Easy Japanese Carrot Ginger Dressing
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Love the iconic Japanese Carrot Ginger salad dressing? Learn how to make this sweet and tangy dressing in just minutes with easy to find ingredients!
Whenever we go out to a Japanese steakhouse the first thing I’m doing is looking on the menu at the salads. While the actual salad doesn’t much matter I’m always looking for the carrot ginger dressing.
There is something about that sweet and tangy dressing with hints of ginger and an earthy flavor that pair so well with any type of lettuce.
What is Carrot Ginger Dressing?
Carrot ginger dressing is a flavorful, bright orange dressing that is commonly found in Japanese restaurant. It has a slightly sweet, tangy, and zesty taste, with a slightly textured consistency. It’s made with carrots, ginger, rice vinegar, and soy sauce.
Most of the time when I go out for Japanese food I tend to get a Bento box. Most of the Bento boxes come with some type of miso soup and an iceberg lettuce salad with the carrot ginger dressing on top.
I haven’t made a lot of Japanese food but the few items I’ve made have been pretty tasty. I recently made Blackened Tofu in a homemade Ponzu sauce which was bright and flavorful. I’ve also made Chicken Gyoza as a snack or appetizer. This Japanese Royal Milk Tea is a delicious Japanese beverage.
I’ve made several versions of this dressing but this recipe tastes most like the one I’ve had in restaurants. I like to make a big batch and keep it in the refrigerator to put on my salads all week long.
You can make this dressing in a blender or a food processor. I recommend blending it well but not making it totally smooth. You do want it to have some texture so that it sits on the lettuce and doesn’t run.
What can I serve with Carrot Ginger Dressing?
This dressing is great over a bed of iceberg lettuce. However, you can pour it over top of any type of lettuce. I also think it’s tasty as a dipping sauce for Asian chicken or beef. You can even enjoy it with rice!
Ingredients:
- carrots
- onions (I used red onion but sweet onions or yellow onions will work)
- ginger (fresh or ginger paste work best; do not use ground ginger)
- granulated sugar
- garlic
- soy sauce
- rice wine vinegar
- vegetable oil
To make the dressing place the carrots, onions, ginger, sugar, garlic, soy sauce, and vinegar in a blender or food processor. Process for 30 seconds or until the dressing is still a little chunky. Add in the vegetable oil and blend for an additional 30 seconds or until the dressing is mostly smooth but still has some texture.
This dressing is so good! It’s a little bit sweet and a whole lot tangy. We enjoyed it over top of a salad with beef and it was delicious.
What else can I use Carrot Ginger dressing for?
Carrot ginger dressing is great on salads but that’s not all. It can be used on top of grain bowls or tossed with rice. It’s also yummy as a dipping sauce for egg rolls or spring rolls. This dressing is also good on top of roasted or sauteed vegetables.
While this dressing isn’t exactly the same as the one I get at a Japanese steakhouse, it’s pretty close. I’ve made several different recipes and this one is the closest.
I do want to note that you can adjust the amount of vegetable oil used in this recipe. It often depends on how many carrots I use. I have used as little as 1/4 of a cup or as much as 2/3 of a cup. Keeping adding and blending until you are happy with the results.
How do I store the dressing?
Store carrot ginger dressing in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Japanese Carrot Ginger Dressing
Equipment
- 1 blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup carrots peeled and chopped
- 1/2 onion peeled and chopped
- 2 Tablespoons ginger peeled and finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/3-1/2 cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- Combine the carrots, onions, ginger, sugar, garlic, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar in a blender or food processor. Blend for 30 seconds.
- Add in the vegetable oil and blend for 30 seconds or until the dressing is mostly smooth but still has some texture.
- Place in an air tight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Notes
