Japanese Carrot Ginger Dressing (Restaurant-Style)

Name: Japanese Carrot Ginger Dressing
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 7 ounces carrots, peeled and chopped; 4 ounces onion, peeled and finely chopped; 2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and finely chopped; 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; 1/4 cup soy sauce; 1/2 cup rice vinegar; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 3/4 cup organic canola or vegetable oil

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Make my iconic Japanese carrot ginger dressing in less than 10 minutes! Inspired by Japanese-American steakhouses, the sweet and tangy flavors make the perfect pairing to ice cold iceberg lettuce!

If you’ve been to a Japanese restaurant in the US or Canada, chances are excellent that you’ve had a variation of this carrot ginger dressing. I‘ve been a fan of the sweet and tangy taste of this bright orange dressing ever since I was a college student, back in Montreal. My friends and I used to sneak out of campus and take the bus to our favorite Japanese restaurant, where we always ordered the lunch special consisting of maki rolls, a side of miso soup, and a simple green salad topped with a carrot ginger dressing.

Since then I have had different versions of this dressing – some were more on the savory side, others had a strange bitter taste, and my least favorites very watery and somewhat bland. I decided to make my own version after discovering how easy it was to make. I like assertive flavors so this dressing is anything but boring! It has plenty of sweetness, a little fruitiness, and some tanginess. The flavors offset each other beautifully, bringing the perfect balance to this Japanese-American classic.

Japanese Carrot Ginger Dressing Ingredients
- Variations
Kitchen Equipment Needed
How To Make This Dressing
Expert Tips
Storage
What to Serve With It
Frequently Asked Questions

Japanese Carrot Ginger Dressing Ingredients

Carrots: I’m using 7 ounces of carrots which comes to about 200 grams. Since everything will be blended the carrot can be roughly chopped here.
Onion: A yellow sweet onion is best for this recipe but you can also use a regular yellow or white onion. I’m using 4 ounces which is about 110 grams.
Ginger: You can use more than 2 tablespoons of ginger if you like your dressing to have some heat. Two tablespoons, which is what I’m using, is just enough to infuse it with ginger flavor without feeling any tingling on the tongue.
Sugar: Granulated sugar is preferred but you can use brown as well. One tablespoon is all you need.
Soy Sauce: The soy sauce adds umami and earthiness to the dressing. Use a Japanese soy sauce such Kikkoman or Yamasa.
Rice Vinegar: That’s the famous zing you taste in the dressing. Plain rice vinegar is recommended. If you have seasoned rice vinegar only, I suggest omitting the sugar for this recipe.
Salt: I use kosher salt which has bigger granules. If you are using regular salt, start with 1/4 teaspoon, do a taste test, and work your way up if needed.
Oil: Any neutral oil will do here. You can use organic canola oil, vegetable oil, grapeseed oil, corn oil.

Variations

Make it fruity. Use apple cider vinegar instead of rice vinegar for a fruitier taste.
Add some nuttiness. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of toasted sesame oil to introduce a nutty element.
Intensify the umami factor. Add a little white or awase miso paste to bump up the umami and savory notes.

Kitchen Equipment Needed

Blender: You will need a small or a regular size blender.

How To Make This Dressing

Add all the ingredients, except for the oil, in the blender and press start. Blend until the texture is smooth.
While keeping the blender on, slowly add the oil so that it emulsifies (blends) with the other ingredients. It’s important to do it slowly otherwise the oil can separate and ruin the dressing, so take your time for this step!
Do a taste test and if you think it needs adjusting, add a little more sugar or salt.

Expert Tips
Do not overblend. This dressing tastes best when it’s not completely watery. Leave a little graininess to the carrots so they can sit on lettuce leaves and make every bite taken, more intense. 
Use fresh ingredients. Make sure that the carrots, onion, and ginger you are using are in great condition. Fresh carrots and onions have a natural sweetness that older ones don’t have. And fresh ginger is juicier and milder in flavor. 

Storage

Save the dressing in a jar or storage container with a tight fitting lid. It will keep in the fridge for up 2 weeks.

What to Serve With It

Serving this dressing over a bed of crispy iceberg lettuce is by far my favorite combination. However, you can use romaine lettuce or endives as well, or any other type of crunchy greens to enjoy this lovely dressing.

A side salad is usually served as part of a sushi meal here in the US but there are many other meal combinations where you can serve green leaves and carrot ginger dressing. Some of my favorites are:

If you liked this Japanese carrot ginger dressing, you might be interested to try these other Asian dressings:

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use olive oil to make this dressing?

You can use olive oil but keep in mind that if you are using a high quality olive oil with strong fruity and floral notes, the overall taste of the dressing might taste slightly different.

Can I freeze carrot ginger dressing?

Unfortunately, I don’t recommend that you freeze this dressing as the texture of the fresh ingredients will deteriorate and get mushy and unpleasant.

Is it gluten-free?

No, this dressing is not gluten-free because it contains soy sauce. However, it’s very easy to make it gluten-free! Simply use a gluten-free soy sauce or use a substitute like tamari or liquid aminos.

Did you like this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!