Roasted Sesame Dressing with Tahini and Miso

Anyone who’s been to Japan has probably come across those little packets labelled “Roasted Sesame Dressing” sitting in the fridge section next to the salads at the kombini. If you sometimes don’t scrutinize every ingredient while travelling as a vegan, which, I’ll admit, I don’t always, you may have tried it. This creamy salad dressing is called Goma Dressing (goma simply means sesame), and it has that perfect balance of salty, sweet, tangy, and umami all in one. So damn good.

If you’re a very strict vegan on the road, you probably decided against trying it. Because unfortunately, Goma Dressing usually contains mayo or other animal ingredients, and in Japan, small quantities don’t legally have to be declared, which doesn’t exactly make travelling there as a vegan any easier. It’s absolutely still worth going, though, and once you know a few tricks, you can eat fantastically well as a vegan in Japan.

My best tips for travelling in Japan as a vegan are in this blog post.

Anyway, my Japanese roasted sesame dressing with tahini and miso is made completely without mayo, instead, I use tahini and lemon juice, roasted sesame oil, soy sauce, maple syrup, savory miso and fresh ginger. It’s ready in three minutes, easily made gluten-free and goes with pretty much any salad you’d want an Asian dressing for, and it works great with bowls too.

What do you need for the roasted sesame dressing?

This delicious dressing is basically made entirely of superfoods:

Roasted sesame oil Intensely flavored, rich in unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E. Make sure to use roasted sesame oil specifically, it’s incredibly aromatic and one of the main reasons this dressing tastes so good.

Tahini Ground sesame paste is an underrated source of calcium, especially relevant for anyone who doesn’t eat dairy. Also rich in zinc, iron and healthy fats. Look for tahini made from 100% sesame with no additives, ideally from whole, unhulled sesame seeds, which have more nutrients.

Soy sauce / Tamari Tamari is the gluten-free option and often has a slightly rounder flavor. Both deliver umami, but they’re salty, so no extra pinch of salt needed. Go for organic and as few additives as possible.

Maple syrup The clean choice as a sweetener: contains trace minerals like manganese and zinc – more than white sugar. Not a substitute for vegetables, but a better option by comparison. Grade A dark has more depth of flavor.

Lemon juice Freshly squeezed makes a real difference here. The vitamin C helps improve iron absorption from plant-based sources – combined with tahini, a little nutritive dream team in my roasted sesame dressing.

Fresh ginger Anti-inflammatory, good for digestion, and it brings the whole dressing to life. The bioactive compound gingerol is what gives it those anti-inflammatory properties. You can grate it if you’re mixing the dressing by hand, or slice it and throw it straight into the blender.

Genmai miso / Shiro miso Fermented soy paste: a probiotic and umami boost in one. Genmai miso (made with brown rice) is slightly more robust and nutrient-dense; shiro miso is milder and a little sweeter. Either works perfectly for the roasted sesame dressing.

Black pepper The piperine in black pepper increases the bioavailability of other nutrients. Freshly ground is more aromatic.

Do you need a blender for the Roasted Sesame Dressing?

You don’t necessarily need a blender, you can whisk the dressing into a creamy consistency by hand, but my Nutribullet* makes life a lot easier. It’s incredibly powerful and blitzes everything in seconds, yet it doesn’t cost a fortune. It also takes up barely any counter space, runs surprisingly quietly, and is easy to clean. My boyfriend loves smoothies, so we originally bought one to match his parents’, but it won us over so quickly that we ended up giving away our full-size stand blender. I also use it for my peanut sauce and my almond mozzarella.

What goes well with the Japanese roasted sesame dressing?

My favorite salad to pair with this salad dressing is my kale salad with smoked tofu, chickpeas and pomegranate seeds.