Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette

Uplevel your next salad with this Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette!

Take that salad to the next level

Uplevel, according to Urban Dictionary, means “to transform and grow in an area previously stagnant.” Stagnant is exactly how I’d describe my salad dressing habit lately – pretty much every salad gets a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Which is good, but boring. 

Which is why I made myself recreate an old favorite this week – Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette. The original recipe called for white sugar and canola oil (keep in mind that this recipe was from my college days – um…15+ years ago). I missed that sweet and savory dressing that made ordinary chicken salad something special.

Of course, I had to lighten it up and make it Whole30-compliant. I did this by swapping the canola for my favorite avocado oil and replacing the sugar with the zest and juice of half an orange. Of course, if you need yours a little sweeter, you can add the juice from the whole orange. Just keep in mind that the dressing will be more watery and won’t stick to the lettuce leaves as well.

Ways to use this Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette

The obvious: Pour it over a mess of salad greens and chopped veggies.

The more adventurous:

• Toss it with shredded Napa or savoy cabbage, green onions, orange segments, diced chicken and a few sliced almonds for a 5-minute healthy remake of your favorite restaurant-style Asian Chicken Salad
• Brush over shrimp skewers before grilling
• Use a marinade for pork chops or loin
• Use as a stir fry sauce

Ready to uplevel that next salad?

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Let's Get Cookin'

Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette

Drizzled over salad greens or tossed with shredded Napa cabbage, this light and slightly sweet dressing gives everything it touches a sunny punch of flavor.

• Author: The Real Food Dietitians
• Prep Time: 8 mins
• Total Time: 8 mins
• Yield: about 1/2 cup 1x
• Category: Sauces & Dressings
• Cuisine: Whole30, Paleo, Vegan

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup Primal Kitchen avocado oil (may substitute olive oil)
• 3 Tbsp.coconut vinegar (may substitute apple cider vinegar)
• 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
• zest + juice of 1/2 orange
• 1 tsp. freshly grated ginger (may substitute 1/4-1/3 tsp. dried ginger)
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients (except sesame seeds) in a small bowl or blender.
2. Whisk or blend to combine.
3. Stir in sesame seeds.
4. Store dressing in a covered container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Notes

All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!

Let’s chat: Do you make your own dressings at home? How will you use this Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette?

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About Jessica Beacom

Jessica is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist living in Boulder, CO with her hubby and two daughters. She's been described as a 'real food evangelist' and loves sharing her knowledge with others to help them break free of the diet mentality and find their own food freedom. In her spare time she enjoys CrossFit, telemark skiing, mountain biking, teaching herself how to play the banjo and camping out under the stars.