Last Minute Asian Salad Dressing

If you want a quick way to brighten up those boring salads, try whipping up this Last Minute Asian Salad Dressing using only 6 ingredients! It's freaking fantastic and it's oil-free! 😘

I have been on a SALAD kick for the last 2 weeks to get more greens into my diet. My favorite dressing is usually California Balsamic's "Blazing Habanero" or "Sweet Heat". But as I was adding some leftover pear and tofu cubes I thought to myself, this really needs an Asian Dressing!

So I quickly grabbed a few ingredients and whipped up what I call this 'Last Minute Asian Salad Dressing' because it truly was "last minute" as my salad was already prepared!

Why You'll LOVE This Asian Salad Dressing

❤️ It's 100% vegan and oil-free. I know many of you will appreciate this as you follow an oil-free diet as many of our plant-based doctors recommend.

❤️It's 100% gluten-free too, as long as you use tamari instead of soy sauce. But I would still read those labels on your bottle of tamari because you just never know!

❤️It's a fun and different way to enjoy a salad! I know that I get tired of the same dressing day after day, so here's a way to change things up a bit.

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Ingredients & Substitutions

ingredients needed to make the last minute asian salad dressing

Tamari

Tamari is the Japanese version of our ever-popular Chinese soy sauce. It can be thicker, richer in flavor, and less salty than soy sauce, but more importantly, it is USUALLY made with no to very little wheat (for those of you who are gluten-free). I always opt for the lowest sodium variety I can find. You can substitute low-sodium soy sauce if you don't have any gluten issues.

Rice Vinegar

Made with fermented rice, rice vinegar is a popular condiment used in many types of Asian cooking. Sweeter than distilled white vinegar, it adds a mild blanket of acidity to marinades, sauces, and stir-fries. Rice vinegar is actually a byproduct of rice wine. After cooked rice is fermented to make wine, that wine is fermented again into acetic acid or rice vinegar. A good substitute here would be Red Wine Vinegar.

Maple Syrup

The maple syrup balances the sharpness of the rice vinegar and the savoriness of the tamari. Brown Rice Syrup or Date Syrup might be a good substitute.

Tahini

Tahini is simply sesame seed paste, kind of like what peanut butter is to peanuts. Some brands contain extra oil so check those labels. Sesame seeds are a good source of healthy fat which is necessary to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins like A, E, & D that are in all those salad veggies. If you're not opposed to a little bit of oil, a few drops of sesame oil would be a good replacement for the sesame flavor.

Garlic & Ginger

A few teaspoons of fresh garlic and a teaspoon of fresh ginger rounds out all of the ingredients you'll need to make this dressing. Garlic powder will work as well as powdered ginger. I'd start with ½ teaspoon of garlic powder and ¼ teaspoon of ginger and go from there.

*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities and detailed cooking directions.

How To Make Last Minute Asian Salad Dressing

Got a few minutes? Nail this delicious dressing on your first shot by following these step-by-step photos with helpful tips. Or scroll down to the bottom of this page for the easy-to-print recipe card.

Step 1

Measure ⅓ cup of tamari into a 1 cup measuring cup.

measuring cup with tamari and rice vinegar

Step 2

Add 3 tablespoons of rice vinegar

adding tahini to a measuring cup with tamari and rice vinegar

Step 3

Add 1 teaspoon of tahini

adding maple syrup to the last minute asian salad dressing

Step 4

Add 1 tablespoon of maple syrup

adding garlic and ginger to the last minute asian salad dressing

Step 5

Add 2 teaspoons of minced garlic and 1 teaspoon of freshly minced ginger. Whisk until thoroughly combined.

pouring my last minute asian salad dressing into a glass jar

Step 6

Pour the dressing into your favorite container for serving.

Top Tip

This dressing can also be used as a marinade for baked tofu cubes or tempeh!

What About That Salad?

a big wooden bowl of healthy salad with tofu cubes and a jar of my last minute asian salad dressing

Obviously, the way you make your salad is up to you. But here are just a few of the ingredients I like to add to mine, especially with this Last Minute Asian Salad Dressing

Prepackaged salad mixes are easy and convenient!
Sliced red onion adds a nice crunchy zing to this salad
Red bell pepper slices add more vitamins and a splash of color
Cherry tomatoes were made for salads, am I right?
Sliced or shredded pear or apple adds a nice sweet contrast to the tamari
Baked or air-fried tofu cubes not only add protein to this salad but also a nice chewiness.
Croutons are one of my favs for salads but if you buy them at the store you really have to read the labels as many of them have dairy as an ingredient. My suggestion: toast your own using oil-free bread.
Sunflower and/or sesame seeds add more of that healthy fat along with a nice crunch

Recipe FAQs

a jar of last minute asian salad dressing next to an ulu knife and a bowl of salad

How Much Dressing Does This Make?

This will make about ½ cup of dressing.

How Long Will It Keep?

You can easily store this in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

What Kind of Knife is That?

They are called ULU knives and originate in Alaska. They are perfect for chopping up salad greens.

Where Did You Get That Cute Bottle?

Fred Meyers. You may also find them at your local Walmart, Target, or even Michaels.

More Salads Please

These are some of my other favorite salads and fixings:

Last Minute Asian Salad Dressing
Simple Pickled Onions
Vegan Mexican Pasta Salad (oil free & gf)
Vegan Esquites (Mexican Street Corn Salad)