Carrot-Ginger Dressing (Japanese-Inspired!)
This vibrant carrot-ginger dressing is creamy, tangy, and brings lots of fresh flavor. It’s a lighter, homemade take on the iconic orange dressing you’ll often find at Japanese restaurants—and once you taste it, you’ll want to drizzle it over everything.
As much as I love cooking, I also enjoy eating out with the fam (a lot!), and Japanese food is always a crowd favorite. And boy, do we all love their signature salad. While the greens are pretty basic, the flavorful carrot-ginger dressing is WOW… anything but ordinary. This is my copycat version. I just toss all the ingredients into a food processor or high-speed blender and puree.
More crave-worthy dressings and sauces
I love it when a simple sauce can bring balance and flavor to a meal and sneak in extra nutrients. This dressing delivers on both fronts—carrots provide beta-carotene (hello, glowing skin), ginger supports digestion, and it all comes together in a matter of minutes in your blender.
Why you’ll pour this on EVERYTHING.
- Made with fresh, wholesome ingredients: Sweet carrots and fiery ginger make a craveable combo.
- Quick to blend, easy to love: One blender, 5 minutes, done.
- Naturally vegan + dairy-free: No need for mayo or oil-heavy bases here.
- Not just for greens: Use it on grain bowls, wraps, grilled veggies, or as a dipping sauce.
My salad base is usually an easy mix of lettuce, tomato, and cucumber, but you can use whatever you have on hand. Truth be told, in this instance, it’s really all about the dressing anyway—the greens are just a vehicle!
Although dressing recipes vary by restaurant, I can guarantee this one is lighter in calories, fat, sodium, and sugar—but still provides the addictive flavor we expect. I’m hoping you love it like we do!
Try this Spicy Cashew Dressing!
Carrot-Ginger Dressing (Japanese-Inspired!)
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup avocado oil*
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 3 medium carrots, or 15 baby carrots, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons peeled and roughly chopped fresh ginger root, or 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped (or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder)
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste
Instructions
- Combine all the dressing ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor and puree. If you don’t have a high-speed blender or food processor, microwave the chopped carrots for about 5 minutes to soften them before adding them to a standard blender.
- Store leftover dressing in a covered container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Give it a good stir before using.
