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A creamy sesame salad dressing that goes on just about anything. Use it as a sauce on burgers or rice bowls, a dressing on coleslaw or salad, or as a dip for rice crackers or raw veggies. This is so good, I was licking it off the spoon!
This sesame salad dressing is full of Asian flavors, but it’s not your typical thin soy based dressing. It’s also not a peanut sauce, which is the other way Asian-inspired dressings/sauces are usually made. Don’t get me wrong, I love both of those, but I wanted to create something a little different.
My southwest Vegan Ranch Dressing is such a hit that I decided to take the idea of using blended cashews as a base and turning it into a different flavor all together. This dressing turned out so delicious that I’m not even joking when I say I was licking it off the spoon. Give it a try and you’ll see what I mean!
I originally created this recipe as a sauce for my Asian-Inspired Lentil Burger Lettuce Wraps, but I have since discovered that it’s great on soba noodles, rice bowls and as a dip for rice crackers and raw veggies as well. Just like my Vegan Ranch, this Creamy Sesame Salad Dressing is super versatile. What would you like to try it on??
Because I was using this dressing just to drizzle on top of my Lentil Burgers, the recipe only makes ½ cup. If you are using it to dress a coleslaw or for a pot of soba noodles (or if you are like me and “accidentally” consume ¼ cup by licking it directly off the spoon), you may want to double it.
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Creamy Sesame Salad Dressing
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews (soaked for at least 1 to 2 hours if you do not have a high speed blender)
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 1 green onion sliced
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 clove garlic
- 1-2 tablespoons pure maple syrup to taste
- dash of sriarcha
- salt/pepper to taste
- 1-2 tablespoon(s) of water to thin if needed
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
- If you like a thinner dressing, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time and blend again until desired consistency is reached.
Becky says
Question: Do you think I could replace the soaked cashews with a vegan mayo? Thanks!
Jenn Sebestyen says
Yes, I think that would work. Cashews have a natural sweetness to them that mayo won’t have, so just be sure to taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Let me know how it turns out!
Chay Kaleski says
Hiya
I was looking for a dressing for my tofu and veg salad and this kicked it out of the park!
Thank you!!
Jenn Sebestyen says
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Chay! Thank you for your comment!
Hannah says
Dio you recommend using dark soy sauce or reduced sodium is ok?
Jenn Sebestyen says
Reduced sodium is fine.
L says
I think there may be a typo in your recipe. I didn’t notice at first but followed exactly and attempted to fix it. 1/4 cup of vinegar would require quite a bit more oil. I you sure this is correct? It came out tasting like vinegar sauce. I was thinking the cashews would make up for the missing oil but they didn’t. Is it just my taste buds or did I miss an ingredient?
Jenn Sebestyen says
It’s correct. You might find vinegar to be a stronger taste than I do. Feel free to use less next time. Sorry it didn’t work out for you.
Hannah says
How much less rice vinegar did you do?
Jenn Sebestyen says
Less than what?
Nancy says
This dressing was super simple and delicious. I can’t wait to use it on everything. Thank you so much!
Jenn Sebestyen says
Yes, it’s so versatile! Glad you love it! Thanks, Nancy!
Veronica S says
Hi! I was just wondering how large a serving is? Is it a tablespoon? Or two tablespoons? Thanks!
Jenn S. says
About two tablespoons per serving. Enjoy!
Esther says
Love, love, love it… Very delicious and easy to make!
Jenn S. says
Thank you, Esther. So glad you love it!
Vanessa says
Hi! This looks really good! Just seeking clarification, you write that the calories is 83kcal per batch and each batch has 6 servings. So does that mean each serving is 1,000 plus calories? Just wondering because the nutrition panel says 83 calories per serving (which is truly ideal).
Am trying to find a healthier alternative to the store options and this looks perfect other than the possible calorie count. Thanks in advance for your help!
Jenn S. says
Sorry, the calorie count is per serving. I’ll change the wording now. Enjoy!
clare diphillipo says
a large green onion? are you speaking of a scallion? or an onion? I’ve never heard a scallion described this way
Jenn S. says
Hi, Clare. Yes, a green onion/scallion. Sometimes I find very slender ones and sometimes they are thicker. It doesn’t really matter though, whatever you have is fine. 🙂 I should change that in the recipe. Thanks for pointing that out!
Strength and Sunshine says
I will make it soy-free and then drink this! Hahaha! Cashews and sesame <3 Those nutty creamy flavors are just so good!
Jenn S. says
I seriously could have drank this for sure!!! So delicious!! Thanks, Rebecca!