Japanese Carrot Ginger Dressing

Make a creamy, vibrant, and bold 6-ingredient Japanese carrot ginger dressing in under 10 minutes! Perfect for salads, grains, dipping, spreading, and more!

Creamy, Zingy Japanese Ginger Carrot Dressing

Inspired by the Iconic sauce of Japanese-American steakhouses and sushi restaurants, this easy Japanese carrot ginger dressing is bright, tangy, zingy, slightly sweet, and—if we do say so ourselves—even tastier (and more cost-effective) than the restaurant version. In fact, it’s just like this Asian ginger dressing, but with the addition of carrot for extra thick and creamy sweetness.

This bright and zingy sauce is easy to make in about 10 minutes with just 6 ingredients. It is gluten-free, plant-based, vegan-friendly, and naturally sweetened. Plus, it’s so useful to have on hand for a refreshing addition to heaps of meals. Since it’s homemade, you can tweak it to your exact flavor preference.

Along with tasting great, carrot ginger dressing is anti-inflammatory and packed with antioxidants, fiber, vitamin A, K1, B6, potassium, and beta-carotene. Looking for more bright, tangy salad dressings? Try blackberry vinaigrette, basic balsamic vinaigrette, or lemon dressing.

The Ingredients and Substitutes

• Carrot: Use regular or baby carrots that are firm with smooth skin. Avoid pre-chopped carrots, as they can be a little too dry.
• Ginger: It’s best to use fresh ginger root, though frozen and thawed or pre-minced ginger could work. The latter doesn’t taste as good.
• Rice vinegar: We love the mild sweetness of rice vinegar. Apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar would also work.
• Soy sauce: For umami-rich salty flavor. Use tamari/coconut aminos if gluten-free.
• Sweetener: You can use granulated sugar, maple syrup, agave, brown rice syrup, or even a sugar alternative (like Swerve/erythritol). Adjust the amount to taste.
• Oil: Use any neutral oil, like canola oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, or mild olive oil, to add silky richness to the carrot ginger dressing recipe.
• Sea salt: Season to taste.

What Could I Add to Ginger Carrot Dressing

• Spice: Ginger is naturally a little spicy, but increase the heat in this carrot salad dressing with a pinch of chili powder, cayenne, red pepper flakes, or sriracha.
• Citrus juice: A splash of fresh lemon, lime, or orange juice can brighten the overall dressing while adding a subtle citrusy flavor to the Asian ginger carrot salad dressing.
• Sesame oil: Add a few drops for a toasty, nutty flavor in the carrot vinaigrette.
• White miso: Just a little for umami-rich, sweet, salty flavor and rich depth.
• Garlic: For added depth, add a clove of minced garlic.
• Sweet onion: Add ½-1 minced sweet onion (or shallot) for aromatic depth.
• Fresh herbs: You could experiment with parsley, mint, or cilantro.

How to Make Japanese Carrot Ginger Dressing

• First, wash and peel the carrots, cutting them into 1-inch chunks, then place them in a microwave-safe bowl with the water, cover with a plate, and microwave for 5 minutes, until tender. Then, thoroughly drain the carrots.

Alternatively, steam the carrots or roast them to bring out their sweetness.

• Meanwhile, peel (using a spoon works best) and mince the ginger.
• Then, transfer everything to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

• Finally, transfer the dressing to the fridge until chilled. At that point, taste and adjust any element to your liking and add water, if needed, to bring it to your desired consistency.

For the best flavor, leave the ginger carrot salad dressing to meld for an hour. The flavor of the dressing will become better as it sits!

FAQs

Pro Recipe Notes

• Use fresh ingredients: Fresh ginger creates the brightest, freshest flavor over pre-minced/powdered ginger. Fresh carrots are key, too.
• Blend thoroughly: Add enough ingredients to the blender for the blades to work properly and blend it until smooth and creamy. Stop the scrape down the sides of the jug if necessary.
• Taste and adjust: To achieve the best well-balanced dressing, balance the flavors to your preferred levels. Taste it and adjust any element to your liking.
• Use as a spread, dip, or dressing: Adjust the thickness to suit your purposes (by adjusting the amount of oil and water).
• Leave it to rest: At least 30 minutes allows the flavors to meld and enhance.

Storage Instructions

Store this Japanese carrot dressing in an airtight container/jar in the refrigerator for 7-10 days, shaking or whisking it between servings.

The oil may solidify in the fridge, but you can bring it back to room temperature or microwave it for 10-15 seconds.

We don’t recommend freezing it, though, as it will affect the texture.

Serving Suggestions

• Salads (Like Asian-inspired leafy green salads, kale salad, broccoli salad, etc.)
• Grain bowls/salads (like quinoa veggie bowls and sweet potato quinoa bowls)
• As a dip for crudites (like carrots, cucumber, bell peppers, tofu sticks, etc.)
• With spring rolls, samosas, or sushi/sushi bowls
• Enjoy with a rice/noodle bowl (rice noodles, soba noodles, etc.)
• Over stir-fries
• Over grilled and roasted vegetables
• Spread the ginger carrot sauce into sandwiches, wraps, and burgers

More Vegan Dressing Recipes

• Easy hummus dressing
• Vegan Italian dressing
• Vegan Caesar dressing
• Miso tahini dressing
• Avocado green goddess dressing
• Cilantro green chili dressing

Photos by Alfonso Revilla