Miso Sauce is a versatile condiment that adds rich umami depth to any dish without raising blood pressure like traditional salt. Made from fermented soybeans, it's not only delicious but also packed with probiotics, vitamins, and minerals. Whether you're drizzling it over vegetables, using it as a marinade, or mixing it into dressings, miso sauce is your go-to for elevating meals with minimal effort.
Miso is a fermented soy food that doesn’t have the same risks as other salty foods like kimchi. It’s not linked to stomach cancer or high blood pressure. Miso Sauce is typically thicker and more concentrated, used for glazing or dipping, while Miso Dressing is thinner and designed to coat salads or bowls.
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Health Benefits of Miso
This study explores how miso, despite its high sodium content, does not raise blood pressure in the same way that salt does, and it even showed a reduction in nighttime blood pressure among those with hypertension. One group ate two bowls of miso soup daily, even though it had more salt than recommended. The other group ate unsalted soybeans. Surprisingly, the miso group had lower nighttime blood pressure after two months. The reason isn't clear, but since the participants in the miso group lost a little weight, miso may help the body eliminate excess salt through the kidneys, as observed in animal studies.
This was inspired by my healthy Balsamic Vinaigrette, as well as this Healthy Green Goddess Dressing.
👩🏼🌾 Miso Sauce Ingredients
- Mellow or white miso
- Date syrup or maple syrup
- Optional longevity spices: Long Pepper contains the anti-aging compound piperlongumine. Black Cumin Seeds may improve weight loss, cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, and blood sugar control.
- Ginger can lower blood sugar levels and improve long-term blood sugar control, help with menstrual cramps, and may help with migraines.
- Tamari (gluten-free) - Use low-sodium tamari for a healthier sauce.
- Garlic is a mineral absorption enhancer. It aids the absorption of nutrients in the presence of phytonutrients. Add this dressing to salads to aid absorption.
See the recipe card for quantities.
🫚 Substitutions
- Maple syrup - use date syrup for a healthier sauce
- Ginger - substitute with ginger powder which has the same benefits as ginger
- Tamari - use soy sauce or coconut aminos instead
🍶 How to Make Miso Sauce
For the full recipe with quantities, scroll down to the bottom of the post. This is an overview.
Step 1. Add the miso, tamari, rice vinegar, and date syrup to a bowl or jar with a lid. Grate the ginger and garlic into the bowl or jar.
Step 2. Whisk to combine, or shake the jar, until all the ingredients are fully incorporated.
✔️Expert Tips
- Use miso sauce as a dipping sauce, as a dressing for salads, or to flavor veggie bowls, noodle bowls, grilled veggies, stir-fries, tofu, or tempeh.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftover Miso Sauce for up to 5 days. Stir before using.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
Yes. Use this umami-loaded sauce to marinate soy curls, tofu, tempeh, sietan, or veggies. The umami flavor penetrates well into the ingredients, especially when marinated for a few hours or overnight.
Use gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos for a gluten-free sauce.
Yes, miso sauce can be used in cooking as a glaze, a base for soups or stews, or mixed into stir-fries. However, it should be added toward the end of cooking to preserve the flavor and probiotics, as high heat can diminish these qualities.
🫙 Related Recipes
🥗 Pairing
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I would love it if you would ⭐️ rate this recipe and leave a comment. Thank you in advance.
📖 Recipe
Miso Sauce
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons white miso or mellow miso
- 1 tablespoon tamari preferably reduced sodium
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon date syrup or maple syrup (or to taste)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 ½ inches ginger
Instructions
- Combine the miso, tamari, vinegar, and date syrup in a jar with a lid, or medium bowl.
- Add the garlic and ginger: Press the garlic, and grate the ginger, into the bowl or jar.
- Mix: Cover and shake vigorously. Or whisk the ingredients in a medium bowl.
Notes
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
Karen says
This dressing is fabulous. It tastes just like the house dressing at my favourite Japanese restaurant. I’m having it right now on a salad of cooked bok choi, shaved carrot, roasted kalettes , pomegranate arils, and toasted almonds.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Your salad sounds so good! Thank you for sharing!
Josie says
Made this to drizzle over cauliflower steaks. I added a little bit of tahini to thicken it up a bit, and it worked out perfectly.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So good with tahini!!! Sound delicious. Thank you.
Josie says
This is a simple recipe, but good. I added some tahini to help thicken because I wanted a dressing to drizzle over cauliflower “steaks”. Worked very well. Thank you
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad to hear. Thank you. You might like this miso tahini on my site: https://cookingforpeanuts.com/easy-miso-tahini-dressing/
Susan says
Could I use chickpea miso? I have a soy allergy. Thanks!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yes!
Michael Thompson says
No