Even if you love salads like I do, using the same old dressings can get tiresome. I always look forward to the salads that come in the bento boxes at my local sushi joint because I love the ginger dressing that tops it.
I created this version so I can have it anytime at home, plus it can go on a variety of greens besides the basic iceberg that the restaurants use. Shown is a dinner meal salad I made using Napa cabbage, purple cabbage, soybean sprouts, chickpeas, shaved carrot, scallions and black sesame seeds. Try this dressing on any of your favorite salads, like cucumber, or a broccoli salad. Besides salads, you can use this as a dipping sauce for grilled meats like chicken or fish. You can also add a little bit of toasted sesame oil when playing around with using this dressing on different dishes if you like that flavor.
Is Japanese Ginger Dressing Healthy?
This dressing is not only healthy, it is vegan, and gluten and dairy free, so checks the boxes for many dietary concerns. Ginger has been shown to help digestion, boost immune, aid with weight loss, treat nausea and upset stomach, and even protect the skin from harmful UV rays. Ginger is also a natural prokinetic. That means it causes a wave of contractions in the GI tract after digestion and absorption is complete. This helps to scrub out the GI tract of bacteria and keep digestion running smoothly. You can grate ginger into tea or squeeze grated ginger juice into water, or even use dried/powdered. Some of my clients take ginger as a supplement if their GI tract is sluggish.
Carrots provide powerful anti-inflammatory carotenoids that promote healthy vision, blood sugar balance, weight loss, and boost immune and brain health. Shallots (and anything in the onion family for that matter) protect against heart disease. The ginger, carrots, and shallots all add beneficial fibers, which is unique for any dressing.
Some Japanese ginger dressings have a lot of refined sugars and poor quality oils. This recipe uses just one teaspoon of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of good quality cold expeller pressed oil, so it’s low in both sugar and fat.
How to Make Japanese Ginger Dressing
Once you have gathered your ingredients, rough chop the shallot, carrot, and ginger, toss into in a high-speed blender or food processor with rice vinegar, tamari, sugar, and oil of choice. Pulse the ingredients a few times to break down the shallot, carrot, and ginger a bit more. Then, blend on high for about a minute, stopping occasionally as needed to scrape down any bits that accumulate on the sides with a spatula. This tastes best when the flavors have had time to combine, but can also be eaten right away. Leftovers should be stored covered in the refrigerator, and used within 3 days.
Japanese Ginger Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and rough sliced
- 2 small or one medium carrot rough chopped
- ½ medium shallot peeled and rough chopped
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp gluten free tamari
- 2 tbsp good quality unrefined expeller pressed oil such as grapeseed avocado, or sunflower oil
Instructions
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-Place all ingredients in a food processor or high speed blender
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-Pulse several times to chop solid ingredients
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-Blend on high or process for one minute until smooth
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-You may need to stop intermittently to scrape down ingredients that collect on side of blender or bowl
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-If time allows, chill one hour before serving to allow flavors to combine
Recipe Notes
*you can use soy sauce instead of GF tamari if you are not avoiding gluten
