The Salad Dressing I Could Eat with a Spoon

I know what you’re thinking. How can a salad dressing be that exciting? Trust me, this one is. I’m the food director at REAL SIMPLE, I’ve written five cookbooks, and I’m a culinary school graduate. All that to say, I’ve tasted some salad dressings in my life! 

This miso Caesar salad dressing is fantastically delicious, almost slurpable. Developed in our test kitchen by Marianne Williams, the recipe originally appeared in the December 2020 issue of REAL SIMPLE. I made it for dinner at home soon after that. My husband and teenager thought they were about to eat a normal—tasty, but unremarkable—salad. To say that our minds were blown is probably strong, but just a little bit. I quickly discovered this dressing was an easy way to get all of us to eat more salads.

My family and I aren’t the only ones who love this recipe. One reviewer says, “I made this salad for my family to accompany a pasta dish. It was quick, easy and FANTASTIC!” Another agrees: “Amazing!!!!! This is going to be my new go to salad dressing.”

What makes it such a standout? I’ve got one word for you: umami. That’s the Japanese term for the fifth flavor, along with sour, sweet, salty, and bitter. Umami is a deep savoriness found in so many ingredients that make our mouths water, including a few in this recipe.

The Ingredients

The dressing is made from eight powerful ingredients, including mayonnaise, miso paste, garlic, olive oil, anchovy, and Worcestershire sauce. It’s basically umami (mayo) on top of umami (miso) on top of umami (anchovy) on top of umami (Worcestershire sauce—made from anchovy). No wonder it’s so good! 

There is no one set recipe for Caesar salad dressing, but the mayonnaise (or raw egg; mayo is made from eggs), anchovy, and Worcestershire sauce are typical. The miso is not, and that’s what sets this recipe apart. Miso is a traditional Japanese paste made from fermented soybeans and salt, among other ingredients. While that may not sound delicious on its face, let me assure you that it is a total flavor bomb. Miso brings a deep savoriness to the dressing that makes it almost irresistible. It’s basically a magic ingredient.

Look for miso in the refrigerated section of your grocery store; it’s often found near the tofu. White miso is best for this recipe; it’s milder than red. A container of miso will last in your refrigerator for months and months.

The Prep

Making this dressing is also super simple. You just whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl and thin the mixture with a few tablespoons of cold water. The only chopping involved is the garlic and anchovy, and if you have anchovy paste around, you can just squirt a dollop of that into the dressing and skip chopping the fishy. The one variation I make to the recipe is to grate the garlic into the dressing with a Microplane zester. A garlic press would also work. 

The final result is creamy, rich, and salt-forward. It’s everything you love about Caesar dressing, just more.

How to Use This Salad Dressing

Obviously, this dressing is super on salad, Romaine or otherwise. It also makes for a fantastic dip for crudités or a big-flavor drizzle on roasted vegetables. I also use it as a marinade for chicken breasts and spread it on salmon before roasting it in the oven.

How to Make It Vegetarian

This recipe can easily be made vegetarian-friendly. Just skip the anchovy and use vegetarian Worcestershire sauce. If you don’t have that, use soy sauce or tamari instead. Taste for seasoning, and add a pinch of kosher salt if desired.

However you make this dressing, if you are a Caesar fan, I’m confident this version will be your new go-to. Hail, (miso) Caesar!

More Yummy Miso Recipes

Once you’ve bought miso for this salad dressing you’ll likely want more ways to use it. Here are a few: