If you are into creamy dressings, this one is for you! This is the Lemon Miso Dressing and it comes together in less than 5 minutes, with 6 ingredients only!
Any salad can turn into an amazing side (or meal) if a good dressing is added.
Usually, my go-to salad dressing is my sumac vinaigrette, but lately, this miso tahini dressing has taken the crown.
This dressing for kale salad is packed with so many flavors- it's nutty, savory, tangy, and sweet. And I am pretty sure you will be as obsessed with it as I am.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This dressing for kale salad is super creamy and packed with flavor. It can take any boring salad or meal to the next level.
- It's so easy to make, only 5 minutes of prep is required. After that, it lasts for up to a week in the fridge.
- It's made from healthy ingredients. This dressing is pretty wholesome - it's vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free.
Ingredients
- Tahini. Use good-quality tahini for best results.
- Miso paste. I recommend using white or yellow miso paste. We haven't tried this recipe with dark miso, but we think it may work.
- Sweetener of choice. We like using maple syrup or honey, but agave can also work.
- Lemon juice. For balancing out the bitterness and the sweetness.
- Water. To thin out the dressing and make it pourable.
- Garlic powder. We like to use garlic powder, because it's not as strong and slightly sweeter, compared to fresh garlic. If you don't have it on hand, fresh garlic works just as fine too!
- Salt.
How to Make This Dressing
To make this dressing for kale salad, add all of the ingredients to a bowl. We recommend starting with less amount of water and adjusting later if needed.
Next, using a whisk, mix everything until smooth and creamy. At this point, you can add more water if you want to thin it out.
Taste and adjust the flavor if needed, adding more salt for saltiness, maple syrup for sweetness, or lemon juice for tanginess.
Optional add-ins and substitutions
- Soy sauce. If you don't have miso paste on hand, you can substitute it with the same amount of soy sauce.
- Fresh garlic. You can substitute garlic powder with the same amount of fresh minced garlic. It will add stronger flavor and more depth.
- Fresh ginger. If you want more of a kick, 1 teaspoon of minced ginger would be a great addition to this dressing for kale salad.
- Sesame oil. Adding sesame oil to this dressing will give it a more nutty flavor, which we found to be nice. 1-2 tablespoon should be enough.
- Mustard. Either dijon or whole-grain mustard can work here. Add 1-2 tsp..
- Lemon zest. Adding 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon zest will bring freshness and flavor.
Storage Instructions
- Fridge: Transfer sauce to a covered container or a jar with a lid. Store in the fridge for 5 to 7 days.
- Freezer: This sauce is best served fresh, but you can still freeze it for up to 1 month.
My Best Tips
- Add more or less water, depending on how thick you want your dressing to be.
- Use high-quality tahini that's runny in texture and not as bitter. This is pretty imporant for a good tasting dressing.
- This dressing for kale salad is pretty versatile and leaves plenty of room for add-ins. You can level it up by adding any of the optional ingredients mentioned above.
- You can enjoy this dressing on any salad! We also love to serve it with vegan tofu spring rolls or roasted vegetables.
Easy Salad Recipes To Try
📖 Recipe
Lemon Miso Dressing
Ingredients
- ¼ cup tahini
- 1 teaspoon yellow or white miso paste
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 3-4 tablespoon water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder or minced garlic (optional)
Instructions
- Add ingredients to a bowl and mix well until smooth and creamy. Add more or less water depending on how thick you want your dressing.
- Taste and adjust the flavor if needed, adding more salt for saltiness, maple syrup for sweetness or lemon juice for tanginess.
- Enjoy immediately or store in a jar or a covered container for 5 to 7 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with third-party calculations without including the optional ingredients.
Kris says
This dressing is wonderful. I used it on roasted salmon bowls with brown rice, cucumbers, pickled red onions, avocado, and lightly steamed broccoli. The flavors were amazing, and I am so happy I doubled the recipe. This will be excellent on a kale salad with quinoa, toasted almonds, and currants tomorrow! Thank you, Petra!
Petra says
Kris, that sounds sooo good, now I want of those bowls hahha! And yess to that salad, you have a good taste 😉 Thank you for the amazing review, it always makes my day to read them!
Wendy says
Wonderful dressing! Added a little extra lemon juice and miso paste. I will definitely make this again. Thank you!
Petra says
It's one of my go-to dressings, so I'm super glad to hear you like just as much! Thank you for the review!
Robert says
I've tried this on pretty much every salad i've made so far and this tahini dressing was PERFECT for all of them! Loved it.