This copycat recipe for Trader Joe’s carrot ginger miso salad dressing is full of flavor and perfect for anything from a simple green salad to an entree salad. Whole carrots, white miso, fresh ginger root, and sesame oil are joined by a little bit of honey and chopped scallion to make this flavorful dressing.
The original popular dressing is now discontinued at Trader Joe’s, but thankfully you can recreate it at home! I’ve been making homemade salad dressings like this one for over two decades now. In fact, it’s the perfect way to get started with home cooking because it’s easy, quick, and versatile!
💕 why you’ll love this carrot miso ginger dressing…
🤑 money-saving. Making dressings at home costs a fraction of the price of store-bought, and it’s a whole lot fresher, too.
⏱️ quick & easy. It is so easy to whip up in a matter of minutes that you won’t miss making a trip to the grocery store.
♻️ customizable. You can add as much or as little miso & ginger as you like, creating your own custom blend!
🛒 ingredients
- white miso paste – aka shiro miso, is the subtle star of this dressing. White miso paste is probably the only ingredient in this dressing that isn’t super easy to access but trust me, it’s worth the hunt. Many specialty health food stores like Whole Foods or Sprouts Market will have this ingredient. As a bonus, since miso paste is fermented, it stays fresh in the fridge for-ev-er!
- carrots – fresh, whole carrots give this dressing the signature orange color and mild carrot flavor.
- ginger – while the recipe calls for fresh ginger root, you can use ginger puree or powdered ginger in its place.
- rice wine vinegar – made from fermented rice, this vinegar plays wonderfully with the flavor of the miso paste.
- toasted sesame oil – The original carrot ginger miso salad dressing at Trader Joe’s used canola oil as an ingredient. I prefer a little more depth of flavor to this dressing, so I use toasted sesame oil.
- shallots – the lovechild of garlic and onions, shallots provide a delicate burst of flavor.
- honey – just a bit brings out the sweetness of the miso paste.
- water – water helps to thin out the dressing. You can adjust the amount to your preferred thickness.
See recipe card for quantities.
🤔 all about miso
Miso paste originated in Japan and is made of a mix of fermented soybeans and rice. More specifically, a type of fungus on rice called kōji mold is used to help ferment the soybeans. Fun fact, kōji rice mold is also used to make alcoholic beverages like sake!
There are many types of miso, but two of the most popular you’ll see in stores are white miso and red miso. White miso is made with a larger percentage of rice than soybeans. This makes it milder in flavor than red miso, which is made of more soybeans than rice. White miso imparts a delicate balance of savory, sweet, and umami to any dish it is added to. For this reason, it works well in a variety of dishes, from marinades to dressings and even desserts!
While you can use white and red miso interchangeably, because red miso is more flavorful, you will need less of it.
🍳 instructions
Step 1: Peel and roughly chop the carrots, ginger, and shallots.
Step 2: Combine all the ingredients in the jar of your blender.
Step 3: Blend the ingredients well. You can thin the dressing out with additional water if desired.
Step 4: Pour the dressing into your desired storage container and store in the fridge.
Hint: Do you prefer your salad dressing to have a bit more body to it? Just blend it for less time! A chunkier dressing will be sure to remind you of your favorite sushi or hibachi restaurant, but you may want to opt to store it in a jar instead of a squeeze bottle.
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♻️ substitutions & variations
- different oil – you can use another nutural oil like canola oil or avocado oil. I don’t recommend using olive oil because it has a stronger flavor that can compete with the ginger and miso.
- ground ginger – you can substitute ground ginger for fresh if you don’t have it on hand. Use 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger in place of the 1-inch piece of ginger, which yields about 1 tablespoon.
- alternative vinegar – if you don’t have rice vinegar, you can substitute white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or even lemon juice.
- alternative sweetener– you can use maple syrup or agave in place of the honey in this recipe!
🧰 equipment needed & storage tips
- high-powered blender – the ninja bullet-style blender I use as pictured in the process photos is the perfect tool for salad dressings like this one. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you can also use an immersion blender or a food processor.
- storage bottle – Glass bottles make perfect salad dressing containers! They are beautiful and functional. I also love to store my homemade salad dressings in OXO squeeze bottles. The squeeze bottles can be a bit tricky with chunkier dressings like this one though, because small pieces of carrot and ginger can clog the bottle.
🫙 storage
Store the salad dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
💬 q+a
Most specialty grocery stores and Asian markets will have miso paste. You can also find it at online specialty retailers.
You can substitute red miso paste for white. Be sure to start with a smaller amount, like 1 teaspoon, and scale it up to taste.
You can use an immersion blender or food processor to make this recipe, but it will be difficult to make without any of these tools. You can finely grate the carrots and ginger, and finely dice the shallots, but you will end up with a chunkier dressing than if you make it with a small blending appliance.
Opt for mild vinegars like white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or champagne vinegar. You can also use lemon juice in place of vinegar. If you only have white vinegar, dilute it to a 1:1 ratio with water before using it in the recipe. This will help mellow out the flavor.
If you make this recipe, please leave a review in the comments and a star rating!
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Carrot Ginger Miso Dressing
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Equipment
- 1 Blender/ Food Processor
Ingredients
- 2 whole carrots medium sized, peeled
- 1 inch ginger root peeled, about 1 tablespoon
- ½ shallot chopped, about 1 tablespoon
- 2 tbsp white miso paste
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- ¼ cup toasted sesame oil can use a neutral oil, like canola or avocado for a lighter flavor
- 1 tbsp honey
- ¼ cup water optional
Instructions
- Peel and roughly chop 2 whole, medium-sized carrots, a 1-inch piece of ginger, and 1/2 of a shallot.
- Combine the chopped carrots, ginger, and shallot with 1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar, 1/4 cup of toasted sesame oil, 2 tablespoons of white miso paste, 1 tablespoon of honey, and the optional 1/4 cup of water in a high-power blender or food processor and blend until smooth. For a chunkier-style dressing, blend for less time.
- Store in an airtight container for up to one week.
Notes
- different oil – you can use another nutural oil like canola oil or avocado oil. I don’t recommend using olive oil because it has a stronger flavor that can compete with the ginger and miso.
- ground ginger – you can substitute ground ginger for fresh if you don’t have it on hand. Use 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger in place of the 1-inch piece of ginger, which yields about 1 tablespoon.
- alternative vinegar – if you don’t have rice vinegar, you can substitute white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or even lemon juice.
- alternative sweetener– you can use maple syrup or agave in place of the honey in this recipe!
- grate your ginger – If you’re not using a POWERFUL blender or food processor, I’d recommend grating your ginger first on a Microplane.
Video
Nutrition Information
The information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition facts calculator and actual nutrition facts may vary.
