1-2-3 Miso Dressing

Author Notes

Read this recipe once and you’ll have it memorized. If you’re like me, you always have these three ingredients—white miso, apple cider vinegar, and honey. Besides their big flavors, it doesn’t hurt that they resist going bad at all costs. And no, the missing oil isn’t a mistake here; we just don’t need it, thanks to miso’s creaminess. Make sure you use a white miso that you really love (for me, that’s Miso Master’s Mellow White Miso). I call for equal parts of everything, by volume, because that’s the ratio that I like best. But this, like any recipe, should be futzed with, depending on your mood. If you’re serving the dressing with something super salty, bump up the honey. With something super rich, bump up the vinegar. And yes, you can add salt to taste, if you want, but I’ve never found it necessary. This starting point also allows you to adjust the quantity to however much you need (a tablespoon of each is a good starting point for a single serving). This dressing would be happy to spruce up any vegetable, whether it’s crunchy romaine, massaged kale, sautéed spinach, or quick-blanched peas. You could also spoon it on top of a grain bowl. Or make a cold noodle salad. Or drizzle it onto pan-seared chicken, fish, beef, or tofu. All of which to say, it’s hard to go wrong. —Emma Laperruque