Cooking with Miso

As a kid with an Italian name who grew up close(ish) to Mexico, cooking with miso scares me. It seems so foreign. Mysterious even. But that’s what makes it so exciting!

What the heck is miso anyway? It’s the name of a simple, yet tasty soup often enjoyed before devouring some salmon nigiri.🍣 But it is so much more than that!

What is Miso?

Miso is a Japanese fermented paste typically made from soybeans, rice, and a bacteria called koji. It varies in flavor and color based on the climate, ingredients, and of course, fermentation time. Fun fact: Soy sauce originated as a by-product of a fermented soybean paste, which was the precursor to miso.

Types of Miso

Like your favorite pair of Converse, miso comes in a variety of colors. The length of fermentation changes the color. And we aren’t judging books by their cover here. Different colors mean different flavors.

• Red miso ferments for over a year and has a saltier, more intense flavor. It is nuttier and less sweet.
• White miso ferments quickly and is the mildest and sweetest. You’ll often see white miso in desserts.
• Yellow miso is our (literal) Goldilocks. It’s the most common and often the one used to make miso soup (even though you can use any type).

So which miso should you use? Are you ready for a lame answer? Use the miso you like the best for each dish. Try different ones and consider the intensity of miso flavor you want. If you’ve never cooked with miso before, I’d recommend starting with white or yellow miso since they are milder. A good rule of thumb is to use white or yellow miso for more delicate ingredients or dishes and red miso for hearty ones. And feel free to have a miso tasting party. Buy a few variations and a spoon (well you probably don’t need to buy that 😉) and see how they all taste! Yes, you can eat miso right out of the jar or on raw carrots or celery.

Buying Miso

High-quality miso will only have a few ingredients: water, soybeans, koji grain, and salt.

Since it is challenging to find high-quality miso in my local grocery store, I order mine online. And when it comes to picking a brand, I rely on recommendations from cooks much smarter than me. I use miso from the Namikura Miso Co. which I learned about from Milk Street. It’s a family-owned company that’s been making miso for generations. So that’s pretty cool! You can do a quick Google search and find their products across the web, even on Amazon. 📦

Best part? Since miso is fermented, it will last months in your refrigerator. So feel free to grab some even if you aren’t quite sure how to use it. Speaking of that...

How to Cook With Miso

Miso adds depth and umami. It’s sweet, salty, and nutty. And it adds body and richness to any dish. Consider using it whenever a dish needs more salt or sweetness or a little “something else”. Remember to start by adding a little bit. You can always add more but you can’t take it away!

The beauty is that miso is a “mix-in” ingredient. It doesn’t require any chopping or special treatment. It’s delicious rubbed onto meats or fish as a marinade, mixed in with fried rice, or added to a vinaigrette. If you do want to develop its flavor, you can brown your miso the same way you would tomato paste. The natural sugar in it will caramelize giving you new flavors that you don’t get from “raw” miso!

Examples always help, right? Let’s take chicken noodle soup. You can layer in miso flavor by browning a tablespoon with aromatic vegetables like onions, celery, and carrots. This will add depth to your dish without making the chicken noodle soup taste like miso soup. If you want a stronger miso flavor, stir some in at the last minute, right before serving. The miso flavor will dull if it simmers away for a while. But don’t limit yourself to using it only with chicken noodle. It’s also a great way to add extra depth and saltiness to butternut squash or potato soup. 🍅🥔🥣

When it comes to sweets, I’m no expert. But I’ve seen recipes swap white miso for nut butter in brownies or cookies. I recommend looking into it if you’re a baker! And apparently miso ice cream is worth seeking out! So that’s on my bucket list.🍦

Ideas on How to Use Miso

• Make a sauce by thinning miso with some citrus juice, rice vinegar, or mirin. The acidity will balance the sweet, salty nature of the miso. Then toss that sauce with boiled or roasted vegetables.
• Use the same miso sauce to glaze meats or fish as you sear or grill them (just don’t thin it out as much). The miso will caramelize beautifully and develop more flavor. I like red miso on meat and yellow miso on fish.
• Mix yellow or white miso with room temperature butter to make umami-rich compound butter. You could even add some scallions and sesame seeds! Use a dollop on a steak and you’ll be in hog, I mean cow, heaven. 🥩 Or use the butter on sautéed veggies!
• Whisk a touch of white miso into the cream you use for panna cotta or buttercream frosting.
• And if you’re vegetarian or vegan, consider using miso as a substitute for bacon or pancetta to add a depth of flavor to a dish.

Where I learned this: this amazing guide on miso by Katie Okamoto, On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee, and from following Milk Street.