17 Miso Recipes for Umami Lovers

Miso, the Japanese fermented soybean paste, is known for its “salty, umami punch,” often adding depth to savory recipes (like Nobu’s famous black cod) but as much of a secret weapon for sweets from breakfast pastries to chocolate tarts. There are several varieties of miso identifiable by their color, most often white and red. White misos have a lot of rice in the mash, red misos contain a lot of soybeans, while awase misos are blending of white and red. Miso is sweet, mild, and white when made with rice; earthy, acidic, and yellow when made with barley; and salty, strong, and red when made with grains for an extended period of time. Here’s how each type of miso is used to boost the flavor of savory and sweet dishes alike.

Pork Ribs with Black Garlic Miso Glaze

Eva Kolenko

Braised shallots, black garlic, red miso, and dried shiitake mushrooms make a complex glaze for these tender, roasted baby back ribs.

Miso Chocolate Tart with Black Sesame–Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust

Victor Protasio

Mix white miso with melted dark chocolate to add depth, umami, saltiness, and an almost buttery quality to balance the sweet truffle-like ganache in this irresistible chocolate tart.

Black Cod with Miso

Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Nobu Matsuhisa’s signature non-sushi dish was made famous with miso. He marinates black cod in a mixture of mirin, sake, sugar, and white miso paste for days to build the flavor of the elegant, buttery fish entrée.

Miso Caramel Blondie Sundae

Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

White miso’s savory undertone tempers the sugary caramel in the cakey caramel blondies that are the base of this ice cream sundae.

Miso Air Fryer Salmon with Baby Bok Choy

Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Marinate salmon fillets in a mixture of white miso, soy sauce, ginger, chopped scallion bulbs, and mirin, for this salty-sweet dinner that’s ready in 45 minutes.

Miso-Tofu Hot Pot with Ramen

Victor Protasio

White miso and shiitake dashi add umami to tofu and vegetables in this hot pot of broth that’s the perfect partner for ramen.

Miso-Red Bean Patties

Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

White miso and soy join forces for salty, funky richness in these red bean and shiitake mushroom patties that can be made in advance.

Shrimp Scampi with Garlicky Miso Butter

Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Whisking white miso into the white wine sauce used to cook this shrimp adds even more briny depth to the garlicky seafood pasta.

Pear Sticky Toffee Cakes with Miso-Caramel Sauce

Greg DuPree

Gail Simmons gives sticky toffee pudding more dimension and depth by adding a salty savoriness to the toffee with white miso.

Braised Greens with Crispy Garlic and Miso Butter

David Malosh

Braise hearty greens in a miso butter–laced broth for a richly flavored side from Justin Chapple.

Chocolate Puddings with Miso Caramel

Photo by Caitlin Bensel / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis

Pastry chef Clarice Lam intensifies the deep, chocolaty flavor of these silky puddings by enriching caramel with red miso.

Miso-Roasted Vegetable Soup

Victor Protasio

Raquel Pelzel coats vegetables in a white miso mixture before roasting in a Dutch oven to make this hearty, robust, complex, vegan soup.

Miso Caramel-Apple Danish

Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Brush buttery, white miso-enriched caramel on thin apple slices to enrich the filling for these flaky baked pastries.

Quick-Brined Salmon with Lemon, Miso, and Sofrito

Farrah Skeiky

Pastry chef Paola Velez mixes shiro miso with green sofrito, garlic, butter, and lemon to add depth to this sheet-pan salmon dish.

Miso Mary Libertine

Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

This vibrant cocktail from Libertine Cocktail Bar at Casa Bonay, Barcelona, is a satiating and savory rendition of the blood Mary from a mix made with white miso, shiro dashi, black vinegar, togarashi, kombu bouillon powder, and kona wasabi powder.

Grilled Scallops with Miso-Corn Salad

Victor Protasio

Add a savory dimension to this summer salad and a rich contrast to the sweet corn and scallops with white miso.

Grilled Wagyu Rib Eye with Roasted Fig Miso

Eva Kolenko

Chefs Niki Nakayama and Carole Iida-Nakayama use red miso and fresh black Mission figs for a savory, lightly sweet sauce top this tender, marbled grilled Wagyu. The make ahead sauce is great for grilling ribs, too.

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