Miso soup.

It makes a wonderful base to an asian inspired salad dressing. It is nice if you like making your own oven roasted nuts, a little miso and some tamari mixed together and tossed on the nuts before coating is super tasty. And we make a lot of miso soup.

Miso Vingairette
2 tablespoons red miso
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh gingerroot
1 scallion, minced

i use it in lots of soups, to add a little umami to a bean dish, or really to boost any savory flavor. i bought the same once for a recipe and now i feel i can't live without it!

make the carrot ginger salad dressing you get in japanese restaurants - just put the carrots in the food processor w olive oil miso paste and ginger. healthy and yummy!!

I love just bringing a hunk of miso to work in a little tupperware and then adding hot water from the water cooler- instant soup!

Also,
Miso-glazed eggplant

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Miso-Glazed-Eggplant-109748

Sounds weird, but reminds me of bacon.

It makes a great marinade!
http://chelseajmartin.tumblr.com/post/3183071052/simple-miso-marinade

Here's a miso-carrot salad dressing that I love: http://wondertime.go.com/life-at-home/article/vegetable-dips-and-dressings_3.html

Mash miso with an avocado and a splash of lemon juice for a quick tasty spread or dip.

Second vote for a marinade. We just mixed miso and balsamic vinegar and soaked some beef heart overnight. It was delicious.

mix 1/4 cup miso + 1/4 cup olive oil

chop up some squash, zucchini, and/or potatoes into pieces no smaller than thumbsize

mix miso marinade with veggies (use your hands, it's faster), spread veggies onto pan (lined with baking sheet), bake on 325 degrees for 30 mins. DELICIOUS AND EASY.

there are lots of recipes here:
http://www.southrivermiso.com/store/pg/3-Recipes.html

it's great in marinades and dressings. i like to thin it with a little water and add to kale after its cooked.

Third the recommendation for marinade! It goes great on chicken and pork, in particular.

Has anyone tried it with seafood? I think I've seen some recipes for miso-glazed salmon, but what about shrimp? Oh, the possibilities.

FYI: Sambal, the red chile paste you see in Asian grocery stores, also keeps forever.

I put it on pasta! A little miso with sesame oil and some garlic is one of my go-to quick meals!

EDAMAME DIP:
Shelled Edamame
Tamari
Miso
Toasted Sesame Oil

Blend ingredients in food processor. Top with black sesame seeds and serve with sesame toasted pita chips.

Gosh, I use miso just about anywhere. I add it anywhere I'd otherwise use veggie stock or in a dish that needs some depth of flavor. I've used in soups, gravies, sauces. I've never tried it on pasta though, thanks for the heads-up @emmamd!

I'm planning on making this:

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/soup/recipe-sweet-potato-soup-with-miso-and-ginger-019709

because I have leftovers from making this:
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/quick-carrot-ginger-dressing-00000000051142/index.html

Miso works as a great glaze for chicken and pork too. This is what I usually put together, but it inevitably is too much for 1lb meat:

about 1/4 miso
1-2 minced garlic cloves
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1/4 C mirin
2-3 Tbs sugar, brown sugar, or honey
black pepper to taste
1 tsp sesame oil

Stir the above in a small saucepan, heat to boiling. Allow to cool and use about half as a marinade, and brush more on when you grill the meat, or as a condiment when served.

Other add-ins:
1tsp dijon mustard
finely grated orange peel, plus 1/4 cup orange juice in place of the mirin
1 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 to 1 tsp sambal oelek or other pepper paste (just watch the salt levels)
1-2 Tbs rice vinegar if you like things tangy-er

Do NOT add anything else salty such as soy sauce.

Also, in my experience you do not need to add oil to salad dressings made with miso: it acts as a major flavor, thickener and emulsifier by itself, adding oil is gilding the lily.

I add it to the water used for making rice or farro or any other grain. Adds a nice flavor.

This sweet potato salad from Teaism in DC is like crack: http://www.washingtonian.com/blogarticles/restaurants/bestbites/13722.html

Fish!
Miso black cod is delicious:
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/black-cod-with-miso

And it's good with salmon, too:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Broiled-Salmon-with-Orange-Miso-Glaze-106110

does anyone have a recipe for the "benihana" style dressing that they serve on the salad?
I don't know if it is the same now, as i haven't been there in about a decade.

Miso marinated tri-tip. Delicious.
http://perfectlyedible.com/2009/12/miso-marinated-tri-tip/

No advice from me, but this was a great question. Thanks everyone!

Make miso dressing! We keep a jar of this in our fridge at all times, and people who try it are forever asking for the recipe (I've never tried the accompanying salad): http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Bangkok-Salad-with-Miso-Dressing-5905

We use white or red miso, substitute safflower oil for the olive oil, and reduce the sugar to a pinch.

P.S. We grate the ginger on a microplane, too (we don't chop it, per the original recipe).

ooh ooh there was a recipe on here a while ago that was super super tasty

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/main-dish/recipe-spicy-roasted-chicken-thighs-with-miso-and-ginger-112000

i make it ever so often in bulk and it's always good.. on its own, with rice, with pasta, on a salad, in a wrap, in a sandwich, all good!! it's very flexible and forgiving recipe too, hard to mess up.

Mix 1tbsp of miso with equal amount of water and sugar. Sauté zucchini with veg oil till cooked and browned, throw in the mixture, cook till liquid is almost gone.

You can always marinade protein w miso too. Dilute w water or sake and let it sit. Clean off miso before grilling/broiling.

In Japan, they use it as a straight-up dip for veggie sticks. Cucumber is especially good! At summer festivals, you can buy a skinny cucumber with a little pile of miso on the street and just walk along, happily dipping!

Besides miso soup? It kind of depends if it's red miso (like the pic indicates) or white. If white, you can spread some directly on any number of fish types (particularly white fish like tilapia, cod, orange roughy) and bake in the oven without needing to marinate. White miso also goes very nicely with mirin for the simplest marinade (literally just miso and mirin). Red miso should be mixed into a liquid base for a marinade and goes great with chicken, pork, or darker fish like salmon.

Get a white-fleshed fish like cod, halibut, flounder, sole, etc..

Mix equal parts of sake and miso into a paste and cover the fish with it.

I like to spread it on a plate, place a clean paper towel with no print on top of the paste, place the fish on the paper towel, lay another paper towel on the fish, and then cover with the rest of the miso. This lets the fish marinate in the miso, but is much easer to take apart. You don't have to use the paper towel, but it helps. If you don't use one, then quickly wash off the miso before cooking.

Let it marinate 30 mins-1 hour.

Grill or broil the fish until it's completely cooked, and enjoy :)

It's a great way to use up a lot of miso, and makes for a wonderful fish. Shiro-miso (lightly colored miso) works best for this method, as well as a lighter-flavored sake.

1 spoonful miso
2/3 spoonfuls of orange jelly/marmalade
squirt of ginger and lemon grass from gourmet garden. Mix to taste
slather on fresh salmon- you can either then put in those ziploc steam bags for 3-4 min OR fry it in olive oil skin side down for 5 min or so- then stick in oven 375 degrees for like 10 min or until done.

My favorite (vegetarian) French Onion Soup: http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/10/the-temporary-vegetarian-john-schenks-french-onion-soup-with-miso/

I mix it with a bit of butter and lots of herbs and smear it under the skin of a whole chicken for a roasted bird. The miso keeps the breasts moist and tenderizes the meat as it cooks. Absolutely divine!

Seriously - it keeps for like, years in the fridge. =) All of the above suggestions are awesome!

Miso glazed fish is amazing and here are 2 great salads with miso dressings...

http://impeccabletasty.blogspot.com/2010/12/avocado-salad-with-carrot-ginger.html

http://impeccabletasty.blogspot.com/2010/09/go-to-dinner-sesame-seared-tuna-and.html (miso-ginger slaw)

As I'm sure you've now realized, the uses are endless. I have a real fondess for miso soup, especially when you need a quick dinner. The paste makes a delicious base broth, you can add unlimited veggies, some noodles and your choice of protein. It's so savory and satisfying. Also, lolz at "miso confused." Clever!

Wow - I've never had a problem finding uses for miso! I use it probably four days a week. It manages to add a sweet, savory, and nutty character to dishes that gives them a real depth. I mostly stick with white miso, since it's mild enough to go in most things without overwhelming them, although I keep some more pungent misos around for soups.

My single favorite use? Miso butter! I like to beat together equal parts butter and white miso, and keep a tupperware of that in the fridge. A knob adds so much flavor to veggies, eggs, pasta - anything! It also makes for a great wine sauce (I cook down shallots and white wine or mirin, stir in some parsley, and whisk in the miso butter... a great go-to sauce). Oh, and did I mention corn on the cob?

I wisk it up with some chicken broth, and then make rice with it.

Miso and butter. I never considered the combination and it's one of the best tastes I have experienced.

Miso butter! Great on steamed greens (especially Asian greens, but really any) and when I am feeling super lazy, I put it on toast. I am the person that takes swipes out of the tub with my finger because I love that salty umami flavor, so I put it in everything.