Homemade salad dressings are healthier. They have full flavor. Are naturally more healthy and cost effective.
Wafu Dressing- Japanese Salad Dressing
Wafu Dressing is an easy vinaigrette you can whip up in less than a minute. With the perfect balance of flavour from soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sugar. This Japanese salad dressing will bring effortless flavor to raw salads, vegetables and grilled meats. Like all good homemade sauces and dressings, this recipe has no additives or preservatives.
Making your own salad dressings rather than buying store-bought is always a great idea. Many imported Japanese sauces (such as citrus/soy ponzu, sesame goma dare or okonomiyaki sauce) can be quite expensive to buy, but really easy to make if you have a few basic ingredients in your pantry. Making your own not only helps you save money, but you can make the perfect amount for what you need, and you can tweak the flavour to suit your taste. Just like spicy Indonesian Gado Gado salad, this amazing salad dressing will make you forget you’re eating vegetables. It’s the perfect balance of savoury, tart and sweet flavours all at once.Wafu translates as ‘Japanese-style’, so this dressing is perfect to infuse your tasty homemade salads with Japanese flavour.
There are many variations to the recipe, however the key ingredients of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sugar are essential. Wafu dressing is often paired with osozai (healthy Japanese side dishes) commonly found in bento boxes or lunch sets at Japanese restaurants.
What You’ll Need
- Soy Sauce – You can use any kind of regular or light soy sauce for this recipe. For the best flavour and quality, use a Japanese soy sauce. Tamari is also fine for a gluten-free option.
- Rice Wine Vinegar – Look for this in the international aisle at your local supermarket, otherwise head to an Asian grocer or buy online. If you don’t have this, you can substitute for apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or white vinegar if that’s all you have on hand.
- Vegetable Oil – It’s best to use a neutral flavoured oil that will enhance rather than overwhelm the other seasonings. Canola oil, sunflower oil or vegetable oil are all good options.
- Sesame Oil – Traditionally, wafu dressing doesn’t contain sesame oil, however we love how it adds a depth of rich, nutty flavour. You can leave it out if you prefer. Choose a high quality brand for the best flavour as some sesame oils can have less flavour than others.
- Sugar – Sugar in this recipe acts as a sweetener to offset the acidic tang of the vinegar and bring everything into balance. Any sugar is fine – we used white, but brown or raw sugar will work too.
- Garlic – Freshly chopped or minced garlic works. You can also add 1/2 tsp of ginger for an extra flavour hit if you like.
What style of salad should I use for this dressing?
Just about any! Wafu dressing is perfect for leafy greens, raw veggies, or basically any kind of salad where you’re looking for a burst of sweet + savoury + tart flavour. Use it with finely shredded cabbage for a simple side dish, or pour it over freshly sliced cucumber, tomato and iceberg lettuce. We also love it paired with crunchy julienned carrots.
In addition to salads, it’s also great for pouring over noodle bowls, rice dishes, and steamed or stir-fried veggies. You can even use it as a steak sauce or dipping sauce for enoki beef rolls. Wafu Dressing is an easy vinaigrette you can whip up in less than a minute and enjoy all week long. With the perfect balance of flavour from soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sugar. This Japanese dressing will bring effortless flavour to raw salads, vegetables and grilled meats.
For the recipe and variations please go to our recipe selection and choose Salad Shebang! ENJOY and remember making your dressings at home is fun, easy and saves a ton of money while bringing you the best flavour profile.
