Japanese Restaurant Style Ginger Salad Dressing (Gluten-free, Paleo, AIP)
This ginger dressing is a healthy take on the classic salad dressing that you know and love from Japanese restaurants! This recipe is paleo, gluten-free, soy-free, and AIP.
If you frequent Japanese restaurants, you’ll know the exact ginger salad dressing I’m talking about! It’s a bright orange dressing that’s creamy, slightly spicy from the ginger, and is the perfect pair to a crunchy starter salad before a meal.
The ginger salad dressing that they serve at Japanese restaurants was one of my absolute favorite things! I used to wait tables at a Japanese restaurant in college, and I was obsessed with it. The owner let the staff have free salad, soup, etc. and I was always eating the salad just so I could have the dressing!
I can’t believe I haven’t made my own version before now, but seriously, this is so easy to make and really a healthy dressing!
What makes this ginger salad dressing healthier
- It’s made with high-quality oils instead of vegetable oil. Restaurants are notorious for using vegetable seed oil like canola oil, soybean oil, etc. because they’re cheaper, but they’re also pro-inflammatory. Making it at home ensures you only get higher quality oils and stay away from the low-quality stuff.
- This dressing is soy and gluten-free. Soy sauce is featured in the restaurant version of this dressing, making it a non-gluten free option for diners. Making it with coconut aminos instead keeps the flavor without the soy or gluten.
- It’s veggie-packed. This dressing is packed with a variety of veggies like carrots, celery, and more!
The Ingredients
- Carrots, celery, and yellow onion
- Fresh ginger. Make sure you use fresh ginger! You definitely don’t want to use powdered ginger here and miss out on the fresh flavor.
- Avocado oil, coconut aminos and rice vinegar. Or use olive oil and apple cider vinegar. It won’t change the flavor that much as the ginger is really the star here!
How to Make Japanese Restaurant-Style Ginger Salad Dressing
- Add all of the ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until fully incorporated. The dressing should be thick.
- Season further to taste as desired.
- Store in the fridge and serve over a salad of romaine or iceberg lettuce, shredded carrots, and more ingredients as desired.
What can you serve this dressing with?
This dressing is usually served with a salad of iceberg lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and shredded carrots. Of course, that’s a great option, but you can serve it over any Asian style salad of your choice! I also really like topping rice and chicken with this dressing. It’s super versatile!
How long can you store it in the fridge?
This will easily keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also try freezing it to keep it longer.
You’ll also love…
- Blackened chicken and berry salad
- Easy Tom Kha Soup
- PF Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Crispy chicken salad
Japanese Restaurant Style Ginger Dressing (Gluten-free, Paleo, AIP)
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Description
This ginger dressing is a healthy take on the classic salad dressing that you know and love from Japanese restaurants! This recipe is paleo, gluten-free, soy-free, and AIP.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1/4 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp ginger, peeled and chopped (see notes)
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar (sub apple cider vinegar for AIP)
- 2 tsp coconut sugar (omit for whole30)
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper (omit for AIP)
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until fully incorporated. The dressing should be thick and fully cominbed.
- Season further to taste as desired.
- Store in the fridge and serve over a salad of romaine or iceberg lettuce, shredded carrots, and more ingredients as desired.
Notes
All nutritional information are estimations and will vary. Estimations do not include optional ingredients.
If you prefer a spicier/less spicy dressing, adjust the amount of ginger to taste.
- Prep Time: 10
- Category: Salad Dressing
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Japanese Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 195
- Fat: 18.3g
- Carbohydrates: 7.8g
- Fiber: 1.4g
- Protein: 0.5g
Keywords: [adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="ENmVzZVe" upload-date="2024-08-16T16:20:59.000Z" name="Ginger Dressing.mp4" description="null" player-type="default" override-embed="default"]
this recipe was published in 2020 and updated in 2023.
You read my mind posting this! I was just thinking how to make a soy free version of my favourite summer salad dressing 🙂
Yay! Hope you love this!! 🙂
This is sooo good! Made a salad with romaine lettuce and chicken. Topped it with this dressing and it was amazing! Added so much flavor to a salad that didn’t have much in it. I will be using this recipe regularly!
★★★★★
I’m starting an AIP elimination diet on Monday to get my colitis under control–made this last week to prep my meals, and it is DELICIOUS! Even my non-AIP (and diet-skeptical) husband said it was delicious. Mmm!
I made this tonight and my family loved it! Thank you!
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Terri! So glad it was a hit 🙂
This is SO good!! My family loves Chinese food for Christmas Day so I threw together an AIP shrimp and broccoli dish and THIS salad dressing! I added a little more ginger because I like it really strong, Thanks for coming up with this!!
★★★★★
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Hi there! Any idea how long this might last in the fridge?
This will easily keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also try freezing it to keep it longer.
Delicious! I’ve always loved this dressing also. This recipe was very good! I subbed 1 Tbsp of sesame oil and added 1 tsp of mirin. I served it over a bed of super greens and pan seared salmon. It made my night!
★★★★★
I’m wanting to try this but only have soy sauce, is it a 1:1 sub? Thank you!
Are you trying to sub for the coconut aminos? I would adjust salt as soy sauce is saltier and less sweet than coconut aminos.
Love this dressing! It reminds me of a restaurant in NY called Dojos.❤️
★★★★★
Love this dressing! It reminds me of a restaurant from the 80s in NY called Dojos.❤️
★★★★★
Spectacular! The entire family fell in love with that dressing, thanks so much!
★★★★★
You nailed it! Just whipped this up in my vitamix and my mind is blown. Added some cayenne and lemon for an extra kick! Thanks!!!
★★★★★
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What oil would you recommend substituting for avocado oil for this recipe?
You can sub for olive oil!
I did it!! Delicious!! Even my very picky husband liked it
★★★★★
This looks amazing. I was wondering if it freezes well?
This will easily keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze it to keep it longer!
Looking forward to making the ginger style dressing!
★★★★★
Hope you love it!!
Delicious! Can you tell me how long this dressing will last in the fridge?
★★★★★
This will easily keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also try freezing it to keep it longer.
Legit! Exactly what I was craving!
thank you so much!!
WOW this is so good!!!! It takes me back to the days when I used to order a ginger salad at my favorite sushi restaurant growing up. I’m on a really strict diet right now and THIS just made my lunches 1000x better. I omitted the coconut sugar and didn’t even miss it. Thank you!!
★★★★★
Yay, so glad it hit the spot!!
My everyday dressing is oil and vinegar, but this is a favorite when I want something special to top my salad. I store my yearly ginger harvest from my patio pot in the freezer, and it’s easy to grate straight from the freezer for this dressing. Thanks, Michelle!
★★★★★
We LOVE LOVE LOVE this delish dressing! Freezes easily, too. I make a batch, pour in a cookie sheet, then break up into small chunks when frozen. Thaw with some hot water and voila! Table ready dressing.
★★★★★
Love the ginger dressing recipe!!
★★★★★
Thank you so much!!
I am so excited to try these delicious sounding recipes. Happy 2024! You have me excited about the new year with my new recipes. Thank you
★★★★★
Thank you so much!!
I love it it’s perfect thank you
★★★★★
Mine did not turn out thick. It is delicious but runny.
Hmm mine is usually pretty thick!! You can try to strain it a bit if it is too runny
I can’t believe how good this is. I needed a different dressing than the boring ones I’ve been eating over and over and this is so AIP amazing!!! You should win an award for this one❤️
Thank you so much!!
Oh I love that dressing, constantly searching for one to use at home. If I wanted to use soy sauce instead of the coconut aminos, since that’s what I have, is it the same quantity?
It should work, but it will be saltier than with coconut aminos, so may want to adjust the salt added!
This is so dang delish & it has quickly become a staple in our fridge! Can you please suggest best way to thin it out a bit? Sometimes it’s a tad too thick. Thanks!
★★★★★
If you want to thin it out, I’d recommend adding a bit more avocado oil. You could also add more coconut aminos and that will thin and sweeten it a bit.
Is it rice wine vinegar? Or white wine vinegar?
I use rice vinegar, but if you cannot tolerate that, I recommend subbing apple cider vinegar.
Love these recipes! They are a better version of the restaurant’s because we can control the quality of ingredients.
Thank you!!
This was so good! Better than the restaurant dressing. Thank you!!!!
★★★★★
thank you so much!!
I’ve been looking fora great recipe for ginger dressing and finally found it, thank you!
★★★★★
Yay, so glad!!