Creamy Lemon-Miso Dressing

By Samin Nosrat

Updated July 1, 2025

Creamy Lemon-Miso Dressing
Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Total Time
15 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Rating
5(246)
Comments
Read comments

If I were a singer-songwriter, I would write a power ballad about my love for Kismet Rotisserie in Los Angeles. The shoebox-size, mostly takeout restaurant serves the kind of food I’d eat every day if I lived in the neighborhood: golden roast chicken, fluffy pita and perfectly seasoned side dishes piled high with vegetables. But what I love most are its sauces and dressings. Especially its miso-poppy seed dressing, which I set out to re-create a couple of years ago. At some point, though, my journey took a detour, landing me here with this recipe from my book, “Good Things” (Random House, 2025), at what just might be my new favorite all-purpose dressing. Tangy, sweet, creamy and rounded out with umami, it manages to hit every note you could want in a dressing without being cloying. Add some poppy seeds for classic flavor or leave them out to make the dressing more versatile for drizzling over roasted vegetables, in potato salad or anywhere else you can imagine.

Featured in: 3 Salad Dressings You Should Memorize

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:About 2 cups
  • ¼cup aquafaba (See Tips)
  • 1tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 4tablespoons apple cider vinegar, divided, plus more as needed
  • ¾cup sunflower oil
  • ¼cup sugar
  • 2packed teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
  • ¼cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed
  • 3tablespoons white miso
  • 2garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼teaspoon celery seeds
  • 1teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
  • 2tablespoons poppy seeds (optional), lightly toasted
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

484 calories; 44 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 19 grams monounsaturated fat; 17 grams polyunsaturated fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 15 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 521 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a liquid measuring cup or wide-mouth jar, combine the aquafaba, mustard and 1 tablespoon of the vinegar. With an immersion blender running on high speed, drizzle the oil in a thin stream to blend and make the aquafaba “mayonnaise.”

  2. Step 2

    In another wide-mouth jar, blend together the remaining 3 tablespoons vinegar and the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, miso, garlic, onion powder, celery seeds and salt until smooth. Return the blender to the aquafaba mayonnaise, and with the blender running at high speed, drizzle in the lemon-miso mixture. Stir in the poppy seeds, if desired. Taste and adjust with salt, vinegar and lemon juice as needed.

  3. Step 3

    Cover and refrigerate remaining dressing for up to 1 week.

Tips
  • Aquafaba is the liquid left over from cooking beans and is often used for its thickening properties. The liquid from a can of chickpeas works well here.
  • To make roasted broccoli, gently massage finely grated lemon zest onto dark-roasted broccoli when you take it out of the oven, then let it cool a bit. When it’s nearly room temperature, transfer to a serving platter, drizzle generously with the dressing, garnish with finely chopped parsley or chives, and serve.

Ratings

5 out of 5
246 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

Karing

Is there a good substitute for the aquafaba?

Susie Homemaker

P.S. to my earlier comment on aquafaba: While it is used as a vegan substitute for egg whites in baking recipes, note that this is only because it functions as egg whites do in baking. Its nutritional value, however, is nowhere near that of egg whites. (Aquafaba is essentially starchy water, while egg whites are about 75% protein by weight.)

RM

2 egg whites

Lisa

Can I use potato or pasta water?

Liz S.

What can sub for the seed oil—avocado oil?

Jason

Can a different oil be used? I don'; usually stock sunflower oil in my kitchen

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.