This easy Miso Sauce delivers bold umami depth in minutes – perfect as a dressing, dip, spread, or marinade. Once you taste its perfect balance of savory, sweet, and tangy notes, you’ll want to drizzle it on everything!
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White miso’s mellow sweetness combines forces with peppery fresh ginger, bold garlic, rich sesame oil, and bright rice vinegar, creating a complex flavor that elevates grilled or roasted meats, veggies, and grains alike. Unlike store-bought versions, you get to control the consistency and intensity of this homemade white miso sauce.
Beyond its incredible flavor and versatility, this miso sauce also offers gut-friendly fermentation benefits and lasts weeks in the fridge, ready to use whenever you are!
This no-cook sauce comes together in no time at all with just a handful of simple ingredients, making it the ultimate shortcut for transforming everyday meals. Keep it on hand to instantly add flavor to pasta, stir fry veggies, roast chicken, and so much more!
Ingredient notes
- White miso paste – You can find white miso paste in the refrigerated section of grocery stores or Asian markets. White miso (also known as Shiro miso) has a mild, sweet flavor. Yellow or red miso will work but both have a stronger flavor. Always use a clean spoon to scoop out your jarred miso paste to avoid any cross-contamination.
- Rice vinegar – Adds bright acidity to the sauce. Rice wine vinegar works too, or substitute apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, white wine vinegar, or lime juice.
- Soy sauce – I prefer a low-sodium soy sauce to keep this recipe balanced, but use regular soy sauce if you prefer a bolder level of saltiness.
- Toasted sesame oil – This provides a nutty, aromatic depth (a little goes far!). Regular sesame oil works too, but toasted has more flavor. Make sure to store your oil in the fridge to prevent rancidity. Olive oil or avocado oil can be used instead, but you can then expect a milder taste.
- Garlic – Fresh cloves peeled and blended right in for punchy flavor.
- Ginger – Freshly blended ginger gives this recipe a zesty kick that dried ground ginger doesn’t compare to. No need to mince or grate it if using a blender, but I would suggest doing so if mixing the sauce by hand.
- Lime juice – This will brighten the sauce. Lemon juice can also be used.
- Maple syrup – A touch of natural sweetness to round out the flavors.
- Water – Thins the sauce to your ideal consistency – less for thick sauce, more for drizzle-ready sauce.
How to make it
- Blend Until Smooth: Add all the ingredients to a blender or food processor. Process until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed to ensure even blending.
- Adjust Consistency: For a thinner sauce, blend in a dash of water at a time until it reaches your preferred consistency.
- Store or Serve Immediately: Transfer the sauce to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 weeks or serve immediately with an array of dishes.
Ways to use white miso sauce
White miso sauce is a magical addition to your cooking. It creates luxuriously creamy pasta sauces (no eggs needed), transforms roasted vegetables, and adds depth to grain bowls and salads. Try these simple ways to make it your go-to flavor booster:
- Creamy Miso Pasta – White miso transforms a simple butter-garlic sauce into something extraordinary, adding sweet umami depth and creating a luxuriously thick coating for your favorite pasta – perfect for both traditional and gluten-free noodles.
- Elevate weeknight sides like green beans or roasted broccoli with a miso drizzle, or swirl it into sushi bowls for an umami-packed protein boost (especially delicious with baked salmon).
Tips and tricks
- Make a thinner sauce by stirring in a dash of water at a time for a thinner sauce.
- Thicken your sauce by mixing in 1 teaspoon of miso paste at a time.
- For extra zing, add more ginger (grated or blended) to taste.
- Use broth instead of water to thin the sauce while preserving flavor.
- Make this sauce ahead – flavors improve after resting in the fridge!
- Double the recipe and refrigerate for easy use later on.
- Stir in liquid when serving stored miso sauce as the sauce will naturally thicken when chilled.
- Add a boost of flavor by using roasted garlic. Bake (425°F for 40 mins) or air fry a whole bulb of garlic. Learn how to roast garlic here.
- For ultra-smooth texture, strain through a fine mesh sieve after blending. I highly recommend this when mixing your sauce in a bowl.
- Add citrus zest (yuzu, lemon, or lime) for extra brightness.
Variations
This versatile savory condiment adapts effortlessly to your personal taste and the dishes you’d like to pair it with. Try these simple twists to make it your own:
- Miso variety – Swap white miso for yellow or red miso to intensify the depth of umami flavor. The darker the color, the stronger the sauce.
- Acid options – Use any vinegar (rice, apple cider, or white wine) or citrus (lemon instead of lime) for brightness.
- Alternative prep and cooking – No food processor or blender? Finely grate the ginger and garlic, then whisk vigorously by hand until smooth.
- Sweetness control – Omit maple syrup for a purely savory profile, or reduce it by half for subtle balance.
- Combine with mayo – Mix this miso sauce with mayo for a sandwich spread that’s out of this world!
Serving suggestions
This versatile sauce transforms any dish. Drizzle it on salads, glaze meats, toss with pasta, or thin it out for dipping. It’s perfect for grains, sandwiches, and veggies, and adds an instant punch to quick weekday meals and those special dishes. Here are some recipes I love to serve this sauce with:
Storing
Keep leftover miso sauce in an airtight container for 3-4 weeks. Stir well before using, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened.
While possible to freeze this miso sauce for up to 6 weeks, freezing may alter the creamy texture.
Erin’s wine pairings
When selecting wines to complement this umami-rich miso sauce, opt for bottles with bright acidity or subtle sweetness to balance its savory depth. The sauce’s creamy texture and fermented complexity pair beautifully with:
- The creamy texture of Chardonnay (unoaked or lightly oaked) which mirrors the sauce’s luxuriousness while the bright acidity cuts through the umami richness.
- The earthy notes of Pinot Noir which harmonizes with miso’s depth. The wine’s vibrant acidity also complements the sauce’s subtle sweetness.
- An off-dry Riesling which adds a touch of sweetness to balance the miso’s saltiness.
More recipes with miso paste
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Full Recipe
Miso Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup white miso paste
- 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic (peeled)
- 1 inch knob fresh ginger (peeled)
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1-2 Tablespoons water (if needed)
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
- If it is too thick for your liking, you can add a dash of water to thin it out.
- Pour into a refrigerator safe container and seal. You can keep this for 3-4 weeks.
Notes
- Keep leftover miso sauce in an airtight container for 3-4 weeks. Stir well before using, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened.
- While possible to freeze this miso sauce for up to 6 weeks, freezing may alter the creamy texture.
- Make a thinner sauce by stirring in a dash of water at a time for a thinner sauce.
- Thicken your sauce by mixing in 1 teaspoon of miso paste at a time.
- For extra zing, add more ginger (grated or blended) to taste.
- Use broth instead of water to thin the sauce while preserving flavor.
- Make this sauce ahead – flavors improve after resting in the fridge!
- Double the recipe and refrigerate for easy use later on.
- Stir in liquid when serving stored miso sauce as the sauce will naturally thicken when chilled.
- Add a boost of flavor by using roasted garlic. Bake (425°F for 40 mins) or air fry a whole bulb of garlic. Learn how to roast garlic here.
- For ultra-smooth texture, strain through a fine mesh sieve after blending. I highly recommend this when mixing your sauce in a bowl.
- Add citrus zest (yuzu, lemon, or lime) for extra brightness.
- Miso variety – Swap white miso for yellow or red miso to intensify the depth of umami flavor. The darker the color, the stronger the sauce.
- Acid options – Use any vinegar (rice, apple cider, or white wine) or citrus (lemon instead of lime) for brightness.
- Alternative prep and cooking – No food processor or blender? Finely grate the ginger and garlic, then whisk vigorously by hand until smooth.
- Sweetness control – Omit maple syrup for a purely savory profile, or reduce it by half for subtle balance.
- Combine with mayo – Mix this miso sauce with mayo for a sandwich spread that’s out of this world!
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