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This sesame vinaigrette is a delicious salad dressing for any Asian salad or marinades for meats used in Asian dishes. Works great as a basting sauce on the grill as well!
I love Asian salads. The ginger, the carrots, the green onions, and maybe a little cabbage tossed together with chicken make for an amazing lunch. Add some Asian vinaigrette, and the flavors explode!
What Is Sesame Dressing?
Sesame salad dressing, or in this case, sesame vinaigrette, is a very simple Asian salad dressing that works well in many different dishes. While there are many different recipes for it, a classic combination can include sesame oil, soy sauce, and vinegar, as I’ve done in the recipe below. I used rice vinegar just to keep the flavor profile going and added some spices to take things up a notch.
What Is Vinaigrette Dressing Used For?
In general, vinaigrettes are used for three things, as mentioned above. These plus other uses include:
Salad dressing for green salads
Marinade for shrimp and seafood.
Basting sauce
Other uses include:
Asian chicken
Mix in some peanut butter, fresh ginger, and maple syrup for a delicious dipping sauce. (Whisk well)
Try this over noodles or cooked vegetables.
Goes well with pork
Makes a great vegan dressing or marinade.
I’m sure there are some creative uses out there that go beyond the three highlighted things, but those are standard.
Is Sesame Salad Dressing Healthy?
Yep! You’ll want to use it sparingly, of course. Oil is oil and there is a fair amount of it here. But in small doses, there is no reason to consider this recipe unhealthy.
What Is Sesame Dressing Made Of?
While I can’t vouch for other dressing recipes, this is what my recipe consists of.
Rice vinegar – You could also use regular white vinegar if you wish, but rice vinegar has a flavor that works much better here.
Sesame oil – Most stores will carry toasted sesame oil. They usually come in small bottles because sesame oil tends to go rancid much faster than other oils. So don’t buy more than you need unless you have plans to use it up soon. You can use grapeseed oil or extra virgin olive oil, but the flavor will change considerably.
Soy sauce– You can also use coconut aminos for soy-free dressing. (That’s what I used here). If you use regular soy sauce, opt for low sodium. Tamari could also work here in a pinch.
Salt – I used pink Himalayan salt, but use what you have on hand.
Ground ginger – You can use fresh, grated ginger if you prefer. Start small and adjust the amount to taste.
Black pepper – This is optional. If you prefer a dressing that is extra spicy, you can use crushed red peppers instead.
Toasted sesame seeds – Optional. You can also just toss them onto whatever you are using the dressing on. You can also toast your own seeds at home if you prefer.
How To Make Sesame Vinaigrette
Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
Serve this sesame salad dressing over your favorite Asian salad.
Storage For Asian Sesame Dressing
Store this in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Shake well before each use. Keep it in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
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Perhaps no other salad dressing is as versatile as sesame dressing. The simple mixture of sesame seeds, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and brown sugar has the ideal balance of nutty, salty, tart, and lightly sweet.
The French have decided that the perfect ratio for a vinaigrette is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. For my personal taste, that's a little too oily — but it's totally up to you. My simple system is: In a small screw-top jar, place vinegar and a pinch of salt; cover and shake (this helps to dissolve the salt).
For a traditional vinaigrette, you'll need to mix about 3 tablespoons of oil to 1 tablespoon of vinegar. You'll also want to add some salt and pepper to taste. Of course, for all four ingredients, the better the quality you use, the better your vinaigrette will taste.
In addition to white wine vinegar, red wine, sherry, balsamic and cider vinegars can all be used in the same quantities as above. It's really down to personal taste and it's great to have a selection of vinegars in your cupboard to give variety to even the simplest salads.
In general, vinaigrette consists of 3 parts of oil to 1 part of vinegar whisked into an emulsion. Salt and pepper are often added. Herbs and shallots, too, are often added, especially when it is used for cooked vegetables or grains. Sometimes mustard is used as an emulsifier and to add flavour.
In Western culture, there are three basic types of salad dressing: Vinaigrette; Creamy dressings, usually based on mayonnaise or fermented milk products, such as yogurt, sour cream (crème fraîche, smetana), buttermilk; Cooked dressings, which resemble creamy dressings, but are usually thickened by adding egg yolks and ...
First Oil, Then Vinegar. It's somewhat akin to the old Far Side adage, "First Pants, Then Shoes." If you add the vinegar first, the oil slides off and ends up in a puddle at the bottom of the bowl, instead of coating every leaf. 3 to 1. This is the standard ratio of oil to vinegar: three parts oil to one part vinegar.
According to Reader's Digest, oil-based salad dressings, such as a balsamic vinaigrette or Italian dressing, tend to last longer than mayo-based dressings. In general, these dressings can last for up to a few weeks (via Know Your Pantry). However, once they've expired, they will give off a noticeable rancid smell.
Sweetness balances out acidity, spice, and bitterness. A salad composed of bitter greens may benefit from a sweeter dressing. But sweetness can come from sources other than one-note white sugar; consider honey, pureed dates, maple syrup, jam, or molasses as sweeteners that also add flavor and mouth-feel.
Chinese sesame paste is made with hulled seeds that are roasted before they're ground into a thick, coarse paste that takes on a dark tanned hue. On its own, its flavor is similar to unsalted peanut butter with the intensity of fresh-pressed sesame oil.
Tahini is sometimes listed as a substitute for sesame paste, but in my mind, the two aren't interchangeable. Though tahini is also made from white sesame seeds, those seeds are usually untoasted or lightly toasted. By comparison, toasted sesame paste is more assertive and aromatic and also thicker in texture.
Introduction: My name is Pres. Carey Rath, I am a faithful, funny, vast, joyous, lively, brave, glamorous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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