One ingredient that I see over and over again in my vegan cookbooks is miso. As a kid I hated miso with a passion. Could not stand it. We had a Japanese girl living with us for a year and she would often make miso broth. I tried it several times, but never could enjoy it. Now I’m a grown-up and I love miso. It just took about 15 years was all. :)
I recently bought white miso at my favorite Asian market. It’s a lot cheaper than the health food store, and it comes in much larger containers. It lasts a long time, so it’s okay to buy a bunch at once.
I made Orange Miso Vinaigrette from one of the first vegan cookbooks, 500 Vegan Recipes, written by two bloggers, Celine Steen of Have Cake, Will Travel and Joni Marie Newman Just The Food. (If you’re new to veganism, I would recommend giving their book a try. It has so many interesting recipes.)
The vinaigrette is so good you want to grab a straw and slurp away. No kidding.
We enjoyed it first on roasted cauliflower. It took me 15 years or more to like cauliflower too. If I’d tried cauliflower with this vinaigrette on it, I guarantee my past self, I would have loved both cauliflower and miso.
We also enjoyed the vinaigrette on a quick salad I threw together for a late lunch after I volunteered at La Nay Ferme.
Gorgeous fresh greens, sliced cucumbers, radishes, red peppers, navel orange segments, green onions (from my garden), and strips of carrot. Very colorful and healthy.
Orange Miso Vinaigrette
from 500 Vegan Recipes
Ingredients:
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp. white miso
1 Tbsp. agave nectar
1 clove garlic, grated
1 tsp. packed grated gingerroot
1 Tbsp. black sesame seeds (I only had white)
1/4 tsp. fine sea salt, to taste (optional)
Instructions:
Whisk together the orange juice, vinegar, oil, miso, agave, garlic, gingerroot, sesame seeds, and salt, if desired, in a medium-sized bowl. Serve chilled.
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Do you like miso? How do you use it in your cooking? I got my friend Christie to buy some and we’re trying to come up with more ways to use it. Can you help us out?
3 Comments
I’ve tried miso in seafood soup and saucy dishes but never as a vinaigrette. This is something I would really love to try. I love the thickness it will offer the dish.
I absolutely love miso, but am still learning how to use it. I can’t wait to try this recipe. I use it in a raw vegetable soup recipe by Jennifer Cornbleet. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu4taVitkTM&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL2A31C33D3083EE58
~Mrs. Jones
My recent hit is Miso glazed grilled salmon. Mix miso, sake, mirin and sugar. Coat all over the salmon on the foil and top with cheese and then mayo before wrapping with foil over top. Gril it for 15 min.