Japanese Mixed Green Salad w/ Easy Carrot & Ginger Dressing + Recipes for a Home Bento Box (Gluten Free)

Leave it to Chef J. Kenji Lopez-Alt (The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science) to share the perfect recipe for Japanese Carrot & Ginger Dressing in his new cookbook, The Wok. This salad dressing is always a favorite when we eat out so it’s a real treat to make it at home. 

Looking back over past blog posts I see that putting together a Home Bento Box would not be that difficult either. Along with the tradtional Japanese salad, add Cauliflower Tempura w/ Red Yuzo Kosho Sauce, or Spicy Butterflied Shrimp w/ Dipping Sauce, and/or Japanese Pickled cucumbers. For dessert, serve a decorative orange using the Japanese Orange Cutting Technique. See the salad recipe and links to all the other dishes below. Then Itadakimasu!*

My Paleo Marin Rating: 4.5 Persimmons**

How To Make the Mixed Green Salad w/ Easy Carrot & Ginger Dressing:

Ingredients:

For the Dressing:

1 medium carrot, peeled and roughly chopped (about 4 oz.)

1 shallot or 1/4 small yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped (about 2 oz.)

2" segment of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped (about 1 oz.)

1 small garlic clove, peeled

2 tablespoons white miso paste 

2 tablespoons honey

Gotham Greens Grateful Greens Salad w/
Carrot & Ginger Dressing
+ Japanese-Cut Orange for Dessert

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup rice vinegar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the Salad:

Crisp, fresh mixed salad greens, about 4 cups (for 4 side salads), such as Gotham Greens Grateful Greens 

Optional: Fresh veggies such as snow peas, cherry tomatoes, sliced bell peppers, etc.

Directions:

For the Dressing:

1. In a blender or stand mixer, combine the carrot, shallot, ginger, garlic, honey, vegetable oil, and rice vinegar. Blend until creamy, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a small container with a cover. 

For the Salad:

1. Place the salad greens in a medium bowl. Add about 1/3 cup of the carrot dressing and toss to lightly coat the ingredients. Taste for seasonings. Add any additional veggies and toss. Serve in individual salad bowls, or bento boxes if you are lucky enough to have them!

The salad dressing recipe yields about 1 cup of dressing. Store extra in covered container in fridge.

For Additional Japanese Side Dishes, see Links below:

See YouTube Video here
for the Japanese Orange Cutting Technique

Authentic Cauliflower Tempura
w/ Red Yuzo Kosho Sauce

 

 Spicy Butterfield Jumbo Shrimp w/
Yuzo Kosho Marinade and Dipping Sauce

Japanese Pickled Cucumbers

Image from
Amazon.com

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Recipe adapted from the cookbook, The Wok, available here.

*Ttakakimasu is a Japanese toast to the food said before eating.

**My Paleo Marin Rating between 1-5 Persimmons

I try out these recipes so you don't have to (and modify them for Paleo where possible). The rating will reflect my opinion of the final result in terms of taste, ease of preparation, nutrition, and sometimes, cost.