger Miso dressing. If you want to use olive oil, find a "light," everyday olive oil that won't overpower the dressing with its own flavor.

How to Use Ginger Miso Dressing

• Dressing for Asian Chicken Salad as pictured above
• Also dressing for Tofu Salad
• Perfect sauce tossed with julienned vegetables and buckwheat soba noodles
• Tossed with any Roasted Vegetables, my favorite the Japanese Sweet Potatoes
• Stir into Hot Rice or Quinoa for a Grain Bowl
• Dip for crunchy vegetable crudités
• Dip for Fresh Summer Rolls