Japanese-Style Carrot-Ginger Dressing

Whenever I go out for veggie sushi or tofu teriyaki at Japanese eateries, I’ve enjoyed the gingery carrot dressing that’s used to dress the simple salad of tender greens. It’s a nice appetizer to count on, because the customary miso soup that comes with meals isn’t always vegan (it often contains bonito, aka fish flakes).

It turns out that this delicious Japanese-style carrot-ginger dressing is easy to duplicate at home. Serve any kind of simple leafy salad as an accompaniment to Asian-style meals. If you like to pick up vegetable sushi at the supermarket on occasion, as I do, a salad topped with this dressing is a perfect pairing.

Yield: 4

Japanese-Style Carrot-Ginger Dressing

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Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunks, or 1 cup baby carrots

• 1- to 2-inch piece fresh ginger, to taste
• 
3 tablespoons rice vinegar, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar

• Pinch of salt

• Pinch of natural granulated sugar

• 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil, optional

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse on and off until the carrots and ginger are finely chopped. 
2. Add 2 tablespoons water and let the machine run until the mixture is a coarse puree. Scrape down the sides of the work bowl from time to time. If you’d like a little thinner consistency, add just a little more water at a time and let the machine run again. This is meant to be fairly thick, so don’t overdo it with water. 
3. Transfer to a small bowl and serve by spooning about 1/4 cup over the top of whatever kind of salad you're serving.
4. Store any leftover dressing in an airtight container, where it will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 9 Total Fat: 0g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 42mg Carbohydrates: 2g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 3g Protein: 0g

Nutrition data is always an estimate, depending on program used to calculate and specific products used. The nutrition facts above don't include the optional sesame oil.

• See lots more salads and sides and easy vegan recipes.

Adapted from Plant Power by Nava Atlas

Photos by EzumeImages