Miso Recipes: White Miso Pesto, Soups, and Marinades

I cook with white miso, for its mild, but distinctive flavor. It adds reliable savory depth in seven of my recipes. This post gathers the methods and notes from those recipes that include white miso so you can see exactly how I use white miso or my White Miso Pesto to bring flavor depth to soups, marinades, and rubs.

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spoonful of carrot miso soup. — White miso paste that is stirred into carrot soup adds umami, but also rounds out the flavor and gives the soup body.

Why I Reach for White Miso

~White miso adds rich savory depth and a touch of creaminess. I call it a magic ingredient because it brings umami and a bit of body that balances the oil and lemon. In pestos and soups it builds flavor without needing cheese or extra salt. Because it is already fermented, mixtures that contain it keep well in the refrigerator and often taste better after a day or two.

close up of white miso paste in dish ready to be added to recipe. — In Asian cooking, miso is ubiquitous, but I’ve found it enhances many other cuisines and recipes too.

~Practical Tips:
1. mash it first with a fork so it incorporates smoothly into liquids or oils. 2. stir it into soups after the main cooking is done so the flavor stays bright. 3. because miso is salty use lower-sodium broth or skip additional salt and then taste carefully.

Making White Miso Pesto

I blend white miso with parsley, basil, thyme, sage, walnuts, garlic, lemon, and olive oil.
The miso replaces cheese and gives the pesto its savory backbone.
Because of the fermented beans the finished mixture stays thick and spreadable rather than runny.
I make this pesto and then use it across multiple dishes over a few weeks.
Full recipe: White Miso Pesto (dairy-free).

bowl of miso herb pesto with half a lemon and fresh herbs nearby. — White Miso Pesto (dairy-free)

Using White Miso in Soups

In general, I add white miso or the pesto at the end so the flavor stays bright.
In the carrot soup I dissolve several tablespoons of white miso into the pureed vegetables along with mirin and toasted sesame oil. Full recipe: Miso Carrot Soup with Furikake
In the vegetable soup I stir in a portion of the miso herb pesto. Full recipe: Hearty Vegetable Soup with Miso Pesto
In the mushroom ramen I dissolve a tablespoon of white miso directly into the broth with the noodles. Full recipe: Miso Mushroom Ramen Soup with Za’atar Marinated Tofu
Because miso is salty, I keep the broth lower in sodium and taste as I go.

bowl of tofu miso ramen soup with gold linen napkin folded next to the bowl. — Miso Mushroom Ramen Soup

Using White Miso as a Marinade or Rub

I use the same miso herb pesto or just white miso as a marinade or rub.
For the Za’atar marinated tofu I mash white miso with capers first, then whisk it with olive oil, za’atar, and lemon juice. The miso adds umami and a bit of creaminess that balances the oil and gives the marinade more body. Full recipe: Za’atar Marinated Tofu
On the roasted chicken I smear most of the pesto over the skin before a hot, fast roast. Full recipe: Miso Herb Roasted Chicken with Spiced Blueberry Vinaigrette
On the sheet-pan vegetables I dollop or lightly drizzle the pesto over larger chunks of sweet potato, leek, cherry tomato, and shiitake so the pieces stay intact while they roast. Full recipe: Miso Pesto Roasted Vegetables over Jasmine Rice

miso herb pesto drizzled over roasted veggies on top of jasmine rice. — Miso Pesto Roasted Vegetables over Jasmine Rice

What flavors pair well with white miso

Based on what I’ve used miso for in my recipes, you can use it to add umph and flavor to your day to day cooking, even when you don’t want to make a full recipe. When throwing together a meal or salad, try one of these options:

Lemon brightens the salty umami of white miso, so try rubbing salmon with miso and squeezing lemon on top, or whisk miso into a favorite homemade salad dressing, along with lemon.
Fresh herbs (parsley, basil, thyme, and sage) are a great way to balance the umami of miso, so I recommend blitzing any of your favorite fresh herbs into a miso marinade or dressing.
Olive oil helps the miso emulsify in dressings and marinades.
Shiitake mushrooms complement the fermented depth of white miso and can always be a veggie of choice when making some form of a recipe that includes miso.
Za’atar, lemon, and capers create a Mediterranean direction in the tofu marinade. The miso adds creaminess and umami that balances the bright, herby notes.
Mirin, toasted sesame oil, and furikake create an Asian-leaning direction in the carrot soup. The mirin softens the salt while the sesame and seaweed amplify the savory notes.
Walnuts in the pesto add richness that rounds out the miso.