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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.

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Japanese Restaurant Style Ginger Dressing (Gluten-free, Paleo, AIP)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 22 reviews
  • Author: Michelle
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
  • Category: Salad Dressing
  • Method: No Cook
  • Cuisine: Japanese Inspired
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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

Units Scale
  • 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

  1. Add all of the ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until fully incorporated. The dressing should be thick and fully cominbed.
  2. Season further to taste as desired.
  3. 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.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 195
  • Fat: 18.3g
  • Carbohydrates: 7.8g
  • Fiber: 1.4g
  • Protein: 0.5g

this recipe was published in 2020 and updated in 2023.