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Some salads are all about the salad ingredients and some are all about the dressing. This one is all about the dressing. My incredible recipe tester, Laura Arnold, referred to this dressing as “life changing,” and she makes a lot of salads. The salad itself has only four ingredients, and that includes sesame seeds. I wanted to keep the base crunchy, nutritious, and simple to let the complexity of the miso dressing shine—and shine it does. It’s a very green, very delicious salad.
Ingredients
Mirin: A sweet Japanese rice wine that adds mild sweetness and depth.
Tamari or reduced-sodium soy sauce: Adds savory, umami flavor with a salty kick.
Tahini: A creamy sesame paste that provides richness and nutty flavor.
Unseasoned rice vinegar: Adds light acidity and brightness to balance flavors.
Neutral oil: Contributes smoothness and helps emulsify the dressing without adding strong flavor.
Sweet white miso: A mild, slightly sweet fermented paste that brings deep umami.
Water: Thins the dressing to the desired consistency.
Lemon juice: Adds fresh acidity and a bright, citrusy note.
Garlic (grated): Provides sharp, aromatic depth.
Kosher salt: Enhances and balances overall flavor.
Black pepper: Adds subtle heat and complexity.
How to Make my Miso Sesame Kale Salad
How to Make the Dressing:
In a medium bowl, combine the mirin, tamari, tahini, vinegar, oil, miso, water, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Whisk until smooth and well combined.
Note: If your tahini is thin in consistency, this is easy to stir together; if it is thick, you can make this in the blender. Add additional water by the tablespoon as needed until you reach the correct dressing consistency. Set aside.
How to Make the Salad:
In a large bowl, combine the kale, cabbage, and scallions.
Drizzle almost all the dressing over the salad. (You won’t need all of it—close to that.)
Massage the dressing into the kale using your hands to help tenderize the greens.
Toss the salad with the sesame seeds and serve.
Commonly Asked Questions:
Miso is savory and slightly salty with a mild sweetness (especially white miso), adding deep umami flavor.
Yes, massaging softens the kale, making it less tough and easier to eat.
Absolutely, it actually tastes better after sitting for a bit as the kale absorbs the dressing.
Miso Sesame Kale Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/4 cup Mirin
- 1/4 cup tamari or reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tbsp tahini
- 3 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp neutral oil, such as vegetable oil or light olive oil
- 2 tbsp sweet white miso
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 garlic clove, small and grated
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Kale Salad
- 2 heads lacinato (Tuscan or dinosaur) kale, stemmed and thinly sliced into ribbons, about 1 lb
- 1/2 head green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
- 6 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
Dressing
- In a medium bowl, combine the mirin, tamari, tahini, vinegar, oil, miso, water, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Whisk until smooth and well combined.(Note: If your tahini is thin in consistency, this is easy to stir together; if it is thick, you can make this in the blender. Add additional water by the tablespoon as needed until you reach the correct dressing consistency.) Set aside.
Salad
- In a large bowl, combine the kale, cabbage, and scallions. Drizzle almost all the dressing over the salad. (You won’t need all of it—close to that.) Massage the dressing into the kale using your hands to help tenderize the greens. Toss the salad with the sesame seeds and serve.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
