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    Home » Salads and Dressings » Sensational Sesame Miso Vinaigrette and Marinade

    Sensational Sesame Miso Vinaigrette and Marinade

    Published: Nov 8, 2021 · Modified: Nov 8, 2021 by Elaine · This post may contain Amazon affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This blog generates income via ads · 12 Comments

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    Sesame Miso Vinaigrette pin
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    This Sesame Miso Vinaigrette and Marinade is a full-flavoured salad dressing made with sesame oil, rice vinegar, white miso and honey or maple syrup. It adds amazing flavour to salads. It's great on grilled meats and vegetables, too. A quick 5-minute creamy miso dressing!

    a flask with sesame miso vinaigrette

    Five minutes, a quick whisk and you'll have a sensational miso dressing ready for salads and more!

    When I was creating my Asparagus Salad with Smoked Salmon recipe I knew the Sesame Miso Vinaigrette I made for it was going to become a favourite. In fact, I liked it so much I decided it deserved a post of its own.

    It's a full-flavoured dressing that will enhance any salad. Mellow sesame, salty miso and sweet honey combine with rice vinegar to make a perfectly balanced vinaigrette.

    Jump to:
    • ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
    • 🛒Ingredients
    • 🔪Step-by-Step Instructions
    • ❓What is miso?
    • 🔁 Possible variations
    • 🍽 So many ways to use sesame miso dressing!
    • How to store miso dressing
    • 🗒 More recipes for salads and dressings
    • 📖 Recipe Card

    ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

    • It raises simple coleslaw to new heights in this recipe for Cabbage Coleslaw with Sesame Miso Dressing!
    • Broccoli salad gets a major facelift in this Broccoli Quinoa Salad with Sesame Miso Dressing.
    • This sesame miso vinaigrette works as a marinade, too. It makes grilled mushrooms something to write home about.
    • Drizzle it on roasted sweet potatoes, smashed sweet potatoes, grilled asparagus, or zucchini noodles. Recently I used it to make Sesame Miso Air Fryer Asparagus!

    Can you tell I'm obsessed?

    🛒Ingredients

    Here are a few notes about the ingredients you'll need to make this amazing sesame miso dressing. You'll find a complete list with quantities in the recipe card below.

    ingredients with labels for sesame miso vinaigrette
    • sesame seeds: white
    • white miso: sometimes called sweet miso or mellow miso, it has a milder flavour than other types of miso. It is fermented for a shorter time and is lower in salt. It's ideal in this dressing.
    • toasted sesame oil: or regular sesame oil. Toasted sesame oil has a more complex flavour than regular sesame oil, making it the perfect choice for this dressing. However, if you don't have it, you can certainly use regular sesame oil. If you find it too strongly flavoured, feel free to use part toasted sesame oil and part regular sesame oil.
    • rice vinegar: has a subtle flavour and is less acidic than distilled vinegar.
    • honey: adds a mellow sweetness. Feel free to substitute maple syrup to make a vegan miso dressing.
    • olive oil: extra virgin
    • salt: I use sea salt in all my recipes, but you can use your favourite salt. Always start with a very small amount, as you can always add more if you need to. Miso is naturally salty, so you won't need to add much salt.
    pouring sesame miso dressing on salad

    🔪Step-by-Step Instructions

    This Sesame Miso Dressing and Marinade is a 5-minute wonder!

    1. Toss some sesame seeds in a small skillet and toast just until they start to brown.
    2. Whisk the miso, sesame oil, rice vinegar, olive oil, honey and sea salt.
    3. Add the toasted seeds and make an everyday salad something to remember!
    sesame seeds in a skillet
    1. Toast sesame seeds.
    whisking sesame miso ingredients together
    2. Whisk oil, vinegar, honey, miso and salt.
    adding sesame seeds to dressing
    3. Add toasted sesame seeds.
    whisking sesame miso vinaigrette with sesame seeds
    4. Whisk everything together.
    Sesame Miso Vinaigrette is a 5-minute wonder!

    Do you like making your own vinaigrettes? For a complete guide to making your own healthy salad dressings and seven more delicious homemade salad dressing and vinaigrette recipes, check How to Make Homemade Salad Dressing.

    ❓What is miso?

    What is miso? What's the difference between white miso and red miso?

    Miso is a fermented paste made from soybeans. It has been used in Japanese cooking for hundreds of years. It gives food an earthy, salty flavour that is sometimes even described as funky.

    If you're familiar with umami flavours, (those brothy, meaty savoury tastes) miso is one of those! It's difficult to describe, but it adds rich flavour to recipes, especially to this miso dressing.

    This recipe uses white miso. It is not usually white but can range from white to beige or light brown. White miso is made by fermenting soybeans with rice. It's best used in recipes for condiments, dressings or dips. For example, I used it in the dip in this recipe for Blistered Shishito Peppers with Miso Aioli Dip.

    Red miso has a much stronger flavour and colour because it has been fermented with barley or other grains. It's best used in soups or stews. You can learn more about the different types of miso in this article, What's the Difference between White, Yellow and Red Miso?

    close up view of a jar of miso dressing with sesame seeds

    🔁 Possible variations

    Like a thicker, creamier dressing or dip? Feel free to whisk in a few tablespoons of mayonnaise. Serve this miso dip with fresh veggies, raw asparagus spears or raw kohlrabi sticks. Try it with Air Fryer Shishito Peppers!

    🍽 So many ways to use sesame miso dressing!

    Besides tossing it with your favourite green salad, this creamy miso dressing is absolutely delicious on buddha bowls, power bowls or with all of the following recipes.

    • Asparagus Salad with Smoked Salmon
    • Fresh Veggie and Grilled Shrimp Zoodle Bowl
    • Cabbage Coleslaw with Sesame Miso Dressing
    • Broccoli Quinoa Salad with Sesame Miso Vinaigrette

    How to store miso dressing

    Store leftover dressing in a jar or covered container in the fridge. It will last for several days. Just give it a shake or whisk it together when it separates.

    When you make this miso dressing, please leave a comment and a rating below. I'd love to hear how you used it. Thanks in advance!

    🗒 More recipes for salads and dressings

    • Hearty Tuscan Salad with Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing
    • Green Bean Potato Salad with Anchovy Dressing
    • Easy Ginger-Orange Dressing
    • Healthy Quinoa Bowl with Spinach, Feta and Strawberries

    This recipe was originally published in 2016. It has been updated with new photos and extra information.

    📖 Recipe Card

    sesame miso dressing in a flask

    Sensational Sesame Miso Vinaigrette and Marinade

    This Sesame Miso Vinaigrette and Marinade is a full-flavoured vinaigrette made with sesame oil, rice vinegar, white miso and honey. Delicious on salads. It's great on grilled meats and vegetables, too.
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Salads and Dressings
    Cuisine: Asian
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes
    Servings: 16 tablespoons
    Calories: 74kcal
    Author: Elaine
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    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
    • 2 tablespoons white miso
    • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, or regular sesame oil, or 1 tablespoon of each
    • ⅓ cup rice vinegar
    • 6 tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin
    • 1 tablespoon honey, or rice syrup or maple syrup for vegan diet
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt

    Instructions

    • Toast sesame seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan frequently to prevent burning. When they just begin to darken and become fragrant, remove from heat immediately and transfer to a small plate to cool.
    • In a small jar, whisk the remaining ingredients until well combined.
    • Add the toasted sesame seeds and serve with your favourite salad or vegetable dish.

    Notes

    Store leftover dressing in the fridge. It will last for several days.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 152mg | Potassium: 7mg | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @enessman or tag #flavourandsavour!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Gary Bastoky

      May 02, 2022 at 2:37 pm

      5 stars
      Best miso vinaigrette dressing recipe! Added some thinly sliced green onions to it, but in general, it was perfect.

      Reply
      • Elaine

        May 03, 2022 at 11:32 am

        Thanks Gary! I like your idea of adding green onions. Thanks for sharing that.

        Reply
    2. Cheryl Ronay

      June 03, 2021 at 4:15 pm

      Is the vinegar supposed to be seasoned or non seasoned?

      Reply
      • Elaine

        June 03, 2021 at 7:08 pm

        Hi Cheryl, I use natural rice vinegar--unseasoned. Hope you love this vinaigrette!

        Reply
    3. Anna

      July 11, 2019 at 6:54 am

      I made it this morning for my salad, delicious!

      Reply
      • Flavour & Savour

        July 11, 2019 at 7:38 am

        Thanks Anna! So glad you liked it as much as I do!

        Reply
    4. Kathi

      March 05, 2018 at 9:42 am

      5 stars
      I made this yesterday and it is fabulous! I was looking for a recipe to rival our favorite from a local sushi place we love. I added a couple tablespoons of light mayo to cream it up and it is delish! Our new fave dressing! Thanks for the great recipe Elaine!

      Reply
      • Flavour & Savour

        March 05, 2018 at 12:17 pm

        What a great idea to make it into a creamy dressing! Must try that!

        Reply
    5. Kathryn @ Family Food on the Table

      April 25, 2016 at 12:15 pm

      5 stars
      Gorgeous dressing and I absolutely agree that it needed a post of its own! Sounds like such a delicious combination of flavors and I know I'm going to want to drizzle it on ALL the foods 🙂 Pinned!

      Reply
      • Flavour & Savour

        April 25, 2016 at 8:01 pm

        Thanks Kathryn!

        Reply
    6. Nancy | Plus Ate Six

      April 25, 2016 at 4:18 am

      5 stars
      I'm a huge fan of miso anything and miso and honey dressing sounds just delicious. I bet it would be pretty good over soba noodles too.

      Reply
      • Flavour & Savour

        April 25, 2016 at 7:32 am

        Hi Nancy,
        Great idea! And that makes me think it would also be great on zucchini noodles!

        Reply

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    Elaine from Flavour and Savour

    Welcome! I'm Elaine

    I create delicious gluten-free recipes that everyone can make. I’m here to show you that gluten-free eating doesn’t have to be complicated! I’ll help you make healthy meals that you’ll want to share with family and friends. About Me!

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