Easy Carrot Ginger Dressing

I’m obsessed with this carrot ginger dressing recipe! It’s my new favorite salad dressing, and it’s bright, zippy, and bursting with fresh ginger. You’re going to love it!

Carrot Ginger Dressing on a salad

This carrot ginger dressing is bold, punchy, and incredibly versatile. You’ll love it on salads, roasted veggies, grilled meats, and more!

This recipe is inspired by the gingery dressings found in Japanese steakhouses (especially in the US) but with an extra gingery kick. It’s so easy to make at home. Just toss everything into a blender and blend until smooth.

Key Ingredients

  • Ginger: I love the fresh ginger punch in this dressing. Scrub your ginger to clean it, then use a spoon to scrape away most of the skin. If you’re sensitive to raw ginger, you can reduce the amount in the recipe slightly. If you love ginger as much as I do, you might also like one of these ginger recipes: lemon ginger shots, spicy garlic ginger edamame, or this ginger shrimp marinade.
  • Carrot: I use raw carrots for this dressing. Chop them into small chunks, and they will blend nicely. They give the dressing its beautiful orange color and mellow out the ginger’s heat.
  • Shallot and garlic: I use a little shallot and one small garlic clove (more would be overpowering). If your garlic cloves are large, cut one in half.
  • Rice wine vinegar: This makes the dressing zesty and deliciously tangy. Use unseasoned rice wine vinegar, as the seasoned kind has added sugar.
  • Mustard: I sneak a bit of mustard into most of my salad dressings. It adds flavor and helps the oil and vinegar blend smoothly.
  • Honey: Raw ginger and vinegar can be intense, so a touch of sweetness is a good idea for balance. The carrots already help, but the dressing needs a bit of extra sweetness. I love honey for its flavor, but maple syrup works as a substitute.
  • Avocado oil:  Any light flavored oil is fine, but avocado oil is my go-to for this recipe.

How to Make Carrot Ginger Dressing

This ginger carrot dressing is my new favorite salad dressing. It’s made with raw ginger and carrots and is easy to make, especially if you have a high-powered blender (most are these days).

First, you’ll chop up your ginger, carrots, and shallot into small pieces. Toss those into your blender with a small garlic clove, rice wine vinegar, mustard, a bit of honey, and some salt.

Carrot Ginger Dressing Ingredients in a Blender

Blend everything on high until pureed. It won’t be smooth yet (you need the oil for that).

Add the oil (there is no need to pour it in slowly) and blend on high until the dressing is super smooth. Taste and adjust with salt. Depending on how hot and spicy your ginger tastes, you might need an extra drizzle of honey, too.

Storing Carrot Ginger Dressing

Store this dressing in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for up to 1 week. Give your dressing a good shake or stir before using, as some separation might occur. Taste the dressing before using, as the ginger flavor can change over time.

Carrot Ginger Dressing with Lettuce

What to Serve with Carrot Ginger Dressing

I love how zesty this carrot ginger dressing is! It’s fantastic on salads (especially those with a crunchy iceberg or cabbage base), but that’s just the beginning. It’s also delicious on grilled chicken, baked tofu, or even steak.

I love tossing it with quinoa for a little extra zing, and it’s the perfect topping for brown sugar baked salmon. You can even dip your favorite veggies into it (raw or roasted)! It also livens up soup like lentil soup or black bean soup. This dressing is so versatile that you’ll want to use it on everything.

Easy Carrot Ginger Dressing

  • PREP
  • TOTAL

This carrot ginger dressing is delicious with just about any leafy green, roasted veggies, grilled meats, and seafood. I especially love it with iceberg lettuce, sliced green onion, and radish.

1 cup

You Will Need

3-inch piece (55g) fresh ginger root, 1/3 cup chopped

1 cup (140g) chopped carrots, 3 small carrots

Half of a small shallot

1 small garlic clove

6 tablespoons (85ml) rice wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 cup (118ml) avocado oil

Directions

    1Scrub ginger of dirt and peel (leaving a little skin in the crevices is okay).

    2Chop the ginger, carrots, and shallot into 1/2-inch pieces, then add to a blender.

    3Add the garlic, rice wine vinegar, mustard, honey, and salt to the blender and puree. It will not puree to be smooth, but it will once you add the oil.

    4Add the oil and blend on high until smooth.

    5Taste and adjust with salt and more honey.

    6Store in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Adam and Joanne's Tips

  • Raw ginger: If you are sensitive to raw ginger (it tastes pretty spicy), consider using a bit less in your dressing.
  • Honey: Substitute maple syrup. You may need more sweetener depending on how spicy and hot your ginger tastes. Taste and adjust as needed.
  • The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size About 2 tablespoons / Calories 147 / Total Fat 13.7g / Saturated Fat 1.6g / Cholesterol 0mg / Sodium 167mg / Carbohydrate 6.7g / Dietary Fiber 0.6g / Total Sugars 5.4g / Protein 0.3g
AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher
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11 comments… Leave a Review
  • Cloudy July 1, 2024, 12:38 pm

    Yum. I use it to dress coleslaw.

    Reply
    • Adam July 3, 2024, 6:53 pm

      That is a great idea! Glad you loved the dressing 🙂

      Reply
  • ARD May 30, 2024, 9:38 pm

    This is deliciously bright and snappy. I used the weight measurements, following exactly. Flavor is delightful! Was a little thick for what I was using it with, so added a bit of fresh squeezed lime juice. Perfecto! Another keeper from Adam and Joanne 🙂 Thanks!

    Reply
    • Adam May 31, 2024, 6:18 pm

      Yay! Thrilled that you loved the dressing 🙂

      Reply
  • Lynette May 15, 2024, 3:42 am

    Love all of your recipes, I’m a vegetarian plus I have Crohn’s, I follow a low fodmap vegetarian diet & all of your recipes I am able to have without any flare ups. Thank you for healthy recipes

    Reply
    • Joanne May 15, 2024, 3:01 pm

      I’m so happy you have found us and that our recipes can help. Thank you so much for coming back and sharing.

      Reply
  • Conni May 11, 2024, 1:44 pm

    I could put this on everything! So refreshing.

    Reply
  • Sunny Benedetti May 11, 2024, 11:07 am

    Great taste & super easy to make. Used it on leftover jasmine rice to jazz it up with some peas. Today will use it as our salad dressing. Love it!

    Reply
    • Adam May 11, 2024, 2:27 pm

      Great idea to put it on your leftover rice! That sounds delicious 🙂

      Reply
  • Robin Twist May 10, 2024, 6:50 pm

    Looked great in print, tasted even better!

    Reply
    • Adam May 10, 2024, 8:18 pm

      Wonderful! We are so glad you liked it 🙂

      Reply

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