A few weeks ago, a commenter (hi, Kate!) tipped me off to the Avocado Salad with Carrot-Ginger Dressing in Gwyneth Paltrow’s GOOP newsletter. Yes, that Gwyneth Paltrow, from Duets! She has a newsletter dedicated to “nourishing the inner aspect” which I have to be completely honest, I have no idea what that is and hope that doesn’t mean I don’t have one. I’m also not convinced that I’m full of impurities and toxins, thus I’m not really into cleanses and detoxes she discusses in this newsletter and I’m understandably suspect of borderline-starvation fasts that promise a quick shedding of holiday excess.
But I really love a good avocado salad. And my husband thinks that carrot-ginger dressings are pretty much the best thing ever. He always talks about one he’d get in college from a place called Around the Clock (it is now a Japanese bakery, next to St. Marks Books) and how he’d always crave it and how nobody really makes it as perfectly as they did, or nobody before I tried Paltrow’s version — “You got the recipe just right!”
And he’s right, it is pretty awesome (thanks, Gwyneth!), and it doesn’t matter whether you’re eating it for the healthful promises within or just because it tastes really good. The sharp flavors of the raw shallot and ginger are rounded out by the toasted, nutty sesame oil and miso, mellowed by the sweet ground carrot and contrasted by the sweet, smooth avocado in the salad. We loved this. We wanted to dip everything in it, which is good, because it makes a lot (but should not be used sparingly, as you would a thinner dressing). Even Jacob wanted to get in on the action, staring so hard at us as we ate our salads that I couldn’t resist offering him a taste of the dressing. He was aghast. I’m going to assume that’s a good thing.
One year ago: We hang out on The Pioneer Woman’s Ranch!
Three years ago: Tequila-Lime Chicken and Green Onion Slaw
Avocado Salad with Carrot-Ginger Dressing
This recipe yields 1 to 1 1/4 cups dressing.
The major changes I made to the recipe were to increase the miso and sesame oil because I like it when their flavors are noticeable. This recipe has a real bite to it from the fresh ginger and the shallot. The original recipe suggested a large one, I suggest a more thimble-like small one. If you don’t want as loud of a ginger bite, use one tablespoon instead of two. This will make a lot but I like salads best with a heavy helping of this. You’ll go through it faster than you’d expect.
- 1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 small shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons white miso
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seed oil
- 1/4 cup grape seed or another neutral oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 small/medium head of lettuce (I used Bibb)
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 avocado, quartered and thinly sliced
Dressing
Assembly
- Make the dressing: Whiz the carrots, shallot and ginger in a blender or food processor until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides, then add the miso, vinegar and sesame oil. While the machine running, slowly drizzle in the grape seed oil and the water.
- I also added a few strips of purple and yellow carrot on top that had been cut with a juleinne peeler, plus some snipped chives. Toasted black and white sesame seeds would also make a pretty garnish here.
Assemble salad: Trim and chop lettuce into small wedges. Arrange on a platter. Scatter onion and avocado on top.* If you’d like, and I do, sprinkle some flaky sea salt and black pepper over the salad at this point. Dollop with plenty of dressing and serve with remaining dressing on the side.
We are finally able to find ripe avocados here in Pittsburgh that aren’t costing an arm and a leg right now! That dressing sounds divine. My hubby loves ginger – he would love this!
Hmm, today is traditionally a great posting day for you. PW *and* that green onion slaw I make at least once a month, and now this! It sounds like the salad at the place near where I used to work that I still dream about six years later. Off to the store–thanks!
I’ve never tried avocado! Shame on me, I know… When I do finally try it, I’ll make sure it’s in a nice salad like this one. :)
oh that sounds just like the dressing i’ve been gaga for at my locak sushi joint. i love dressing w/ texture & twang.
well I love GOOP and I do believe in cleanses…also the myriad of info Gwyneth offers up in her Newsletter…She is sincere and very thorough…
This dressing is great…can be altered by adding lime juice and a little chili..
or more ginger and a little green tea…
fusion…fun and foraging for new info…..
thanks for your posts…
This is almost identical to my spouse’s favorite dressing, which I think is a traditional Japanese one he discovered while living in Japan. We have never eaten it with avocado, though. The combination sounds incredible; how serendipitous that there is a newly ripened avocado in the kitchen!
I do believe that my husband would go nuts for this salad dressing too! We had a ginger carrot juice drink the other day that he couldn’t get enough of. Add in avocados and I’m sold!
I too am a bit obsessed with carrot ginger dressing! Well I’ve only made one recipe. Yours. And it was fabulous! So if you say this one is good too, well, I’m just going to have to try it! Looks delicious!
the jacob comment was very funny – i laughed right out loud.
thanks for the post – i’m another one of those people who love the dressing at their japanese restaurant and can’t figure it out at home – we’ll be trying this recipe this week – thanks!
I was not drawn to this one by the name or the pictures (not that they aren’t wonderful, they are), because it just looks so thick and I tend to like vinaigrettes. Your description, however, has made this a must try. I do love avocado and I love shallots, carrots and miso. I love making miso salmon and often have leftovers, now I’ll have a use for it.
Looks like a fantastic recipe (as always)! Thanks.
What constitutes as a “neutral” oil? Any other examples of that besides grapeseed?
Salad looks yummy! Just in time for Cinco di Mayo!
Neutral oils — Generally canola and vegetable are neutral oils. Olive oil is not, and might impart a slight olive flavor, but there’s otherwise no reason not to use it. I added the “other neutral oil” because I know not everyone keeps grapeseed around. (Which is wonderful because it can cook at a very high temperature without burning or changing flavor, unlike olive oil, but it has such a limited shelf life once opened, can be frustrating given the price…)
Linda — Thank you. I suspect there will be even MORE typos. :)
this is one recipe my husband will really enjoy. thanks deb!
oh..one minor typo (after “major changes” ….should read bite…)
so you are going for the every day this week post…sweet!
I love mashing ripe avocado on a toasted bagel – would also be nice with this dressing on top – health too!
GOOP hurts me inside.
All of the flavors sound phenomenal!
Yum, and I must say, I need to make that dressing asap. I am currently eating a ginger dressing that is teasing me for what I am really looking for! Yours looks perfect!
This dressing is delicious!! I have been making it for over a year! I also add an extra tablespoon of miso so it’s not so sharp. I also add it to udon noodles with tofu and broccoli…mmmm crazy good!
wonderful photos! looks delicious!
Wow! My friends are doing to be jealous that I got a shout out on Smitten/mock me for the rest of my life for being associated with GOOP (over at the less-polite DListed.com, the tag line is “Nourish The Inner A–hole”). A net gain! Glad it worked out, Deb, and adorable Jacob is the cherry on top of the post as usual!
I think I need to make this dressing immediately for tonight’s spinach salad!
and those fasts scare me. Glad to hear you’re not embracing!
I have an avocado loving bride-to-be friend to whom I will be sending this recipe. I’m not a salad person myself, and a carrot person even less, but she will be jazzed as she is on a wedding countdown healthy eating kick.
Is hubby sure the carrot-ginger dressing of his college days wasn’t from Yaffa Cafe, right next to St. Mark’s Books? Theirs is also quite famous.
I subscribe to GOOP, sometimes she has good recipes (like 2 great-looking Iraqi dishes – thick chicken soup with rice and sweet-and-sour fish) but mostly it’s for comedic effect.
Can’t wait for tomorrow’s post!
Stephanie — I subscribe too! The recipes are always interesting; it’s just that I’ve spent an unhealthy amount of time today trying to dissect what an inner aspect is an how it can be nourished and gotten nowhere. I think Yaffa is on St. Marks between 1st and A, not by the bookstore. Personally, I used to like the carrot-ginger dressing at Wai (and occasionally Sidewalk).
I have a serious ginger addiction and that dressing looks CRAZY delicious!!
so does this mean you’re doing a post per day this week!? that makes me all happy inside. even if I know this recipe is from GOOP. I’m sure it’s delicious, I’ve actually browsed her recipes and some of her smoothies don’t look bad either. But on principle I’ve never been able to take them seriously. But now that you’ve endorsed it…
So you do have a lot of carrots. Get use to those Jacob looks, but he is thinking! Just wait until he finds the words.
I’ve got ginger and carrots, I’ll pick up the rest of the items. I love ginger carrot dressing. It looks like Jacob is trying to figure out this new taste.
All this talk of my inner aspect is making me crave the chocolate brownies I have in the freezer! That and the breast feeding…yeah, I’ll just keep telling myself that. Thank you for always inspiring me with new recipes, ideas and methods!
If anyone is wondering where to get grapeseed oil, a company called Wildtree specializes in it. I know Deb you shy away from brand name endorsement, but it is a rather difficult oil to find for some–so I just thought I’d let you know. The grapeseed oil they sell actually has an opened shelf life of 18 months when stored away from heat. It’s a great oil–I love it and I’m glad to see it called for in recipes!!
I’ve got to try that ginger carrot dressing. It’s funny about all the cleanses and diets. Almost every blog site I visit has an ad for easy tips to get rid of excess fat. The really easy tip is – eat less. And, when you do eat, look at the ingredients. Is it food or junk?
I agree with Claudia (#32), there is no need for detox if you don’t intox in the first place!! I like the thick texture of the dressing. Will try it out with my children! Thanks!
Hi Deb, I’ve got to give this recipe a try. I made your miso carrot sauce with ginger from three years ago and loved it. Near as I can tell, it’s very similar except this one includes shallots, which I love. I think I’ll put it on a spinach salad later in the week. Thanks for sharing it with your faithful followers! And your little guy couldn’t be cuter! Love that photo of him drooling over carrots!
Susan and others who have mentioned the earlier version of this — I’d meant to mention it in the post. Mostly, this is a more pungent, full-flavored version, the other was more mellow. So, both are delicious, this has more bite.
Deb, this recipe looks scrumptious…but not as scrumptious as your little jellybean.
I will see about trying this dressing as soon as I can tear my eyes away from your Flickr album.
Ian loving thus dressing ! A must try!
I am loving this dressing ! A must try!
Around the Clock sucked. The veggies were over-ripe and the bread was moldy and soggy. Panya was a way better place!
Thanks for your reply – I too have always been baffled by her use of “aspect”. Maybe it’s a sneaky way for Gwyneth to keep her subscribers – we’re hoping she’ll finally tell us what an aspect is in each subsequent newsletter. No luck yet!
Funny enough, there’s also a great used bookstore right next to Yaffa Cafe. I assumed that’s what you were referring to. I’ll be sure to try the dressings at the places you mentioned – but on second thought, why bother now that I have my very own recipe? Thanks!
That sounds like such an interesting combination of flavors, I can’t wait to try it!
The dressing looks delicious – it reminds me a little of the carrot dressing poured liberally over absolutely everything at Dojo’s on St. Marks! (Which is now closed, but I think they might have another location somewhere.) I’m getting nostalgic, so I think I might have to try it…
Dojos! Thank you- could not remember the name of the place..loved the brown rice w veggies because of delicious dressing..in the late ‘80’s!
Really sensational!
Uh-Oh, does grapeseed oil have a short shelf life? Let’s just say I’ve been using my bottle for awhile. But it still seems fine to me… :-P
Jessica — It sounds like (from comment #18) that you’ve got 19 months. However, my apartment is atrociously hot most of the year, I hadn’t bought a particularly good brand last time and after two months, I thought mine smelled off. Just use the sniff test. Works for milk, right?!
Stephanie — I had no idea that there was a used bookstore there. I walk by it all of the time … I should pay attention!
I made it tonight and we loved it! Out of miso, so I used about a half Tablespoon of soy sauce, and seasoned rice vinegar (for sushi) instead of plain. Loved, loved it!
looks delicious!
what is sweet white miso? from some google-ing it looks tofu-like but more creamy and sweet? do you know of any substitutions if we can’t find it?
Rachel — Is it? See, I’d just thought it was white miso, and that it is sometimes called “sweet” because white miso is a little more mild, and less salty, than brown/red miso. Perhaps I should have done my research first!
LOL on the toxins, I cringed a bit when you mentioned her site and the name of her inner whatnot. But you went the right route…. Thanks for not being into wu and this salad looks delish!
Will definitely give this a shot, I’m a big fan of the carrot-ginger dressing at Yaffa on St. Mark’s.
I have made this twice over the last 3 months and it is really good and healthy. I would definitely use it on almost any firm lettuce
I, too, LOVED that carrot ginger dressing at Around the Clock when I was in college (boo, I miss that place! They also had amazing banana pancakes), so I can’t wait to try this.
i’ve had that dressing at japanese restaurants and always wondered what was in it. can’t wait to make it myself.
I soooo remember Around The Clock and their dressing. Can’t quite believe it is possible to make it yourself.
Oh god, anything that can replicate the carrot-ginger dressing from Around the Clock is obviously the best thing ever. I used to go there regularly and couldn’t branch out from the same order (A.T.C.) because I just needed — NEEDED — that dressing. Bless you, Deb. (And bless Gwynno’s inner aspect.)
hey all: check out South River Misos, they are absolutely the best. Organic, handmade, and wonderful flavors, also low sodium. I have been using them for years, and they have sweet white, as well as a dandelion/leek from wild stock they gather by the river on their property, and a fantastic garlic red pepper miso that is to die for…
I think i’ll try this dressing this weekend. We are smoking some killer ribs in Austin this weekend.
Carrots – check. Ginger – check. If I can’t get miso – should I leave it out? Substitute it for something else?
Thanks for this one. I love ginger and currently have loads of carrots!
“Nourish the inner aspect” = “Feed your soul” plugged into a thesaurus.
P.s. That salad looks delicious. (But really, anything with avocado: I’m there.)
Hello Deb! I am allergic to soy; do you have any idea of something that I could replace the miso with? Many thanks for all the wonderful stories, pictures, and recipes!
I have to admit, for some reason the look of this isn’t appealing to me, even though I’d marry an avocado if it was legal. But you’ve never let me down Deb, so perhaps this will make it to a plate near me very soon:)
wow it is a great idea for delicious dressing!
I think I lost my inner aspect when I was on holiday last year, anyone who finds it, I’d be pleased to hear from you – will pay for postage.
Great dressing, might try it on my salad greens I just planted and I can’t stop talking about because *I am so proud not to have killed them yet*
Thanks Deb and Gwynnie, what a team ;P
Carrot and ginger – a match made in heaven. Thanks Deb for another magical recipie :-)
The dressing sounds delicious and I’m sure GP got it from a chef who cooked for them sometime so I will give this a go. Oh my God… here in London Goop is considered a complete joke and now GP is claiming to be our uk version of Martha Stewart. Why can’t she just be happy to be be an Oscar winning actress and get on with loving her husband and children…? Some people don’t know when to stop…
I’ve never had a carrot ginger dressing. Hurray for a new salad dressing recipe!
And I was *just* saying to my husband how much I’m craving a miso dressing. See? You read my mind. This version looks great, thank you very much.
Checked this blog today as usual. Saw this recipe. Realised I had all the ingredients. Made it. Stuck it in a fajita. Enjoyed the taste of spring-y zesty heaven. Made one for my flatmate and she said the same. Delicious!
I miss Around the Clock and their fajitas so, but the bakery looks like it’s quite good. I’m not a big fan of miso per se, but love carrot-ginger dressing, so I’ll have to take a shot at this one of these days; it’s not like I don’t have enough carrots, the way we juice at my home!
Wholly Guacamole! What a genius dressing idea. I have some carrot’s with ginger’s name all over it.
Miso is lightly fermented soy, and it’s much more mealy and pasty in texture than tofu, as well as MUCH more intensely salty. This month’s Cook’s magazine had a great article comparing misos (?) that I found informative. Even in miso soup, just a couple spoonfuls are stirred in to lend the intense flavor. Deb – any chance you’ve had the ginger dressing at Dojo on West 4th? That, for me, has always been the gold standard of ginger dressings, and I brought home half-pints of it whenever I could before I moved out of the city. I’m eager to try this version. One last question – what does the shallot add, flavor-wise? I have everything else but that in the house and am not a big onion-flavor fan, so I was wondering if you thought it added an essential element. Thanks!
Travels — Skip the shallot if it is not to your liking. It definitely adds a raw onion bite, or at least mine did.
YES! I have been searching for this dressing recipe as our local sushi bar refuses to tell me their recipe! Can’t wait to try it. Thank you x
Wow, I never thought the raw carrots would work in a dressing like this….. interesting. I guess it doesn’t end up too “gritty?”
I might try it – the colors are amazing, and the whole thing as healthy as can be!
thank you
Hilarious!
I’m sure your “inner aspect” thanks you whether you believe in it or not! The salad looks perfect for summer…I’m sure we’ll be making it a lot. Thanks again!
So many posts in one week! Yay! I think I’ll try this as a way to sneak some orange veggies into my honey. thanks!
Wow, your baby is the cutest. Can I babysit? (No, really.)
You had me at ginger, I love anything with ginger in it, the carrots and avocado are a nice bonus too ;)
Jacob, too cute for words!
That looks great. I normally don’t get too excited about salads, but that looks really tasty and fresh.
i agree – avocadoes in salad are A-ma-zing! try this one if you’re into avocado vinaigrette! i made it last year and it was stellar.
So funny! I believe the carrot ginger dressing at Around the Clock was partially responsible for solidifying my husband’s and my nascent relationship back in college. We would get it on the Cobb salad (sounds weird, but oh-so-good), and I was so enamored by this Californian who introduced me to a love of avocados and what seemed to me at the time to be a very West-Coast salad dressing. How does the pungency of the shallot play out in the leftovers? For instance, I love Pio Pio’s salad dressing, but find that the little cups of leftover dressing are sadly useless since the raw garlic becomes acrid after a day. I’m very excited to give this a try – Thanks for your post!
Love avacados & Ginger! Can’t wait to try this!
Thanks!
Karen
Could this be the dressing we get on the salads at the Japanese restaurant my coworkers and I frequent? We all love it, but can’t figure out exactly what it is. I’m going to have to try it and see. Hmmm….
Did you mean 1 large BUNCH of carrots? It says 1 large carrots. Hmmm. No one else mentioned it. Maybe I don’t speak carrot. But I do have all the ingredients for this. Woohoo!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! While I don’t have a kid at home who loves carrots, earlier this spring I decided that I wanted to use more carrots in my cooking and bought a whole bag of them that are still sitting in the ole fridge! I will for SURE be making this soon it sounds delicious!
Yum! And a great way to use up all those carrots hanging out in my fridge! Yesterday I aksed what to do with those carrots and today you deliver – Deb, you rock! I wonder how long this dressing will keep in the fridge… any idea?
My husband loves ginger carrot soup – I wonder what he’ll think of this dressing. Thanks for the tip!
I can’t wait to try this! A good avocado salad is one of my favorite things.
To echo Lentil Breakdown at #85, so is this just one large carrot?
And you can tell your husband I too mourn Around the Clock. They were a great late-night option (not that the St. Mark’s area lacks in other late-night eats).
I went to school across the street from Around the clock and your husband is right–that dressing is to die for! I’ve been catapulted back to art school and those “splurge days” when we could afford a meal there. Thanks for the recipe!
Oh my gosh, every time my husband and I pass by the space-formerly-known-as Around the Clock, I get nostalgic for my college days and miss the late night’s we’d end up there :(
Oh sigh… carrot ginger dressing. One of my first true food obsessions. I was a fan of Around the Clock’s in a pinch, but my heart belongs to Dojo. Can’t wait to try this version — especially with an avocado salad – yowza. Thanks, Deb!
What aisle of the grocery store do you find Miso? I’m pretty certain that my grocery store does not carry it so do you have any suggestions on a substitute ingredient? I may venture out to an Asian grocery store but it is an hour away and I hate to drive that far for a few items.
I love this dressing. I always order such salads in Japanese restaurants.
Can I store this dressing for sometime?
PreeOccupied — I’d expect it to last for a week. Just, perhaps, not at my place.
Carrie — Definitely an Asian aisle (if yours has one) or a specialty store. Loved the tip from a commenter above about asking to buy a Solo cup (tiny cup) of it from a local sushi restaurant.
Carrot(s) — Oops! That should be ONE large carrot (no “s”). Fixed now!
Way to read my mind. I have avocado, ginger, and some escarole that I need to use–this is on the menu for tonight!
Oh Man!!! Around the Clock was my favorite. And your husband is correct, they really did have the best Carrot -Ginger dressing. They started me on my journey for the best Carrot Ginger dressing. I cannot wait to make this!!
This salad sounds wonderful; carrot ginger dressing is one of my favorites. I wonder how it would be with avocado oil instead of grapeseed – might try that!
I’ve just been reading GOOP lately, so it’s funny that you are posting something from it! I think my husband would absolutely adore this salad, as he loves pretty much anything with ginger in it.
I made this for dinner last night and it was great! I only had yellow miso, and it was absolutely fine — I couldn’t taste the difference between using it and white miso. Other than that, I used a small shallot (just enough bite) and peanut oil (regular, not toasted) as the neutral oil.
I just made this but left out the grapeseed oil because I’m trying to cut calories. FABULOUS!!!!! It probably was thicker than it should have been but who cares! I swear I couldn’t eat that salad quick enough. Unbelievably good!
I don’t like avocado, but I’m sure I can make good use of another dressing recipe. Yum!
yum! I love ginger dressing. The salads at the local Japanese restaurant always has such amazing ginger dressing… but now I can make it myself! Thanks!
I tried this with pancetta, tomato and yellow bell pepper because my avocado wasn’t ripe yet and it made an AWESOME lunch. I also put two cloves garlic in my version of the dressing and it was a perfect match for the pancetta. Delicious!
This sounds quite delicious!!
If you are near a Trader Joe’s, you’re in luck for grapeseed oil at a great price. I use it as my anything oil now, except where I want the olive flavor. It has a high smoke point and is just as good for you as olive or walnut oil, while flavor neutral.
First off, Around the Clock really did have the BEST carrot ginger dressing. I, in fact, tried to go there on a recent trip to NY and was sad to see it gone. This looks excellent, am trying it this week.
Funny you mention Rock Around the Clock- I remember that place and I’m an ex-New Yorker (and ex-East Villager) now and I am sad to hear it’s no more! I always thought that Angelika Kitchen (also in the East Village) originated the dressing recipe- I have their cookbook and made it a few weeks ago. Also doesn’t Dojo’s serve it too? Ok I know this is silly talking about restaurants but you just sent me down Memory Lane.
Skipped the Miso and it was great
Hello!
From the picture it looks like you have just “drizzled” the dressing.Is that how it is supposed to be eaten? Most Japenese restaurants seem to do that,however,I always like my salads coated with the dressing and land up mixing it all up.Is it a Japanese preference to have blobs of dressing here and there?
I LOVE this dressing!
Hi, Deb. This is the kind of dressing I’ve tried to make unsuccessfully, too, by experimenting. Thanks for the recipe.
As for GOOP (it’s “POOG” backwards – is there a hidden meaning?), I knew Kathy Griffin in high school, and, until I read GOOP, I never quite understood her feelings about “Paltrow”, as she calls her. GOOP is very funny – unwittingly.
I love that you associated Gwyneth with “Duets.” LOVE that movie-so underrated. Now I have to go watch it. And make avocado salad. Thanks x 2!
That sounds and looks delish!
Suzanne
I adore Japanese carrot ginger dressing. This looks wonderful, tho I’m thinking I may add some mango. We do a delicious Thai rendition with avocados/mangoes and an incredible shallot dressing. Sounds like the bones of our Thai Mango Salad will work amazingly with your carrot/gingie dressing!
Man, I dunno you guys. I LOVE LOVE everything Smitten, but my first thought on seeing the photos was “baby poop.” I’m so sorry Deb! I’ll try to readjust my outlook (or maybe my monitor’s color calibration), because the flavors sound amazing.
Just made this for dinner tonight and LOVE it. It’s spicy with the ginger and toasty with the sesame oil and altogether lovely. Am going to serve it over Butter lettuce with avocados along with a Cannelini bean soup. Yum! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
i’m definitely excited to try this out, maybe with just one tablespoon of ginger though. looks delicious!
xo Alison
oh my god. i had to immediately stop reading and jump down to comment! i know you probably have a hundred people saying the same thing but AROUND THE CLOCK?!?!? holy cr*p. you’re totally bringing me back to my NYU days and all the drunken, early morning veggie burger/breakfast meals we used to get there. around the freakin’ clock – what a flash back!
please see if your husband can ease my mind about one thing – there was ONE other college student hang out, also near st mark’s, that did the carrot ginger dressing! i won’t sleep tonight until i think of the name (i haven’t lived in NY for about 6 years now). they had a few outlets, all around the NYU area. did a sort of modern college student take on the japanese thing. in fact THEY did the avocado salad with carrot ginger dressing – i swear it! i bet your mister used to hang there too. we probably shared soy sauce at one point!
thanks for sharing xxx
Avocado absolutely makes a salad! This dressing reminds me of a ginger dressing I get on my house salad when we go out for Japanese food, so delicious.
OH MY GOD! I admit to having made this salad dressing over and over and over since I first saw that recipe in that weird little newsletter. It’s so delicious! I just made a batch again last night and *ate it plain,* with no salad. It’s so good.
Also: I do not add the 1/4 cup oil at the end – just the sesame oil and a bit more water. I forgot to add the oil the first time I made it and find it does just fine without it.
Trader Joe’s has a nice collection of Asian seasonings. I always buy the smallest bottle. But, with this recipe, I might need larger bottles. Of course, here in ATL, there are Japanese grocery stores.
I adore avocados and buy shredded carrots at the grocery store; perfect for salads and carrot raisin salad.
Divine – toasted sesame oil always makes each dish extraordinary! And I agree on Gywneth. Though good intentioned, some of her mailings are a bit extreme. These fasts DO tend to be starvation-oriented. However, I’ve found a few good recipes on GOOP (Thai Chicken Curry) that I thoroughly enjoy.
with all the”this is goop” comments…if for nothing else but levity…i have now subscribed!
it is such fun & a learning curve to read “deb’s comments!”
Hoo boy, this has my name written all over it (ginger? sesame oil?? miso?!), goop or no.
I’m experiencing much guilt over your frequent posts. I can’t keep up! This one will be on the menu next week for sure, though. Thanks.
LOL, I’m not quite sure what my inner aspect is, either! But I discovered this salad when I first started reading Gwyneth’s newsletter, and I return to it over and over! It’s my go-to dressing when I want Asian flavor, and I may be kidding myself, but I feel like I’m doing something good for me when I eat it :)
deb, i love your blog, and have finally decided to delurk. I don’t know where i’ve been, but i’ve never come across a carrot dressing, never-ever! Will have to try it :)
Yes – Dojo for ginger-carrot dressing! I must have missed the dressing at Around The Clock because I was always chowing down on their blueberry pancakes. Sad that it’s gone now. Can’t wait to try this!
Could you provide the link to your earlier version as mentioned in comment #37, please? I can’t seem to find it listed among your recipes. Thanks for a terrific blog.
I made this, just as written, except instead of sweet white miso, I used mellow white miso….which I m guessing is extremely similar, if not the same. It really was extremely delicious and will be one of those rare recipes that make it into the regular rotation
Made this last night, though I had to substitute the powder from a miso soup mix made into paste with a bit of water since I didn’t have regular miso around. There was way too strong a sesame oil taste for my liking: next time I think I’ll use half a tablespoon, and maybe soup it up with more vinegar and ginger. By the way, the Nakano brand rice vinegar in your photo also has a spicy version that is delicious.
I don’t know who likes you more in this house, me or my boyfriend. Either way the amount of smitten meals I’ve made should enter me into being your #1 groupie. Thank you thank you thank you! This salad was another meal full of ‘ohh…. mmmm…. yummm….ohhh… but sooo good’ even though in Spain I couldn’t find sweet white miso, I substituted for soy sauce and it was fantastic.
I believe I might be as startled as your husband to see this ‘dressing in print.’ Cafe Orlin and Yaffa Cafe also made fair use of this very same dressing and to see it here makes me a kind of happy that’s hard to describe. {Maybe there’s was one salad maker between these 2.5 city blocks?}
Thank you for bringing back the classics, one irony at a time.
Oh I am so excited about this!! When I lived in California, a Thai restaurant had this and I have craved it like crazy ever since I moved. Can’t wait to try it! That’s just 1 large carrot right?
Natalie — Yes, just one large carrot.
I love carrot-ginger dressing, but since I’ve only had it a handful of times it never occurred to me to make my own. This looks great! For some reason I’m imagining it pairing really well with lightly steamed cauliflower. I have some awase miso in the fridge; do you think it would substitute ok?
This looks delicious! I’ve been making it a point to eat more interesting salads lately – makes for a more enjoyable (and more nutritious) eating experience. Avocados are my favorite! Can’t wait to try making the ginger-carrot dressing. :)
Love this dressing!! I could drink it, I love it so much. I actually was insane enough to try the GOOP cleanse! Only made it 5 1/2 days. But, the dressing was certainly one of the only highlights of trying it!
My inner aspect needs way more than one avocado for four people! Looks delicious – can’t wait to try the dressing.
AROUND THE CLOCK. Oh, how I miss it, and oh how I loved it, particularly that carrot-ginger dressing. Must make this.
I saw your post for this dressing a few days ago and I have been itching to buy some miso so that I could make this. The recipe seemed like it would be just like my all time FAVORITE dressing at a local sushi place here in Chicago. I was so excited to finish the dressing that I launched a spoonful into my mouth. Although it was tasty, it wasn’t quite the frontrunner from my local sushi joint….but, it’s close. I am thinking that this recipe may need a bit more zing? What could I add? I did throw in a little extra fresh ginger, which seemed to help. My taste buds are telling me a need a stronger vinegar taste. Would I kill the recipe if I added a touch of regular white vinegar?
YUM! We actually have a final crop of carrots from our garden (first time we’ve ever successfully grown them!) but they are no where near “large.” I’m sure this is a forgiving recipe but do you have a weight on that large carrot?
OH MY GOD i AM SO EXCITED I have been looking for a recipe for this since high school and I WANT TO MAKE IT NOW!!!
*bounce*bounce*bounce*
I ADORE carrot ginger dressing. It’s my absolute fav. Cannot wait to try this!
Ginger and avocado are two of my most favorite things EVER. I can see this becoming a new staple for me! Thanks, Deb! BTW, am I the only one who secretly loves Duets? *superembarrassedsmile*
I was desperate to make this dressing but could not find white miso—I’m not sure what this will to do my “inner aspect,” but I added a small splash of soy sauce because the dressing-minus-miso was a little bland.
I want to try this soo much! I guess we will all have our own variation of taste depending on the miso paste we can find. Mine is yellowish in color and I use it for Miso Soup
I often dine a full avocado, cut in two and fill the pit hole with Caesar dressing or Soy sauce and Wasabi paste, or mango salsa. I´m dying to try it with this dressing
Has it really been a year since your visit to PW’s Ranch? I just finished eating this with tonight’s dinner. YUM!! It’s awesome, I will be making this often.
Long time lurker, but had to chime in: this was fantastic. I’ve been forever trying to replicate Yaffa’s signature salad since leaving New York and this was by far the closest I’ve come. Followed the recipe exactly, though used it to top of a salad with mung bean sprouts, avocado, grilled shrimp and chickpeas. Delicious–thanks Deb!
I bought a new bike on Saturday, and we went for a long ride (four miles) yesterday. Feeling invigorated by the exercise and uncharacteristically health conscious, I decided to make two entree-sized salads using this recipe (or my version of it, anyway).
Instead of the miso (which I didn’t have and was too tired after our ride to go to the store to get), I swapped out 2 T of reduced-sodium soy sauce. And I added one large clove of garlic, some black pepper, a teaspoon of fiery sriracha, and maybe a 1/4 cup of cilantro leaves to the mix. YUM! The only thing I added to the salad itself was a handful of pea pods, but to make this a proper dinner salad, I think some shrimp would have been in order. However, it was DELICIOUS and so very healthful as it was. Thanks!
I have made this salad dressing 3 times since you posted it! De-lish! I subscribe to GOOP…I’m a Gwyneth fan and I’ve always been intrigued by her lifestyle…but it took YOUR approval to actually try one their recipes. You are the best! Thank you.
Thank you thank you thank you for this post! I LOVE this kind of dressing and have always wanted to make it! I’m wondering, Deb, what other veggies do you think it would taste good with? How about meats or other proteins? I have a feeling I’m going to make this a LOT.
Just made it for a bowl of avocado and kumato (brown tomato) chunks with a little sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Very delicious though deceptively calorie-laden. Love the consistency, colour, and of course the flavour! I was curious about the use of water to thin the dressing. My reflex caused me to grab the bottle of mirin instead and it was wonderful!
Yum! Sounds fresh and bold.
Deb, do you prefer this dressing over the Miso Carrot Dressing with Ginger from 11/19/06 (http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/11/party-of-five/)?
Carrie — That one is more mild, this has more punch. Both are delicious. How’s that for a democratic answer?
Made this last night and it was every bit as delicious as it looks and sounds. Especially appreciate the suggestion from Deb about using a smaller shallot. I ignored it, thinking she must be mistaken and it was a tad too onion-y flavored. Next time, I’ll leave it to the pro and follow directions!
Hey there —
Made this tonight and it was delicious! Thanks so much for the recipe! Next time I’ll make it with a smidge less ginger, to let some of the other flavors come through. I also added a little bit of srichara[sp?] to give it a little zing. Highly recommended with a hard boiled egg in the salad…
Hi, Deb. I just made this dressing for dinner tonight. I had bought some carrot-ginger dressing at Whole Foods a couple days ago but it was so bad that I had to throw it out. This dressing was divine! I am not sure if my carrot was extra large (it was quite big) but I added more ginger to my dressing and also a bit more vinegar/oil to liquify it a bit. I poured it over a salad with mixed baby greens and fresh white peaches. My word it was delicious! I have enough left over that I could eat salad morning, noon and night for the rest of the week — and I would do so gladly! Have to go back to the store to get more lettuce. Thanks for the recipe.
Is this like the dressing served at Japanese steaks house(s)? We are going to have this tonight with a grilled flank steak. Cannot wait!
Have made this twice and husband and 2 boys loved it!
Oh my gosh, I have been on a never ending quest for good ginger dressing and a never ending quest to find more recipes with my leftover sesame oil and rice vinegar. (I can only make sesame noodles so many times). Thank you for satisfying my desires, I can’t wait to try this!
So I’ve got everything to make this for my lunch tomorrow and and was chopping up my ginger when it turned blue! My ginger is turning blue! Has anyone ever come across such a thing? It smells ok but I’m weirded out so I may try my canned ginger….probably won’t be the same.
This was delicious – very complex dressing – salty, sweet, spicy, creamy. i wrote about it here on my blog:
http://tastespace.wordpress.com/2010/06/23/avocado-salad-with-carrot-ginger-dressing/
I have now made this dressing 3 times and each time I keep making a bigger and bigger batch because it is just that good- my current fav way to eat it is with noodles – I did modify the recipe a bit – I replaced part of the neutral oil with hot chili oil and I have never used grapeseed oil , thanks for another great recipe
I made this tonight for my weekly “girl fest” and it was a huge hit! I served it with a big bowl of potstickers from Trader Joes (don’t knock them till you try them, the veggie ones are especially delicious) and homemade dipping sauce. The salad topped with the avocados was perfection and this will def be added to my perm rotation. I doubled the recipe and at first glance – i thought I made too much, but everything was DESTROYED in record time. Everyone wanted the recipe. Another winner – thanks!
Hmmm intrigued by the commenter who suggested subbing in Chili oil…will have to try that….
Hi Deb! I just got my Real Simple magazine in the mail yesterday and couldn’t help but notice that your carrot dressing made an eerily similar appearance in the magazine. I hope you got props for your recipe! http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/quick-carrot-ginger-dressing-00000000051142/index.html
OMG, I used to go to Around The Clock during my college days too! I was just asking my friend a few days ago if she remembered the name of that place. It was great, we could get anything at 2 in the morning. I remember the dressing well, I have had various forms of the dressing over the years, but never the same. I am excited to try this recipe. thanks:)
Made this dressing last week and put is on everything. Used it as a dressing on an asian inspired salad with avocado of course, used it as a dip for veggies and put it on homemade veggie burgers served with brown rice. Delicious. Reminds me of when I used to go to Dojo when I lived in NYC. Love this dressing!
Thank you! For decade(s) I’ve been trying to recreate the Around the Clock dressing, without success. (to the other Nyu commented, dojo’s was the other place that had a good carrot dressing).
Thank you for the nut-free dressing! As someone who suffers from numerous food allergies, but loves food, I adore how you do not use soy sauce, which contains gluten, and sesame seed oil, instead of peanut.
Well done, and so delicious!
I wish I could get past MISO! It reminds me of the first time I ate Fish Soup in a Japanese restaurant and I thought I was going to throw up. It tasted so salty and fishy — like a fish that had begun to spoil. Nori is a definite no-no for my taste buds, too. Please tell me that there is a miso that I might like….
I have been trying to replicate the carrot-ginger dressing of sushi houses for yeeeears and I’m so happy I came across this recipe. It’s great, I was hesitant about the amount of sesame oil but found everything very well balanced. Didn’t have white miso but thought it was just great with the dark soybean paste I used. And god love it with avocado!
Thank you! I’m looking forward to trying this! I had a delicious carrot ginger garlic dressing in NYC several years ago so I’m looking forward to this version with the shallots.
just whipped this up in our vitamix and it’s pretty good…but i think next time we will start with half as much sesame oil and use mirin instead f plain rice vinegar.
Loved this. In the interest of watching fat and calories only changed it a bit by replacing the 1/4 cup grapeseed oil with an equal amount of water. I’m sure it’s good with the oil, but I sure didn’t miss it. Made it in the Blendtec. My kids were slurping up their salad and asking for seconds. I’d say it’s a keeper. Thanks.
Always a delight to see a fusion of cultural ingredients (in this case, the addition of miso!) in salad. And always up for salads that both taste good and detoxifies ! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Yes, the exact salad dressing that I was looking for! I can feel it’s gonna be my favorite, I know it when I’m “tasting” it everytime I open the fridge door! Thanks for sharing.
Dressing served with rice noodles, roasted eggplant, and edamame – perfection!
This is a great salad dressing. I’ve been idly pondering how to make it since eating a carrot ginger dressing on a salad at a Japanese restaurant four years ago. My guess is that the miso is the crucial ingredient. Thanks!
I love this dressing. And my husband and I used to work right around the corner from Around the Clock…at Ben & Jerry’s and we had a great barter system going with the manager from AtC…ice cream for some carrot ginger dressing! LOL! And if he wasn’t around, we would just purchase it by the pint. Thanks for posting this! We miss Around the Clock too!
I can’t wait to try this but am worried it will make more than I need. Can it be frozen?
thanks
michele — I think the dressing would freeze well.
This is probably my favorite version of this Japanese carrot ginger dressing. That said, I do like to tweak the proportions. I add another whole carrot, half the neutral oil (don’t skimp on the sesame!), and add a tablespoon of mirin. If you have mirin it adds a touch of smooth sweetness. I think my recipe makes it just a bit healthier without sacrificing taste.
Thanks Deb for the great recipe!
I was a little scared of this recipe, b/c I’m not a big fan of miso, but the sweet white miso is nice. Perfect recipe as is. Thank you!
This sounds like the dressing my local Sushi grill uses and I LOVE. I could DRINK THE STUFF if I could! Would that be wrong?
Hi Deb, love your site. I have been looking for this recipe too– thanks so much for publishing it! There are actually 2 dressing recipes I have been searching for, and since you managed to find this one, I am going to dare to ask about the other one. Back in the early 1990s, there was this vegan place– I recall it was on 7th Ave between 14th and 15th streets on the west side of the street. It was bare bones cafeteria style with trays and styrofoam/paper plates. They had tofu, brown rice and steamed vegetables which came with a sauce/dressing which was a kind of sesame-miso-peanut butter type flavor– which could be poured over the steamed veges and tofu or used to dunk them in. It was one of the best things I had ever eaten at the time. I didn’t have much experience back then with cooking, and so I was not able to figure out the flavors at the time (except I’m pretty sure it had sesame oil in it). I don’t remember the name of the place and it disappeared pretty quickly as 14th street started getting nicer. I left NY in 2005, but I will always remember that dressing. Anyway, best wishes for your continued success.
Deb — You might try this one to start, and fiddle with the levels from there. You’ll probably want more rice vinegar.
Tha k you so much for this great recipe. They just announced today that NYC’s dojo restaurant is going out of business. And I a making it a priority to clone their recipe.
I have been going there since 1992!!
I made this and tweaked a tiny bit to make it taste more like NYC’s dojo restaurant.
My tweaks to this great recipe are: 2tbs seasoned rice vinegar, 1tbs plain rice vinegar, cut the sesame oil to one tbs, add 1tb of soy sauce and a half clove of garlic and an extra 1/4 c of water. Next time I make this I am going to steam the carrots first so the dressing gets very smooth.
Agree with the increased miso and sesame oil. This is a great recipe. Don’t know much about cleansing or GP’s book, but a variation on this dressing has been a fav at the DOJO restaurant in NYC since I was a college student 20 years ago. For a lower fat alternative the neutral oil can be replaced with tofu. (Thin slightly with miring, apple juice or water. Nice to have some added protein as well, esp great poured over otherwise less than exciting steamed veggies. Great over grilled broccoli.
I made this last night – soo addictive! I drizzled the dressing over arugula and it was a perfect pairing. This morning, I had the same but with two poached eggs on top. So tasty! Next time I might try a little less sesame oil. Thanks for sharing! :)
This is by far my favorite salad dressing to use. It’s so easy to make and has an amazing flavor. It’s great on an avocado salad as well as a veggie dip.
Made this salad tonight and loved it. I’ve been following your recipes and have your book and there’s not one thing I’ve made that has disappointed. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and your recipes. P.S. I love the strawberry summer cake.
THANK YOU! This is delicious, especially when I put the dressing over a sliced hard-boiled egg and baby spinach.
I was sitting here LMAO…followed your link to GOOP’s original recipe to read the obligatory silliness, and it appeared rather quickly: “Adjust the time to your schedule and the meals to your taste but remember that there can be no dairy, grains with gluten, meat, shellfish, anything processed (including all soy products)…”
Uuuummm…last time I looked, miso was made of soy….
:D
This saved us from getting mediocre sushi takeout because I was craving the dressing on the salad that comes with it. I too tweaked the proportions–1 tablespoon sesame oil (I was afraid of it overpowering the other flavors), 2 tablespoons grape seed oil, 1 thick coin of shallot instead of the whole thing, probably 1.5 tablespoons ginger although I just eyeballed it. So delicious. It’s a perfect dip for crudite, cucumber coins in particular!
I made this today and the sesame oil was too strong. I did not like it at all. I might try it again without the sesame oil and a little added honey. I also sauteed the ginger and scallion slightly to take the edge off.
If I use crushed frozen ginger cubes, how may teaspoons would you say to use? Thanks! Gitty
Gitty — I’ve never tried them before. Does the package list an equivalent? If not, you can always add it to taste.
You used to list a lot of your ingredients by weight, which I found really helpful. “Two tablespoons roughly chopped fresh ginger” seems awfully imprecise, given it is a solid substance that doesn’t evenly fill a measuring spoon. Could you again give the weights along with volume for ingredients such as these?
Thanks!
I do still add weights, or I try to! This is much more of an off-the-cuff recipe and I didn’t weigh out the ingredients because most were in spoonfuls and I know everyone uses those at home. That said, I wouldn’t expect the ginger to weight more than 15 grams. If you’d like more weights for this recipe, I can add a few more.
I just learned that different sesame oil brands vary greatly! I’ve been making this a ton, and had to buy a new bottle of sesame oil. The recipe amount of 2T was perfect with my original bottle, but my new bottle is much stronger and 1T works much better. Explains why many commenters love it as-is, and others have been cutting the sesame oil way down! So I recommend starting with less and increasing to taste. (Both of my bottles were “toasted” sesame oil.)
You know what else goes great with this salad?
canned mandarin orange sections and shrimp.
Along side with the avocado, of course.
I made this last night. I will make it again. Husband and I both enjoyed it. I did not use the red onions but might brave it next time. I also only used 1 TBSP sesame oil (I didn’t have toasted so I used regular). It was tasty with a great texture. I will make it again. My food processor doesn’t allow me to add oil as I am mixing so I just put a little oil in , would pulse and than add a little more. etc…
i just discovered this recipe on your blog and made it last night for today’s not-sad-desk-lunch salad: ribbons of kale and baby lettuces, scallions, orange slices, pistachios and avocado. Love love love the dressing! Never thought I’d partake in anything Goop, even second-hand, but this is awesome.
Ooh, this sounds like it’d be wonderful on many many things…avocado salad, or soba noodles with green onions on top, or drizzled over spring rolls with a garnish of Thai basil, or… ;) I only have brown miso, but I imagine it’d be tasty with that as well, though I might use a bit less since it has a stronger flavor.
I am a fan of avocado and I could eat this great fruit daily. Your simple recipe gave me one more choice. Nice job Deb. Yum !!!
Noticed in the pic you have a riveted Cuisinart blade. Maybe post a PSA about the recall? https://recall.cuisinart.com/
I’ve been making this dressing (known to me as Mark Bittman’s ginger carrot miso dressing) for a few years now. Truly awesome!
Omg… Dressing sounds amazing!
You MUST try the one served at Yama on 17th and Irving (or 49th St.) Their dressing has carrots grated to a tobiko-like consistency suspended in a tangy sweet emulsion unlike any I’ve tried before – incredible!
I made this the other night and it KILLED. I’m definitely making it again this week, like 100%. Thanks so much for a great recipe!
This looks great Deb! And thank goodness you aren’t going all “Gwyneth Paltrow” on us. You scared me for a minute! I’m with you. Not interested in cleansing, detoxing, starving. I just want to eat healthy, everything in moderation and if I want something really yummy that isn’t healthy once in awhile – go for it, without guilt! I love your recipes and have given your last cookbook to several people. Keep up the great work. Beautiful blog!
Oh my, this was such a hit with my husband. I went to three stores to find white miso and then made the dressing exactly as written. But served it over chopped romaine hearts, diced cucumber, blanched-and-shocked fresh snow peas, and a pound of fresh jumbo shrimp. We ate it with chopsticks and my husband requested more dressing. Yum, the two of us ate the whole recipe. A keeper.
LOVE this dressing! Used it on a green salad topped with sliced tataki-style tuna. People were wowed. Definitely high-impact and super-easy to make. Lots of potential uses!
Made this for a family birthday party and everyone loved it! Doubled the dressing reciped, and used almost 4 small-medium heads of Bibb lettuce. Will definitely be making again.
Oooo: thx. Just what I was looking for; something a bit substantial to eat before evening yoga/mediation class that won’t put us to Sleep, lol. (and I remember Around the Clock…!)
My friend talked about this dressing years ago. He raved about it. I pooh-poohed it based on the photo of its chunky/off color appearance. For whatever reason, the salad popped into my mind tonight as I was figuring out something simple and clean to make for dinner. Do not pooh pooh this! It blew my mind. All these years gone down the drain that I could have been eating this salad. I didn’t have shallots and had regular miso (not white) and it turned out delicious.
I just made this and the flavor is amazing! I’m not so sure about the texture of the dressing, though. I blanched the chopped carrots until crisp tender so they would blend more smoothly, but I still couldn’t get a really good puree. I used a food processor but that was failing me so I switched to a tall cup with immersion blender and went at it for a few minutes, and it was better, but still not perfectly smooth, which is the way I like my dressings! I’ll still make it again just for the flavor :)
Just made this, it was amazing! I upped the ginger a bit, just because I love ginger, but I couldn’t get over how good it was. It might not need quite as much of the neutral oil, but it was so incredibly good.
Amazing blog, recipes, everything! Thank you Deb!
But I feel it should be noted that this recipe is more or less what Nigella Lawson published in How to Eat many moons ago. It’s amazing and a well-loved staple in my family!
I am so glad you’re enjoying the site. I don’t think Nigella invented this recipe, however. It’s been a staple at sushi restaurants for decades; I think the inspiration went the other way.
I saw this on IG yesterday and immediately ran to the kitchen to make it. I served the dressing with a salad of chopped spinach, cucumbers, scallions, cubed avocado, toasted sesame seeds and soba noodles– OH MY GOODNESS. I’m literally shoveling it in my face as I type (I added a little leftover roast chicken to make it lunch-worthy)– it’s one of the best things I’ve made in a long time and just what I needed to break me out of a cooking rut. Oh! I added a splash of soy sauce to the dressing.
Wonderful salad. Pro tip: steamed broccoli tossed in leftover dressing is delicious!
I made this dressing and salad for the first time today — with the addition of pumpkin seeds for some crunch. And truly, this salad was life changing… thank you!
Hi Deb
I am currently making your sushi takeout Cobb salad from your cookbook. Can you substitute red miso for the white? I have never used miso before, I am not very familiar and its my first time making the salad so I don’t want the flavor to be compromised
I made this recipe using the white miso and found it a smidge salty for my taste, which then might mean simply cutting the miso some more if you used the red variety and then even a little more if you’re conscious or cautious of the salt level. Deb is the expert though and perhaps can advise with a better suggestion but thought I would offer my thoughts since I just finished making a batch :)
You are right the dressing is amazing. Was looking for something gluten free. It fit the bill. I love ginger.
Maybe Ms Paltrow doesn’t trust her liver and lymphatics to do their job and feels salad dressing will help. I don’t know 🤷🏻♀️ I just trust my body to do its thing.
How long do you think this dressing will hold up nicely, after it’s made (or, how many days in advance do you think I can make it??) Thanks for all the pleasure you bring so many of us Deb!
Oh boy, that’s good!
Really tasty and easy. This recipe makes quite a bit.
One thing I find a little confounding about this dressing is how clumpy it is—it looks gorgeous plopped/drizzled on top of vegetables, but I find it hard to really mix it in to coat salad leaves.
That’s not a reason not to make it, more like a heads up.
Super tasty!
I was planning to make an avocado salad tonight anyway, and then this recipe popped up!
I had everything but the white miso.. and after googling substitutes, I opted to go with 1 tbsp of tahini and 1 tbsp of soy sauce.
So good!! Omg, just like the delicious dressing from Japanese restaurants. Plus, so healthy!! Thank you.
By unanimous vote, this was the highlight of my Easter dinner. So good…thank you! I added a bit more shallot for an extra bite and used butter lettuce instead of Bibb. But otherwise, I wouldn’t change a thing, especially the extra Miso.
Thank you for another wonderful recipe! My daughter is (very sadly) allergic to sesame, including sesame oil, so I had to make a substitution but this still turned out great. I used some roasted sunflower seeds in the dressing to add a bit of the nutty flavor from sesame oil–threw them in with the carrots–and then added extra neutral oil to make up for the lack of sesame oil. It turned out delicious so don’t shy away from this recipe if you can’t use sesame!
This was delicious, and I will make again, but I struggled with the chunky consistency. I started in a food processor, and then transferred to my Vitamix which was better, but I couldn’t get this smooth like Deb did. I will try cooking the carrots in advance. I served over a raw vegetable salad–cabbage, bell peppers, broccoli, radishes. I’m excited for leftovers tomorrow.
Mary I did mine start to finish in a Vitamix, and it came out beautifully creamed! Nary a chunk or grain to see or feel! I started out on lowest setting for both the dry & wet ingredients and voila! Smooth as a baby’s bottom! I just read a tip on Serious Eats that MOST blenders vortex is sufficient that you don’t have to SLOWLY add the oil for emulsification.
Got everything in the fridge–purple carrots though. Since it IS Mardi Gras here, I think the purple will do just fine! I use Chosen Foods Avocado Oil as a neutral (Costco sells the LARGE one). Thanks Deb as always!
Do you think the substitution of lemon for the vinegar would ruin this? (I can’t eat vinegar). The color of this dressing is electric–wondrous even!
Peggy F–Grace Parisi’s version uses lime juice–you could do lemon as well I guess.
I have all the ingredients except the miso. What can I substitute?
Very tricky to swap as there are no ingredients that are miso-like (salty, funky, intense) but not miso. It’s a pretty core flavor here.
Thanks. I used ume plum vinegar as a substitute, and it was good, but miso will make it even better.
How can I make this smoother? I whizzed for a long time in the food processor but the texture was still a bit grainy. Should I have kept it whizzing or is this the texture it’s supposed to be? Flavor was amazing!
Wow, I was blown away by this dressing! Absolutely delicious! I did something very un-GOOP-like and added a tiny bit of white sugar to get the sweetness just right.. maybe I didn’t use enough carrot? Either way, so good in that avocado salad w/ Boston lettuce! Will be making this over and over again until I get sick of it :)
I made this dressing, which was amazing!, and it transported me back to Dojo in the East Village circa 1997 and the veggie burgers they would serve with it. Does anyone remember those? I’d love to try to recreate those and have them with this dressing.
Oh the veggie burgers at Dojo! Such tasty east village eats (of a certain long gone era)!
I have been trying to recreate the dressing from Dojo’s for the last 20 years and have not been successful! At this point, I think it’s a delicious figment of my imagination. I used to get a soy burger in a pita (I still don’t understand why those were so good but the deep fat frying definitely helped), a side of potatoes, which were also deep fried, and an extra side of carrot dressing to dip everything in and it was under $7. It was my go to lunch for years and I constantly wish Dojo’s still existed. I never got the dressing at Around the Clock but will still declare Dojo’s better! ;)
Do you think you could use red miso instead?
Yes. It will be a little saltier, so you might find you need less.
I wish people didn’t always bash GP. Sigh. I think because she is attractive and wealthy people see her as fair game. I wish we could just disagree with out slighting.
She’s a female entrepreneur- let’s celebrate that.
Really good. Very familiar. I put the water in with the veg/miso, etc. I couldn’t see the mixture doing anything but chopping up and being splattered everywhere but the blade. I let it run on low, number 10, for a full minute. Then added the oil and did the same, with a final blast on high, number 10. Came out smooth as a baby’s butt. It was a bit strong from the shallot. I either had a big one or one too pungent I think, might cut back on it or leave it out next time. Immediately began dunking bread into it. Yummy.
Sounds great! Could the sesame be substituted with something else (sesame allergy in the house)?
Really really good. Note to self for next time: use more ginger; blanch the shallot to take the edge off of the raw onion flavor; use less sesame oil — maybe 3T. each, sesame & neutral oil.
KIRSTEN SHERK I agree –wish I’d seen your post BEFORE I made it! Heck, I wouldn’t MIND some shallot flavor coming thru! I hope the carrot flavor becomes much more pronounced. If not, I’ll try Grace Parisi’s version that uses a cooked down carrot juice concentrate. DEFINITELY more ginger!
This sounds great! Can it be made in advance?
The dressing, absolutely. I would assemble right before eating.
Hmmm, just made a double batch. My blender died; my wonderful friend & neighbor is giving me long term use of her Vitamix. Could be that’s why my dressing is more bright mustard yellow than carrot orange. I’d love weight measurements. I hope this mellows out because the overwhelming (and ONLY taste) is the sesame oil. My carrots were old–possibly lacking in flavor? I did come across this recipe https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/carrot-miso-dressing. I added 1/2 TBLSP white Shoyu. Will add some lemon if its still not right. I didn’t have enough carrots to juice extra for the concentrate. Used Avocado oil. I think next time I’ll combine the best of these 2 recipes and see what shakes out. I REALLY wanted to LOVE this recipe–but hopefully some tweaks will make it better.
Just here to say how cute it is that you are explaining who Gwyneth Paltrow is here. I love love love the time capsule element of your blog and I am SO grateful to you for keeping it up!!! Thank you!
Holy toasted sesame oil Batman! I triple-checked that this recipe calls for 2 tablespoons and not 2 teaspoons. Against my better judgement I went with the full 2 tablespoons. Totally overpowered every other flavor. I tried adding more carrots, ginger, and rice wine vinegar as well as even adding some sugar. There was no saving it.
I made this tonight and it was delicious! However all I had was a yellow carrot and it did not look appetizing at all! My son said it was the best tasting grossest looking food he ever had… I think it would have looked much better with an orange or purple carrot
If you had any idea of how often I come back to this recipe, you’d be amazed. I eliminate the water and serve as a dip for fresh cucumber wedges in the summer, and demurely avoid the compliments after the salad course at far too many dinner parties. But mostly, I eat it from a spoon directly from the container while wearing a ponytail and jogging pants standing in front of the fridge. It’s just too good.
After reading others comments about the texture and knowing that my blender is an inexpensive one, I made modifications to get a smooth texture – I used a microplane to grate the carrots, the ginger, and the shallot (used 1/2 small). Changed the order of mixing for my anemic blender – first the miso, vinegar, sesame oil to un-chunk the miso. Added the carrot, ginger, shallot then quickly streamed in avocado oil and water. Turned out perfectly smooth and delicious. Added 1 teaspoon of honey as my winter greens were more bitter (escarole, watercress and purple kale). Everyone loved this salad & dressing.
I don’t know what went wrong but I made the dressing tonight and the flavors were great but my husband and I were both crying, our eyes burned so bad. The shallot maybe? It was a large shallot. Help!
Some shallots are sharper, and much larger, than others — you can definitely just try with a tablespoon or so minced next time, add more to taste.