My mother and I have often spoken longingly about the ginger-soy salad dressing at several Japanese restaurants in Denver (strange as that sentence may read, my mother and I do often discuss food at length, and reminiscing over salad dressing is well within our conversational norms). I can now proudly announce that I've figured it out. Tahini is the secret. Except tahini makes it very different from what they serve at Japanese restaurants, but, somehow, I daresay it makes it better.
Better than Samauri Ginger-Soy Salad
Salad Fixin's
Salad greens*
Pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
Green onions
Carrot shavings
Salad Dressing
Tahini
Soy sauce
Rice vinegar
Grapefruit juice
Ginger (we buy the paste, but fresh would be preferred)
Mustard (preferably a little honey mustard)
Wasabi powder (optional)
Black pepper
*One reason for posting recipes is to encourage friends to eat locally grown produce in season. It is not salad season here in WV (and I admit to buying bulk organic salad greens from CA at Sam's Club), but I am hoping that it might be salad season soon here and possibly wherever you may be.
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3 comments:
Lisa, you are a culinary goddess! I have been wondering how to make Japanese-restaurant salad dressing for years. I'll have to try this. Any hints on approximate quantities/proportions?
I'll measure tomorrow. At the moment, it's a good glob (2 Tbs?) of tahini, a double splash of soy sauce, a single splash of rice vinegar, a spoonful of ginger paste, a small spoonful of honey mustard, a sprinkle of wasabi powder, a squirt of honey if it's not sweet enough, and enough grapefruit juice to make it the right consistency (I've used lemon juice, orange juice and water, but white grapefruit is surprisingly the best).
Adjust from there-- tahini makes it thicker and creamier (and "duller"), soy saltier, ginger more gingery and mustard and citrus tend to "brighten"
A small squirt of miso is also good, but one has to watch the salty and stickiness with liquid miso.
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