Makes 4 servings
Under 30 minutes

Until I worked with Jeffrey Nathan (host of PBS' "New Jewish Cooking") on his book Adventures in Jewish Cuisine, I rarely cooked with miso. Jeff used to cook in a Japanese restaurant and he gave me some great ideas for using this tasty soybean paste, including adding a bit to a finished pot of chicken soup. Beyond soup, it also makes a terrific salad dressing. Beyond this carrot slaw, try it on baby spinach.

Miso Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon light (white or yellow) miso
1/2 teaspoon Japanese soy sauce
1 small garlic clove
1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 pound carrots, trimmed
1 scallion, white and green parts, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Sesame seeds, for garnish

1. To make the vinaigrette, pulse the vinegar, miso, soy sauce, and garlic in a blender to combine. With the machine running, pour in the oil through the top vent.

2. In a food processor fitted with the coarse shredding blade, shred the carrots. (It is important not to shred the carrots too finely. If your food processor only has a fine shredding disk, use a V-slicer to julienne the carrots into strips less than 1/8-inch wide.)

3. Toss the carrots, scallion, and vinaigrette in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, topping each serving with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.