Tahini Miso Dressing or Dip

This vegan dressing is quick and straightforward to make. The tahini gives a wonderfully creamy texture and miso paste brings its umami-rich and tangy taste to the mix! Amazing on salads and grains or served as a dip.

Table of Contents

• Ingredient tips
• Step by step pictures
• Variations and substitutions
• Serving suggestions
• FAQs
• Storage
• More tahini recipes
• 📖 Recipe

We've been eating a lot of miso recently (especially this vegan miso pasta). If you're not familiar with miso, it's a fantastic way to enhance your vegan cooking and salad dressings. It's full of umami flavor - the less well-known fifth taste that is savory and moreish.

Miso is a fermented food and contains probiotics which can be beneficial to gut health.

Tahini is also rich in nutrients, and a good source of calcium in plant-based diets. The tahini also gives this dressing a wonderfully rich texture. This recipe is very versatile and can be used as both a delicious sauce and dressing or as a thick and creamy tahini dip.

Ingredient tips

Tahini - Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. Choose a good tahini for this recipe, as some brands are more bitter. Lighter types of tahini are milder.

White miso paste - This fermented soybean paste is a treat for the tastebuds with elements of umami, tanginess, saltiness, and sweetness. We recommend using white miso, also known as sweet or shiro miso. Yellow miso will also work, but red miso may be too strong for this recipe.

Lemon juice - The addition of fresh lemon perfectly complements the earthy, nutty base of tahini.

Maple syrup - A little bit of sweetness helps balance tahini's natural bitterness.

Soy sauce - Just a splash adds depth and seasoning to the dressing.

Water - Simply add water to reach the texture desired. Use more water to make thinner consistency for a dressing. Use less water to make a thick and creamy dip.

Step by step pictures

Here's a simple visual guide for making our tahini miso dressing. Find the complete and scalable recipe in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Variations and substitutions

You can add fresh ginger or garlic. Use about one clove of pressed garlic or 1 tsp of finely grated ginger, or adjust to your taste. To get a smooth dressing you can blend it with an immersion blender or in a high-speed blender.

Run out of tahini? You could try using peanut butter or another nut/seed butter instead.

Gluten-free? Use gluten-free tamari sauce instead of soy sauce, and make sure to use a gluten-free miso paste.

Need a soy-free dressing? Use a chickpea miso paste instead and replace the soy sauce with a little bit of salt or coconut aminos.

Serving suggestions

This lemon miso tahini dressing goes great with buddha bowls and grain bowls.

We really like it with this Massaged Kale Salad.

It's fantastic on roasted vegetables too - carrots or sweet potatoes work particularly well.

As a dip, it is great with raw veggies like red peppers, carrots, or cucumbers. We like to add a garnish of sesame seeds when serving as a dip.

We also love it with our Crispy Baked Tofu.

FAQs

Where can I find miso paste?

Look for miso paste in the Japanese section of your Asian grocery store. It often comes in a plastic tub. You can also look for miso paste in a jar in the international aisle of your local grocery store.

Storage

Store the dressing in a mason jar or airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.

It can thicken over time, so if necessary, whisk in a little more water.

More tahini recipes

📖 Recipe