We reverse engineered that Japanese carrot ginger salad dressing!

[HamdenRice]

After trial and error, we think we have it.

In the NYC area, almost every Japanese sushi restaurant serves the same salad dressing. I thought it was nation wide, but after looking at some food blogs, I believe that Japanese salad dressing in the US might vary by region.

Anyway, if you've ever had that orange looking, tangy, gingery salad dressing and wanted it at home, we think we've come up with almost an exact replica. In fact, it's better because it's fresher, and so delish that we have to avoid eating it right out of container without salad! It's also very low in fact and full of veggie goodness.

3 medium carrots
1/2 small/medium onion
3 cloves garlic
1 stalk celery
1 thumb sized chunk of ginger (peeled)
1 tbs sugar
4 tbs white vinegar
2 tbs kikoman soy sauce
2 tbs very mild oil (soybean, sunflower, etc. -- don't use olive, it's a disaster!)
2 or more tbs water -- until you get the right consistency

You just cut the veggies in small pieces and liquids and put in the food processor and process until smooth. Add water until you get the right consistency. The vinegar and sugar substitutes for sushi vinegar, which is slightly sweet. When we get to the Asian market, we'll buy some rice wine vinegar and sushi vinegar to substitute/experiment for what's in the recipe as it is now.

Let me know what you think and whether it is like the Japanese salad dressing you've had.

[troubleinwinter]

1. "sushi vinegar"

Are you referring to "seasoned rice vinegar"? It is sold in all supermarkets (at least in the west) in the Asian food section.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N1t9Uuf7DCc/SSIbYVPuVfI/AAAAAAAAB2M/YknwEa1wYus/s400/Seasoned+rice+vinegar.jpg

There is plain rice vinegar and "seasoned", which has salt and sugar added. It is what I use when making sushi.

Your recipe looks delicious!!! But, no, it is not the sort I've had in Calif. I've had some strange whitish stuff on lettuce, that does seem to be a pureed vegetable, and is bland (I don't think they should make this salad at all). Then there's wonderful Sunomono, which is cold glass noodles and cucumber marinated in sweet vinegar and ginger.

What is your dressing served on? I bet it would be good on fresh spinach?

[HamdenRice]

5. Isn't sushi vinegar basically vinegar and sugar?

I ran out of all my Asian vinegars, so I'm not sure which. The main thing was the combination of sweet and sour, so I just used American white vinegar and sugar.

I've never had a white dressing in a Japanese restaurant. In this region it's always orange, and it's always pretty much the same in every restaurant. It's odd how regionally uniform Asian restaurants become.

The restaurant salad is usually just iceberg lettuce with sometimes a few shreds of red cabbage. Our salad had a bit of everything though.

[Lucinda]

2. Excellent. Will give it a try. We love that stuff!

:hi:

[grasswire]

3. no orange?

The stuff in my town has orange in it. Definitely.

[HamdenRice]

6. Could be

Last time we went to our local Japanese restaurant and were slurping the dressing and trying to figure out what was in it, neither of us said orange, but come to think of it, there may have been a citrus taste in it. Now I have to go back and check!

[Richard Steele]

4. Thanks so much. I'm saving this post to my "Recipe" folder.

Strong work! :thumbsup: