We don’t go out to eat often, but when we do, I love Japanese food. It’s relatively easy to find gluten-free dishes, and the salads and stir fry are wonderful There’s even a local restaurant that cooks in coconut oil!
One of my favorite things at our local Japanese restaurant is their ginger salad dressing (which probably has questionable ingredients, but I’ve avoided asking). Either way, my bank account and my health would both have problems if I headed to the restaurant every time I had a craving for their food. So I’ve been experimenting with an at-home version with nourishing ingredients and I’m really happy with the final result.
Japanese Restaurant-Style Asian Ginger Vinaigrette
I’m a big fan of making my own salad dressings. I like to know what goes into them and make them fresh when needed. Simple ingredients like extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, avocado oil, or balsamic vinegar turn into yummy salad dressing recipes.
This Asian ginger vinaigrette is flavored with ginger, garlic, coconut aminos, onion, and a little tomato paste. I give it a whirl in a blender or food processor to make it smooth, and it’s done in under five minutes! The ginger root gets a rough chop before going in the blender, so no need to use grated ginger.
What To Serve With Ginger Vinaigrette
I keep a bottle of this pre-made ginger vinaigrette in the fridge for lunchtime green salads with veggies (or breakfast time… I’m a little obsessed). It goes great with my Asian color burst salad and P.F. Chang-style lettuce wraps. And it’s also great drizzled on stir fry, burgers, chicken, or even fish. Try it as a dipping sauce for these meatball shish kabobs or drizzle it on chicken pad Thai noodles.
Store your salad dressing in the refrigerator in a mason jar with a lid for ease.
Asian Ginger Vinaigrette
Servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup sesame oil (or peanut oil)
- 1 inch fresh ginger (peeled and roughly chopped)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 TBSP coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ⅓ cup onion (chopped)
- 2 TBSP honey (or maple syrup)
- 1 TBSP lemon juice
- ⅓ cup rice vinegar
- 1 TBSP tomato paste (or unsweetened ketchup, optional)
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a blender or high-speed food processor and blend until smooth.
- For the best flavor, refrigerate for several hours or overnight to let flavors meld before serving.
Nutrition
Notes
More Homemade Salad Dressings
If you’re like me and enjoy the fresh flavor that comes from making your own salad dressings here are a few new recipes to try. They’re super quick and easy (plus you know exactly what’s in them!) No unhealthy vegetable or canola oils!
- Zesty Italian dressing and marinade
- Raspberry vinaigrette
- Dijon honey mustard
- Balsamic vinaigrette
- French dressing
- Easy Caesar dressing
- Real-food ranch dressing
- Chili lime vinaigrette
Do you make your own salad dressings? Gonna try this one? Leave a comment and let us know!
Leave a Reply