Quick Carrot-Ginger Dressing

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Hands-on Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Serves 8
Makes 1 ¼ cups

• 1 c sliced carrots (about 2 large)
• 1 small shallot, sliced
• 1 2″ piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
• ¼ c white miso (soybean paste)
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• ¾ tsp toasted sesame oil
• ⅓ c canola oil

1. Place the carrots shallot, ginger, miso, vinegar and sesame oil in a blender.  Blend, scraping down the sides as necessary, until very finely chopped, about 1 minute.
2. Add the canola oil and blend until nearly smooth, about 30 seconds.  If necessary, thin the dressing with up to 2 Tbsp water.  The dressing will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
   
   

   

    

I’m telling you, Real Simple can read my mind.  Must be why I like it so much.  For example, I came across a never-used single serving blender with travel cup in my cupboard.  I’ve always intended to use it but just hadn’t gotten around to it.  And guess what?  The next issue of Real Simple had not one but 10 recipe ideas for single serving smoothies!

This salad dressing recipe is another example of that.  And also another instance of me trying to recreate a restaurant experience.

My husband and I used to frequent a, now closed, Japanese restaurant for their all-you-can-eat sushi nights.  You got miso soup, salad with a ginger-carrot dressing and all-you-can-eat-sushi.  All for a ridiculously awesome price.  So ridiculously awesome that I would bet it’s what put them out of business.

Ever since the restaurant’s unfortunate demise, I’ve been trying to find a replacement.  Of course, I doubt we’ll ever find a deal like theirs.  And I have yet to find the same great soup-salad-sushi combo, freshness and, I’m sadly learning, one-of-a-kind rolls.

But one day when I was reminiscing of sushi times gone by, I came across this recipe in a Real Simple.  While it’s not exact, it’s about as close as I’ll get.  And with the miso bought to make it, we’ve learned how to make miso soup.  So when I’m in the mood to settle for grocery store sushi I am able to recreate our old sushi nights right at home!

Also, I’ll add a couple notes.  First, I love, love, LOVE my food processor.  And second, this makes a ton of dressing for just two people, especially for only lasting for 3 days.  I will definitely be cutting the recipe in half next time.

Have you ever tried to recreate a restaurant experience at home?