The Miso Coleslaw Dressing I Make All Summer Long

It started as an Asian-inspired side. It became the thing everyone asks for — whether the menu is Japanese or not.

There are recipes you make once and forget. And then there are the ones that quietly take over — the ones you find yourself doubling in May so you can pull a quick slaw together on any given Tuesday. This miso coleslaw dressing is the latter.

The magic ingredient is sweet white miso (often labeled "mellow white miso" at the grocery store). It's mild, slightly sweet, and deeply savory — it adds a layer of umami that regular mayo-based coleslaw just can't touch. Paired with aji-mirin, rice vinegar, and a whisper of toasted sesame oil, the dressing is bright and complex without being fussy.

My assistant, Valerie, helps out with these large quantities for Reno Food Systems events. We made the dressing and slaw in my kitchen and then split it up to keep overnight in our refrigerators until the event the next day.

Most recently, I made this for the Reno Housing Authority BBQ — a community event I was proud to be part of as a member of the Reno Food Systems crew. We ran a microgreens workshop for residents, helped prep and serve the food, and this coleslaw was on every plate. I had my wonderful assistant Valerie alongside me, and between the two of us, we cranked out enough slaw for 50 people — five big bowls, each one mixed and dressed by hand.

It disappeared fast. The residents at the Reno Housing Authority campus kinda looked skeptical when I said the slaw was "Asian inspired ... with a miso dressing". I guess that skepticism evaporated when they started coming back for 'seconds' and 'thirds'.

If you taste the finished slaw and want more depth, don't re-dress it from scratch. Make this tiny booster instead ...

The slaw was served alongside folded JUSTegg sandwiches on whole grain buns — a hearty, plant-based plate that was a hit with the crowd. But honestly? I've served this coleslaw with grilled corn, tacos, BBQ jackfruit sandwiches, baked beans and especially alongside the Gardein Fishless Filets or the Chef Chew Plant-based Fish Nuggets. It goes with everything.

That's the secret about this dressing: you don't have to be cooking anything Asian for it to belong on the plate. The miso adds depth the way a good aged vinegar would — you taste it and think "why does this taste so much better than regular coleslaw?" That's the miso doing its quiet, savory work.

Days like the RHA BBQ are why I love cooking for a crowd. Food is one of the fastest ways to bring people together — and when that food is nourishing, colorful, and genuinely delicious, you can feel the difference in the room. The microgreens workshop, the conversation around those blue-tablecloth tables, the plates coming back empty — it all adds up to something that matters.

I hope this dressing finds its way into your warm-weather rotation. It's earned a permanent spot in mine.