Japanese Ginger Salad Dressing
This ginger dressing is a homemade take on the classic salad dressing you know and love from Japanese restaurants! It’s gluten and soy-free.
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 Hibachi restaurant in college, which inspired me to make recipes like my Homemade Hibachi Chicken and Vegetables, and I was obsessed with this dressing. The owner let the staff have free salad, soup, etc., and I was always eating the salad just so I could have the dressing
This restaurant-style Japanese ginger dressing tastes like the real deal, and it’s so easy to make at home!
Why you’ll love this Ginger Dressing
- It’s so easy to make! Zero cooking required! Just blend and serve.
- 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!
Recipe 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 Ginger Salad Dressing
Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make this recipe. Find full instructions in the recipe card.
Step one. Add all of the ingredients to a high-speed blender
Step two. Blend until fully incorporated. The dressing should be thick. Season further to taste 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.
More Gluten-Free Asian Inspired Recipes to Try
- Easy Tom Kha Soup
- Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
- Japanese Ginger Dressing Pasta Salad
- PF Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps
If you tried this Japanese Ginger Dressing or any other recipe on my blog please leave a rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Japanese Ginger Dressing
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- ¼ yellow onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp ginger, peeled and chopped (see notes)
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp avocado oil
- ¼ cup coconut aminos
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar, sub apple cider vinegar for AIP
- 2 tsp coconut sugar, omit for whole30
- ¾ tsp sea salt
- ¼ 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.
I did it!! Delicious!! Even my very picky husband liked it
What oil would you recommend substituting for avocado oil for this recipe?
You can sub for olive oil!
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!!!
Spectacular! The entire family fell in love with that dressing, thanks so much!
Love this dressing! It reminds me of a restaurant from the 80s in NY called Dojos.❤️
Love this dressing! It reminds me of a restaurant in NY called Dojos.❤️
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.
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!
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.
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!!
I made this tonight and my family loved it! Thank you!
Thank you so much, Terri! So glad it was a hit 🙂
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!
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!
Excellent! I made it in my Vitamix and it was so easy. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed!!
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!! 🙂