Big salads are a staple for me at lunchtime; I like them packed with greens, topped with various vegetables, and generously drizzled with dressing. I often use cashews or other nut butters to thicken salad dressings, but once in a while I crave something a little lighter. So when I stumbled upon the Open Sesame Salad Dressing recipe in Blissful Bites, I knew that I had a winner.
Though I eat a very soy-low diet, I do like a little tofu once in a while, and this salad dressing was an amazing way to use it. Even tofu-haters will delight in the fresh and creamy taste. I did alter the original recipe quite a bit, adding ginger instead of garlic, upping the sesame oil for a creamier and richer flavor, and spiking it with a little more vinegar to heighten the taste. Even with just that wee bit of maple syrup, this sesame salad dressing is surprisingly sweet, yet the overall flavor is somewhat mellow.
The light and smooth taste of this recipe, coupled with the fact that it is low in fat and a good source of protein, gave me the excuse I needed to pour this dressing on REALLY thick. In theory, the batch below could top anywhere from 8 large salads to 16 smaller ones … but when I felt like having a big bowl of steamed broccoli, carrots, and brown rice for lunch, I used this sesame salad dressing as my protein source and dumped on a full 1/2 cup – restaurant-style!
- 1 12-ounce Package Soft Silken Tofu (such as Mori-nu – sold in shelf-stable packages)
- 4 Teaspoons Sesame Oil
- ¼ Cup Rice Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons White or Light Miso (for gluten-free, be sure to use a soy-, rice-, or chickpea-based miso)
- 1-inch Chunk of Fresh Ginger
- 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
- ½ Teaspoon Salt, or to taste
- 2 Tablespoons Water, or more to thin as desired
- Toasted Sesame Seeds for Garnish, optional
- Place the tofu, sesame oil, rice vinegar, miso, ginger, maple syrup, and salt in your blender, and whiz until smooth (just 30 to 60 seconds).
- Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Drizzle over salad, and garnish with toasted sesame seeds (see below), if desired.
Diet type: Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy free, Egg free, Gluten free, Nut free, Peanut free, Wheat free, Refined Sugar free, Low fat
