The Vegan Atlas

Japanese-Style Carrot-Ginger Dressing

By 4 Comments

Japanese Carrot ginger dressing

Whenever I go out for veggie sushi or tofu teriyaki at Japanese eateries, I’ve enjoyed the carrot-ginger 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.

Japanese carrot-ginger dressing

Yield: 4

Japanese-Style Carrot-Ginger Dressing

Japanese-Style Carrot-Ginger Dressing

This carrot-ginger dressing, which is so easy to make, is the kind serves with simple salads in Japanese restaurants.

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 taste. See if you'd like to add any more vinegar, salt, sugar, and/or sesame oil to create a flavor balance that pleases your palate.
  4. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the dressing over the top of whatever kind of salad you're serving.
  5. 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.
© Nava Atlas
Cuisine: Plant-based / Category: Sauces & Dressings
Fresh Ginger

Adapted from Plant Power by Nava Atlas

Photos by EzumeImages

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Basil Huang

    I used your recipe. It’s amazing. One thing to note is that the sweetness, saltiness and amount of sesame oil aroma is up to personal taste. I suggest adding one spoon at a time to arrive at what you like.

    Reply

      • Basil Huang

        Thank you! It truly is amazing (and amazing being said in high octave!) I made a large batch and am going to share some with my friends tonight. Can’t wait for everyone to say “amazing” in high octave!

        Reply

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