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GET IT NOWMy Ginger Dressing Recipe Beats A Japanese Steakhouse
I’ll be the first to admit I’ve never had good luck with those sad green side salads at Japanese restaurants. The greens are always wilted, and that carrot ginger salad dressing usually lacks depth. But since I love a good hibachi dinner both at home and eating out, I set out to make my own version of ginger dressing that I can enjoy a lot more. And here’s why it worked so well:
- Smooth, creamy, and flavorful – Forget those pale, lifeless versions. My ginger salad dressing is sweet and tangy, with umami notes, a silky texture, and the kind of fiery bright orange color that makes eating more enjoyable. No matter what salad you put it on, it packs a punch!
- Clean ingredients – No seed oils, refined sugar, mystery preservatives, or gluten. Homemade dressings beat store-bought any day.
- Quick and easy – Just toss everything in a food processor and blitz. It takes minutes.
This Japanese ginger dressing recipe totally changed my mind about Japanese salads. I’ll show you my all-time favorite combo to drizzle it on below. Make it with me!
Reader Review
“Just like the boutique ginger dressing I pay $12 a bottle for!” –Joanna
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my ginger salad dressing recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Shredded Carrots – The main ingredient! You’ll taste a lot of these in this dressing.
- Aromatics – Including garlic, shallots, and most importantly, grated ginger! If you like a sharper bite, try finely diced red onions. You can substitute 3/4 teaspoon of ground ginger in place of fresh, but I found this tasted much less flavorful.
- Avocado Oil, Toasted Sesame Oil, & Water – These thin out the sesame ginger dressing and add flavor. You can use oils alone, but I thought the dressing was too heavy that way. You can swap in olive oil in place of avocado oil, though.
- White Miso Paste – Curbs the sharp flavor of fresh ginger, and adds umami depth. I had decent results substituting a tablespoon of coconut aminos (or soy sauce should work), but it wasn’t quite the same.
- Rice Vinegar & Lime Juice – I added these for flavor, tang, and to emulsify the dressing. You can swap in other vinegars or lemon juice if needed.
- Honey – I use Wholesome Yum Zero Sugar Honey for sweetness. Feel free to use regular.
- Sea Salt – I didn’t add black pepper because the ginger already added a bite, but you can.
My Tips For Texture & Easy Prep
- I always (always!) grate fresh carrots for this recipe. I tried the pre-shredded kind once and it was too dry, giving the dressing an off texture.
- Use a spoon to scrape off the papery ginger skin. I find this much easier than a knife or peeler.
- This is my favorite grater for grating ginger. I also have this larger grater that’s super sturdy, but my smaller one is best when I want a superfine consistency. I tried putting the ginger in the food processor without grating, and the texture wasn’t quite right. It might be fine if you use a blender (see next tip).
- Choose a food processor or high-power blender depending on the texture you like. My food processor makes this ginger dressing pretty smooth, but it still had some small chunks. I found that my high-power blender made it more silky, but took longer to process. I don’t recommend a regular blender, as they aren’t usually strong enough for these ingredients.
- Adjust sweetness to your taste. The ideal amount of honey can vary depending on your preference and how sweet your carrots are. Feel free to add more! If it’s too sweet, you can balance it with extra salt or lime juice.
- I don’t recommend scaling this ginger dressing recipe down too much. If the amounts are too small, your ingredients will end up below the food processor (or blender) blade, so they’ll never fully break down. I did use my mini food processor once for a half batch and that worked great.
Ginger Dressing (Easy 5-Min Recipe)
My Japanese inspired carrot ginger dressing is a thick, tangy blend of carrots, ginger, oil, lime, and honey. Easy to make in 5 minutes!
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Place all ingredients in a large food processor and process until smooth.
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Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Shake well before using.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 2 tablespoons
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the best texture in this ginger salad dressing, plus ways to make it easier.
- Storage: Keep the dressing in an airtight container (I prefer a jar) in the fridge for up to a week. Sometimes it separates, so I just shake before using.
- Freeze: I freeze it in these trays because the 2-tablespoon portions are perfect to use one at a time, plus they thaw faster than a big batch.
- Note on nutrition info: I used Wholesome Yum Sugar-Free Honey. Regular is fine, but the dressing will be higher in sugar.
- Total recipe yield: 2 cups
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Japanese Ginger Salad Dressing
Ways I Use This Ginger Salad Dressing
This ginger dressing obviously works for greens (a perfect start to my hibachi steak dinner), but I’ve also used it in other ways! You can use it as:
- Salad Dressing – My favorite simple salad to serve with this carrot ginger dressing is pictured above: mixed greens, cucumber, and sugar snap peas! It would also be great over my ahi tuna salad or red cabbage salad.
- Marinade – This Japanese dressing can double as a marinade for my baked chicken breast or pork chops.
- Dip – Last time I made this, I used the leftovers to scoop fresh bell peppers, celery sticks, and hakurei turnips.
4 Comments
Joanna
2Just like the boutique ginger dressing I pay $12 a bottle for!
Helen
1Delicious! A perfect balance of flavors but I did omit the salt because of hubby’s health issues. Still delicious! Thank you
April
1This was delicious and absolutely packed with Asian flavors. I’m marinating some chicken with it right now to add to my salads tomorrow!
Jessica
1I’ve been eating more salads as a new years resolution so I wanted to mix my dressing choices up a bit so I wouldn’t get tired of them, and this was a hit!! So good, thank you!