Carrot Ginger Dressing {Japanese Steak House Copycat}
This carrot ginger salad dressing tastes just like the dressing you’re served at a Japanese steakhouse restaurant. Bonus: it tastes less than 10 minutes to make!
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Carrot Ginger Dressing Recipe
If you’ve ever gotten salad at a Japanese restaurant, especially hibachi restaurants, then you’re most likely familiar with this type of dressing. A bright orange, zesty, and gingery Japanese dressing that tastes good on pretty much anything, and is also known as Benihana ginger dressing.
It’s so lean but so flavorful and can turn iceberg lettuce into a worthwhile experience, a feat previously reserved for the culinary muscle of blue cheese and bacon.
Drizzle this hibachi salad dressing on vegetables, serve it on salads, or even alongside some grilled chicken. You can’t go wrong.
Ingredient Notes
- Carrot and Ginger: Peeled carrot and fresh ginger root are the main components of the recipe
- Peanut oil: Preferably roasted, but if you’re allergic to peanut oil use a different neutral oil like avocado
- White vinegar: Rice vinegar would do fine here too
- Pure maple syrup: As you know, I love adding maple to my recipes, but agave nectar works too
- Miso paste: Miso paste can often be found close to where you’d get tofu in the grocery store *see ingredient note
- Seasonings: Salt and white pepper
How to Make This Carrot Ginger Dressing
When making homemade salad dressing, I like to keep things as simple as possible. To make this Japanese carrot ginger dressing, I blended shredded carrots, peanut oil, white vinegar, maple syrup, miso paste, freshly grated ginger, salt and pepper on high until smooth (it’ll take about 30 seconds).
FAQs and Expert Tips
To store this Japanese ginger dressing, keep it in the fridge in a tightly sealed container. It should keep for up to a week and tastes delicious mixed into various salads.
I’d recommend setting this dressing on your countertop 10-15 minutes before you plan on using it, as the oil and vinegar have a tendency to separate a bit in the fridge. Once it’s warmed up to room temperature, all you have to do is give it a shake.
Miso paste is found in the refrigerated section of the supermarket with the tofu and other refrigerated Asian ingredients, such as egg roll wrappers. Often in an area of the produce section in large supermarkets. Choose a lighter-colored variety for the mildest flavor.
If you don’t have miso paste, feel free to substitute 1 tablespoon of reduced-sodium soy sauce or wheat-free tamari, and add a pinch of salt to taste.
More Easy Salad Dressing Recipes
- For lighter salad dressing options, I love this Maple Sherry Vinaigrette , Lemon Juice Salad Dressing, and this Cranberry Vinaigrette.
- For creamier dressings (yet still pretty light and healthy), I go for my Light and Creamy Italian Dressing, this Maple Tahini Dressing, or this Yogurt Blue Cheese Dressing.
- If you’re in the mood for something Thai, this Sesame Dressing and this Peanut Dressing both go really well with this Sesame Coleslaw.
Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!
Happy Cooking! ~Katie
PrintCarrot Ginger Dressing
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 1/2 cup 1x
Description
This carrot ginger dressing tastes just like the dressing you’re served at a Japanese restaurant. Bonus: it tastes less than 10 minutes to make!
Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded peeled carrot
- 1/2 cup peanut oil, preferably roasted
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, dark or amber or agave nectar
- 2 teaspoons miso paste *see ingredient note
- 1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Instructions
- Puree all ingredients in a blender on high, until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Notes
*Ingredient note: miso paste is found in the refrigerated section of the supermarket with the tofu and other refrigerated Asian ingredients, such as egg roll wrappers. Often in an area of the produce section in large supermarkets. Choose a lighter-colored variety for the mildest flavor. If you prefer, simply substitute 1 tablespoon of reduced sodium soy sauce or wheat free tamari and add a pinch of salt to taste.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Blended
- Cuisine: Japanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 94
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
Yum! This looks so creamy 🙂
These photo’s! They are just utterly beautiful. I love the combo of carrot and ginger but have never thought to put it together in a dressing. So yummy!
Thank you so much! Enjoy your day.
You had me at the carrots … and then by the miso paste, you really had me. (Okay, maybe you lost me at the cardboard!) But seriously, this recipe is so clever, creative, and unique. I never would have thought to put carrots in a dressing. The miso excites me b/c it’s a fermented food .. and I’m trying to eat more of those these days. Pinning and Yumming now 🙂
Ha! The cardboard didn’t sound good? Too funny Liz. I love miso too. It is so savory and just a touch adds such depth of flavor to recipes.
I have tried and tried to make this dressing! Can never get it right. At Asian/Sushi restaurants, I order extra dressing of this orange gold on the side because it is SO good. Like you said, it’s worthy of drinking with a straw. Can’t wait to try your version. Pinning to make ASAP.
It is an enigma isn’t it? I love the way this one turned out. It may not be authentic either, but it sure is great as its own thing.
I can’t wait to try this. I accidentally bought a huge bag of carrots 3 weeks in a row, and couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to use them all. Thanks!
That’s pretty much my situation from being a CSA member in Vermont in the winter. In other words, there isn’t much else for the farm to share besides carrots. That and cabbage. Ha ha.
I DO love this Asian dressing too! And, your version sounds so much better with carrots-I much prefer them to celery 🙂 Can’t wait to make this!
I agree, celery and tomato paste just doesn’t sound as good to me for some reason. Thank you for your vote of support. Ha ha. Have a great day EA.
To say I love that dressing is the understatement of the century. I literally lick the bowl (that came with approximately 5 pathetic pieces of iceberg lettuce) clean and sit there contemplating asking for more every time. I can’t WAIT to make this, Katie!
Ha ha. Yeah, whats up with the tiny salads? Especially with dressing that good. I could eat a boatload of it.
This sounds fantastic and I love that color!
Thanks so much Karman. Have a good one.
Love this dressing recipe! How unique!!
Thank you Chelsea. Have a great day.
Best dressing ever!!
I totally agree! How is it not a thing in every grocery store?!
Yes, right or wrong, I could definitely pour this over pretty much anything and everything and enjoy it! Love this – gorgeous!!
Everything! Totally, ha ha. This is fine all on its own. Thanks for visiting today Patricia. Have a good one.
How funny, I would definitely have guessed carrots as well!
Ha, ha so I am not crazy! So good to feel the redemption!
What a fun salad! Pinning 🙂
Yeah! I’d even venture to say that this dressing will make a salad party out of any bowl of iceberg.Thank you for pinning my dear!
Such a lovely color! Carrot and ginger are so glorious together!
Ah yes! I agree and I suppose that makes sense since they are a classic combo. Maybe that’s why I always assumed that was the main ingredient in this recipe. Ha ha!
My kids are crazy about that Benihana dressing, and I’m delighted to make what I’m sure is a new and improved version of it at home. Beautiful color, too!
Wether or not it is authentic I am a-okay with it. Ha ha. Hope you and your kiddos approve of my non-traditional way of doing it.