Ginger Dressing

Ginger is something that took me a long time to embrace. As a kid and young adult, I found it biting and bitter, and would actively avoid it. You could say I am now making up for lost time. I can’t quite recall when the switch flipped, but these days, the spicier and more ginger-forward, the better. 

I especially appreciate the warming heat that ginger delivers. You might not think a salad can be warming, but in my ever-growing attempt to enthusiastically eat more salads in the coldest months of the year, I’ve found ginger to be a lifeline. 

While it’s a common ingredient in Asian-inspired dressings, ginger is so much more versatile than that. This easy-going ginger dressing is spicy, sweet, and savory, and adds punch to just about any kind of salad, not to mention it can be used in so many other tasty ways, too.

How To Make the Best Ginger Dressing

While I appreciate ginger dressings that skew Asian in flavor with the help of ingredients like soy sauce and sesame oil, the best version, in my opinion, does not box itself in flavor-wise.

This recipe relies on a full tablespoon of freshly grated ginger for that signature heat. It’s balanced with honey, Dijon mustard, garlic, rice or apple cider vinegar, and olive oil for a flavorful but versatile dressing.

You Don’t Have to Peel Your Ginger

Just about every recipe that calls for fresh ginger tells you that you need to peel it before mincing or grating it. I am here to tell you otherwise. Peeling ginger is fussy and, when you’re grating it—my preferred way to prepare it for ease and to ensure its flavor spreads evenly throughout whatever you’re making—totally skippable. 

Scrub your piece of ginger well to remove any dirt then grate it, unpeeled, on a Microplane or the small holes of a box grater. Any large, tough pieces of peel will fall right off in the process and can be tossed.

Tips and Tricks

• This dressing is great for meal prep because it keeps well in the fridge for up to a week. Store it in an airtight jar and let it warm up on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes before using, as the oil will solidify in the cold fridge.
• To make this dressing vegan, you can swap out the honey for maple syrup or brown rice syrup.
• While rice vinegar lends the cleanest, most neutral flavor to this dressing which allows the ginger to be front and center, apple cider vinegar also works well if that’s what you have on hand.

How To Use My Ginger Dressing

This dressing is as versatile as the most basic vinaigrette, and a lot more interesting. I’ve currently been using it to dress baby spinach leaves as well as kale salads, but it works with just about any salad that needs dressing. Alternatively, try it as a dressing for coleslaw, drizzled over roasted vegetables, or even used as a marinade for chicken or salmon. Here are a few more recipes to use it in:

• Banh Mi Salad
• Roasted Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowls
• Grapefruit Avocado Salad