Reset Button Salad with Carrot Miso Ginger Dressing

Thank you to Sprouts Farmers' Market for sponsoring this post.
Anyone who has been following along here knows I’m no fan of crash diets, restrictive eating, or punishing cleanses. But I do recommend the occasional dietary reset, since even the most devout healthy eater can get derailed from healthy habits. It’s practically inevitable (and, frankly, part of enjoying life) to eat a little more and perhaps a little more indulgently on vacation, over weekends, and during the holidays. The key is to find your way back to best practices when the time comes.
The best route for me to get on track is by prepping what I think of as a reset recipe: Delicious food that is enormously good for you and makes you feel good.
Today’s salad is exactly that. A Reset Button Salad.
The key to this salad is the tangy, tasty, crazy good-for-you dressing. It’s a blend of carrots, miso, ginger, and two kinds of oil. If you have ever eaten a green salad at a Japanese restaurant, it was likely dressed with some iteration of this dressing. And while extra virgin olive oil is my standard for salads, I opted for the neutral flavor of canola instead. It’s high in desirable mono-unsaturated fats, and when you use an organic expeller-pressed oil, like the one I buy at Sprouts Farmers Market, it’s processed without chemicals or heat.
As for the salad itself, it’s all about color and crunch. The greens are a combination of kale and romaine, which deliver a wallop of nutrition. After that, toss in whatever raw vegetables you like, the bigger the rainbow, the better. The finishing touch is a small handful of chopped tamari roasted almonds, which deliver flavor, texture, and staying power . If you plan to serve this as a main course, I like to include baked tofu or chicken for added protein and heft.
It’s a reset button powerhouse that is miles better than any crash diet or crazy cleanse. Toss yourself a gorgeous salad instead, enjoying every bite while recommitting to your best intentions.
Need more reset recipes? Check this Blueberry Superfood Smoothie or these Vegetables with Lemon Tahini Dressing.
Also, if you are hooked on all things carrots, scroll down below to find dozens of inspired ideas from a slew of talented food bloggers.

Reset Button Salad with Carrot Ginger Miso Dressing
A colorful, crunchy salad that’s dressed with a classic Carrot, Ginger, Miso Dressing. The combination is satisfying, tasty, and enormously nourishing. Serve as a side, or add baked tofu or chicken to make it a main dish. Leftover dressing makes a great dip for raw, crunchy vegetable.s
Ingredients
Dressing
- ¼ cup Sprouts organic expeller pressed canola oil
- 1 tablespoon organic Sprouts sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons white miso (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 medium carrots, cut into several pieces
- 1 inch long piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into slices
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Salad
- 1 bunch kale
- 3 cup chopped hearts of romaine lettuce
- 2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced
- ⅓ english cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 small ripe avocado, cut into bite-size cubes
- ⅓ cup roughly chopped Tamari almonds, from the bulk bin section of Sprouts
- 6 ounces baked teriyaki tofu cut into cubes or 2 cups cubed cooked chicken (if serving as a main course)
Instructions
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Put all of the dressing ingredients into a blender and run until smooth. Alternatively, you can make this in a food processor, though it won’t be quite as smooth.
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Strip the leaves from the kale and cut crosswise into ¼-inch-wide ribbons. Measure 3 packed cups and put in a large salad bowl. Add the romaine, carrots, radishes, cucumber, pepper, avocado, almonds, and optional tofu or chicken.
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Add several spoonfuls of the dressing to the salad and toss well. Taste and add more dressing if needed. Save leftover dressing for another salad or to use as a dip for vegetables.
Recipe Notes
Miso is sold in tubs in the refrigerated section of the market, usually where tofu and other soy products are sold. I prefer white miso for this dressing, but yellow or red miso will work as well. Just know that it will alter the color of the dressing somewhat.
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Comments
01.23.2018 at 4:19 AM #
Les
This salad looks delicious! Can you please share how to prepare baked tofu? Also, my sons are allergic to carrots; can you suggest an alternative for the dressing?
01.23.2018 at 4:19 AM #
katiemorford
Baked tofu is something I buy at the market. It’s sold in the refrigerated section where other tofu products are sold. As for the dressing, I know there are miso ginger dressing recipes out there that are made without carrots. You might want to google that (the New York Times is a good source and I found this one from Bon Appetit https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/green-salad-with-miso-ginger-dressing). Without making my version without carrots, it would be hard to me to know the correct proportions. Hope that helps!
01.23.2018 at 5:50 PM #
Sarah Rivera
Looks so good! Question – why that particular oil? Health benefits? Any substitutes you would suggest?
01.23.2018 at 5:50 PM #
katiemorford
I like the Sprouts brand because it’s pretty affordable for organic and I trust their quality, but if you don’t have Sprouts near you, look for any expeller pressed canola oil, ideally organic. It is high in mono unsaturated fat and has a neutral flavor, so it works well with the dressing. It’s often the oil I use for baking.
01.29.2018 at 6:28 PM #
Jen Lefferts
Hi. This looks so yummy. I Tried to find white miso at Whole Foods and wasn’t successful. It is a powder? Do I have to go to an Asian market? Going to try it without the miso.
01.29.2018 at 6:28 PM #
katiemorford
Miso is like a paste. It’s sold in tubs in the refrigerated section of the market where tofu and other soy products are sold. I added a note to the recipe saying as much.
02.07.2018 at 7:13 AM #
Leslie
I made both the dressing and salad and they were delicious! I actually used red miso because that’s what I had in my fridge and it worked just fine. I used the leftover dressing for quinoa/chickpea/broccoli bowls and it worked very well. Thanks for a delicious recipe!
02.07.2018 at 7:13 AM #
katiemorford
Glad to hear your miso swap worked well for you. I think I will include that in the recipe, as long as folks know it will alter the color somewhat. Love the idea of using this dressing on grain and veggie bowls.
09.18.2019 at 11:35 AM #
Jennifer
This looks great! How long does it last in the fridge? Has anyone used preminced ginger and if so what is the equivalent amount you would use?
09.18.2019 at 11:35 AM #
katiemorford
Hi Jennifer, I haven’t used pre-minced ginger for this. I might try adding a teaspoon and then taste it to see if it could use more. I think the dressing should last up to a week in the fridge.