Make your favorite Ginger Dressing that you get at Japanese restaurants right at home in just 5 minutes! This simple, vibrant, and recipe features fresh ingredients like ginger, carrots, shallots, and more. Easy to make Ginger Dressing is ideal for adding a great aromatic and flavorful quality to your leafy green salad.
If you want some more ideas for flavorful dressings, check out our Green Goddess dressing, Balsamic Vinaigrette, and the classic Italian dressing.
Ginger Dressing
When we get a dressing choice at the Japanese restaurant, we always choose the ginger dressing, hands down! It is so flavorful and vibrant. The funny thing is, most salads tossed with Ginger Dressing consist of very simple leafy greens. The greens by themselves or with any other dressing may be considered boring, but with Ginger Dressing, they’re anything but bland.
While there are some store-bought Ginger Dressings out there that aren’t half bad, they really can’t hold a candle to the fresh homemade one. Homemade Ginger Dressing is made with all real, natural, and fresh ingredients that blend together perfectly.
To make your own ginger dressing, you just have to prepare the ingredients, blend them together, and enjoy! The end result is a freshly flavored salad dressing that always impresses. You can make this fresh and delicious dressing for your salads, wraps, and even seafood and chicken. A salad mixed with this Ginger Dressing will go wonderfully along dishes that also feature ginger, so think Thai recipes, Indian recipes, seafood recipes, and more!
How to Make Ginger Dressing
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Neutral Oil – You can use either canola or vegetable oil.
- Ginger – Only use fresh ginger, not dried or paste! It’ll need to be peeled and chopped.
- Carrot
- Shallot
- Garlic – While I’m usually an advocate for measuring garlic with your heart, try not to use more than one clove here. Garlic is potent, and it can easily overpower the ginger if too much is added – which would be a shame, as this is Ginger Dressing.
- Honey – Try to use a locally sourced organic honey for the best results.
- Sesame Seed Oil – Don’t substitute this with any other oil! Sesame seed oil lends a slight nutty flavor that balances the other bold ingredients perfectly. Be careful not to use too much as well, it’s quite potent.
- Rice Vinegar – Rice vinegar adds the best tangy note to the dressing.
- Soy Sauce – To avoid this dressing tasting too salty, use a low sodium soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos.
- Salt
- White Pepper
Directions
Prepare the ingredients.
Peel and chop the carrots, shallot, and ginger root.
Blend.
Toss all of the measured ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth. You may need to stop and pause once or twice to scrape down the sides of the blender.
Note that since you’re making this dressing at home, you can alter the ingredients to best fit your personal tastes. With that being said, though, I recommend only doing so after you’ve tasted the recipe as it’s intended to be made.
Immediately store or enjoy your homemade Ginger Dressing!
Frequently Asked Questions
Storing Ginger Dressing:
Store this dressing in a glass jar with a lid or an airtight dressing storage container. Make sure to store it in the refrigerator. You may notice that the dressing separates over time, but that’s not a big deal! Simply give it a vigorous shake in a closed container. Stored properly, the dressing should last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
I don’t recommend freezing this dressing.
How should I use Ginger Dressing?
I like to toss leafy greens like lettuce, kale, and/or arugula with my Ginger Dressing to make a side salad. It’s also delicious when served over a filet of roasted salmon.
Is Ginger Dressing gluten free?
Ginger Dressing can easily be made gluten free by using gluten free soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos instead of low sodium soy sauce! It’s also vegan.
Is Ginger Dressing good for you?
Yes! This dressing isn’t just delicious, it’s also delightfully nutritious. Ginger root has a gigantic list of health benefits, like anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, vitamin C, and potassium – just to name a few! Feel free to really douse your leafy greens in this dressing, and just know that unlike so many other dressings, this one really is beneficial to your body in so many ways.
Ginger Dressing
Ginger Dressing
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 inch ginger root peeled, chopped
- 1 medium carrot peeled, chopped
- 1 shallot peeled, chopped
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp sesame seed oil
- 4 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2-1 tsp coarse salt to taste
- 1/8-1/4 tsp white pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop carrot, ginger root, and shallot roughly and throw it in the blender.
- Add remaining ingredients and pulse.
- Serve with a salad or spread some over your roasted salmon!
Notes
Nutrition
Joyce says
Excellent dressing!!!! I didn’t put the white pepper because I didn’t have but it came out FANTASTIC!!!
LyubaB says
So glad you liked it, Joyce!
John Clancy says
Kudos to you! Perfect recipe. Talk about nailing it!!! It is the recipe perfectly.
LyubaB says
Wow! Thank you!
Michael Moran says
Had a craving for a ginger salad side for my homemade eggrolls and dim sum. Tossed with a spring mix, sliced snow peas and carrots. Perfect as is! Thanks.
LyubaB says
You are so welcome! I am so happy you liked it!
Amy says
Wow, this recipe is amazing. It has the perfect balance of flavors and tastes so fresh. Used regular soy sauce so next time I’ll skip adding the salt. Will use this recipe again and again, thank you so much!!
LyubaB says
So glad you liked it, Amy!
Corrie Ann says
Ohhh! Just made this and it’s delicious! I was a little Leary because ginger dressings are good, but I wanted to come close to a restaurant that I used to go to. Theirs was sooo good. By golly this is on par and maybe better! I tweaked a couple things to taste, but mostly made as is. You are a lifesaver! (Little extra honey and a little less ginger, just a teeny bit)
LyubaB says
Thank you for the sweet compliment! I am so glad you liked it!
MS says
Is the calorie count for the entire recipe? Or per serving? I’m assuming (and hoping) the latter
Mary Slanker says
It’s even better than a Japanese restaurant!
LyubaB says
Thanks!
Chris David says
Really delicious recipe. I love it yummy!!! It’s really awesome
LyubaB says
Thank you, Chris!
Martha@A Family Feast says
I have ALWAYS loved those little simple salads too! So glad I saw this recipe – can’t wait to try it at home!
lyuba says
Thank you, Martha!! I hope you’ll love it as much as we did!
Lindsay @ Life, Love and Sugar says
I LOVE the ginger salad at Hibachi places! I always want to drink the dressing with a straw. Now I can! 🙂
lyuba says
You sure can, Lindsay! Thank you 🙂
Anele @ Success Along the Weigh says
The Mr will FLIP over this! Asian dressings are his favorite!
lyuba says
Awesome! Hope you two will like it, Anele!
Julie @ This Gal Cooks says
I like the idea of using this in an Asian style coleslaw. YUM! Great recipe, Lyuba! And thanks for the shout out. 🙂
lyuba says
Thank you, Julie!
It’s my pleasure!