food
From miso noodle soup to miso-honey chicken
By Taryn Pire
•
Published Feb 3, 2024
Maria Siriano/The Probiotic Kitchen
If your experience with miso starts and ends with that Styrofoam cup of soup that comes with your sushi delivery, it's time you branched out. The traditional Japanese ingredient, which is made from fermented soybeans and a mold called kōji, is endlessly versatile—and pretty good for you, too. (Hi, gut-friendly probiotics.) It can give almost any ho-hum dish a boost of umami, whether it's dinner or dessert. Here are 25 miso recipes to start with, ranging from miso-glazed salmon with gochujang rice to soba noodles with asparagus, miso butter and egg.
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MANDALYN RENICKER/THE HUCKLE AND GOOSE COOKBOOK
1. Sheet Pan Miso-Glazed Fish with Broccoli and Coconut Rice
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: high protein, sheet pan recipe, beginner-friendly
Whether you opt for salmon, sea bass, cod or halibut, this sheet pan wonder is sure to win you over at first bite. Use red miso paste for a more intensely flavored glaze or white miso paste if you'd prefer it milder.
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CAROLINA RODRIGUEZ/THE LULA CAFE COOKBOOK
2. Sweet Potato Miso Soup
- Time Commitment: 4 hours and 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: vegetarian, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
The secret ingredient here (besides salty red miso, of course) is brown butter, aka liquid gold. Onions, mushrooms and apples are caramelized in it for a deeply nutty soul-soother. Substitute store-bought vegetable stock to cut down on prep time.
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CONNIE MILLER OF CB CREATIVES/MILK STREET: NOODLES
3. Soba Noodles with Asparagus, Miso Butter and Egg
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
For busy weeknights when you don't feel like cooking, this lightning-fast dish will save dinnertime. Nutty, earthy buckwheat noodles are the ultimate match for funky white miso and sharp ginger, while salted butter rounds it all out.
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Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Aran Goyoaga
4. Roasted Winter Vegetable Platter with Miso Aioli and Romesco Sauce
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly, gluten free
The recipe calls for making the aioli from scratch, but you can save time by starting with store-bought mayo. As for the roasted veggies, swap in any less-than-perfect produce that you have on hand; just be sure to cut it uniformly so the pieces cook on the sheet pan at the same rate.
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Yuki Sugiura/Love Japan
5. Miso-Honey Broiled Chicken
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes (plus marinating time)
- Why We Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
The sauce for this protein-packed powerhouse essentially cooks itself. A two-ingredient marinade of red or blended miso and honey tenderize the chicken overnight. Then, it caramelizes under a blazing hot broiler with butter and pan juices.
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6. Restorative Miso Noodle Soup
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, dairy free, make ahead
Not tonight, chicken noodle. This nourishing mix of soba, grated ginger, white miso paste, silken tofu and shiitake mushrooms will combat whatever cold you're fighting off. The miso is stirred in right at the end to retain its probiotic benefits.
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Mark Weinberg/Baking with Dorie
7. Dorie Greenspan’s Miso-Maple Loaf
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
Sweet, savory and downright drool-worthy, this sturdy treat is similar to other desserts you've had (think banana bread, honey cake or gingerbread), but simultaneously totally unique. Buttermilk is the trick to its shockingly moist texture.
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Katherine Gillen
8. Miso-Glazed Salmon with Gochujang Rice
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, high protein, dairy free, <10 ingredients
White or yellow miso is mixed with your choice of unseasoned rice vinegar or soy sauce and toasted sesame oil for a fish dish that's equal parts salty, zingy and nutty. Pile on the gochujang for a pungent, spicy side (and add a veggie if you're feeling virtuous).
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Aran Goyoaga
9. Carrot, Fennel and Miso Soup
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegan, gluten free
Pumpkin seed-pine nut crunch? We're so there. Don't be afraid to cook the veggies to the point where they're sticking to the pan—toasting their natural sugars is a great way to maximize their sweetness.
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Taryn Pire
10. Vegan Miso Caramel Dip with Pretzels and Granny Smith Apples
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, vegan, <10 ingredients
Add this to your girl dinner wishlist. Dissolve the miso in water to mellow its punchiness before adding it to the pot, or simply whisk it in straight from the container while the caramel thickens to keep its flavor notably intense.
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Chanie Apfelbaum/Totally Kosher
11. Miso Matzo Ball Soup
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, beginner-friendly
Sure, this Shabbat staple doesn't *need* any improvements. But toasted sesame oil and scallions in the beyond-tender matzo balls and white miso in the broth certainly won't hurt. Finish your bowl with a flurry of crushed roasted seaweed.
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GHAZALLE BADIOZAMANI/INSTANT POT MIRACLE MEDITERRANEAN DIET COOKBOOK
12. Instant Pot Miso Salmon Chowder
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: Instant Pot recipe, high protein, beginner-friendly
Leave it to your trusty pressure cooker to whip up a decadent, protein-packed soup in just 35 minutes with minimal help from the chef. Use whole milk, heavy whipping cream or any nondairy milk if soy isn't your thing—just avoid skim if you want the broth to turn out rich.
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13. Ginger Miso Acorn Squash with Toasted Pistachios
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, dairy free, vegan
The miso and brown sugar bring out the squash’s natural sweetness, while chopped nuts offer crunch to every bite. Bookmark this beauty now to serve on Thanksgiving (or any old Tuesday).
14. Miso Hummus with Crispy Onion Furikake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour (plus soaking time)
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, vegan, beginner-friendly
One-note hummus? No thanks. Instead, serve this vibrant twist on the chickpea dip, which is souped up with fresh lemon, Chinese sesame paste instead of tahini and white miso. Don't even get us started on the no-cook onion furikake.
15. Stone Fruit Cucumber Salad with Ricotta Salata and Golden Balsamic Miso Vinaigrette
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: no cook, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes
The tangy-sweet dressing—starring your choice of white or yellow miso—ties the crisp, refreshing produce and salty cheese together like a charm. Take your pick of peaches or nectarines, plums or pluots and any cucumber you fancy.
16. Creamy Peanut Miso Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, high protein, beginner-friendly
Like chicken salad...only a million times better. Crunchy peanut butter, soy sauce and whatever miso you have on hand make for a supercharged sauce that will taste divine on poultry, tofu and noodles alike. Finish each wrap with a spritz of fresh lime.
17. Miso-Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, vegan
Even our favorite veggie can benefit from an umami boost. The salt, fat and acid boxes are already checked; just add crushed red pepper flakes or sriracha to the savory, tangy marinade for heat.
18. Secret Ingredient Peanut Butter-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
It sounds unbelievable, but the hint of salty miso adds a certain je ne sais quoi to this otherwise classic chocolate chipper. Baking it in a skillet ensures a fudgy, melty center and chewy, caramelized edges.
19. Miso Sesame Shortbread Cookies
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, gluten free, make ahead, <10 ingredients
If you want something a bit less indulgent, whip up these not-too-sweet treats instead. With the help of almond meal and tapioca starch, these cookies are naturally gluten free and delightfully earthy.
20. Buttered Miso-Tomato Soup with Roasted Garlic and Togarashi
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: gluten free, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
TBH, we'd put roasted garlic and miso on just about anything and gobble it down, from crusty bread to roasted potatoes. Here, the combination is used as a deeply flavorful soup base. Might we suggest serving it with a grilled cheese sandwich?
21. Sheet Pan Miso Salmon and Spring Peas
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly, make ahead
A fast and healthy take on one of our go-to proteins that's much more exciting than your usual lemon-and-olive-oil treatment. Marinate the salmon ahead in the miso mixture to save time before dinner.
22. Miso Smashed Cucumber and Green Bean Salad
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, vegan, gluten free
Crunchy, refreshing and doused in a satisfyingly savory dressing, your guests will have no complaints about this one-of-a-kind salad. The recipe calls for serving the green beans raw, but you can quickly blanch them instead if you'd prefer them cooked.
23. Spring Greens Salad with Miso-Buttermilk Dressing
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
Think of the garlicky miso dressing as fancy ranch. It's packed with lip-smackingly tangy ingredients, like sour cream, rice vinegar and buttermilk. We'll take extra sourdough croutons on ours, please.
24. One-Pan Roasted Chicken and Vegetables with Miso-Honey Butter
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: gluten free, one pan, high protein
Salty white miso and sweet honey are already a match made in dinner heaven. Add butter and sesame oil to the mix and you have a game-changing condiment you'll want to smear on just about everything (but let's start with these roasted thighs, shall we?).
25. Raw Kale Salad with Roasted Chickpeas
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: vegan, gluten free, beginner-friendly
Who said kale was boring? Here, it's coated in a surprisingly creamy cashew-miso dressing that's totally dairy free. Make this nutritious meal even more hands-off by nixing homemade crispy chickpeas in favor of store-bought.
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Taryn Pire
Food Editor
Taryn Pire is PureWow’s food editor and has been writing about all things delicious since 2016. She’s developed recipes, reviewed restaurants and investigated food trends at...
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