Mad About Miso

I'm gonna take a guess and say that the vast majority of you readers out there have never tried miso at home. In all honesty, I hadn't until a few weeks ago. Sure, we've all had the occasional miso soup, but probably really never stopped to think much beyond that, let alone even ask the question... "what the heck is miso anyway?"

So here it is, miso is fermented soybean paste. OK, I admit that probably doesn't get you jumping in the car and heading to Whole Foods to buy some, but I'm hoping you find your adventurous side and pick up a container next time you shop. I'll tell you this, it adds an awesome flavor to dressings and marinades. Sort of like soy sauce on steroids. I mixed up the dressing recipe below and tossed with the Trader Joe's broccoli slaw the other day, and no joke, Max was following me around the kitchen trying to get more. Literally mouth open pointing to the bowl I was eating out of. It was hilarious. 

One of the very cool things about miso is it satisfies your 5th sense of taste, namely umami. You've all heard of your other 4 tastes... sweet, salty, sour and bitter. Umami is the less commonly referenced taste and it gives you the sensation of savoriness. I think umami is what can make a salad made with miso much more satisfying than one made with just your everyday vinaigrette. 

Here's a web site with a ton of miso recipes. And below is my dressing recipe that works well on most salads. I really like it on chopped raw kale and/ or chard. It can also work as a great veggie dip for the kids!

Creamy Miso Dressing

4 T Miso paste (white)

1/2 C Organic Mayo

2 T apple cider or white wine vinegar

4 T Honey (I use raw honey)

Whisk all ingredients together until thoroughly combined. If dressing is too thick you can add a little water or Canola oil. 

Enjoy!