This Asian Sesame Dressing is one of my all time most-used salad dressings, because it keeps for weeks and it’s so easy to make – just soy sauce, sesame oil, olive oil, vinegar and sugar.
Use this Asian dressing for leafy green salads, Asian slaws, noodle salads and chopped salads. It’s also a terrific dressing to make steamed vegetables so much tastier. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh sesame seeds and sliced greens onions!
Instant Asian Sesame Dressing
This Asian Sesame Dressing is one of eight ready-to-use salad dressing recipes that I shared in this post: Ready To Use Salad Dressings. I’ve been wanting to share a bunch of long shelf life salad dressings for ages and was so glad to finally have an excuse to!
This Asian Sesame Dressing is fantastic. It was originally off the back of a packet that I’ve adapted slightly to my taste. The reason it’s one of my most used dressings is because it literally takes 30 seconds to make – grab a few bottles, eye ball the measurements, shake and you’re done.
No need to mince garlic, grate ginger of chop fresh herbs. This Sesame Dressing is simple and it’s perfect just as it is. However, you can of course doll it up as you wish! It’s a fantastic base recipe. 🙂
I literally use this dressing for all things Asian and Asian-esque. But one of my favourite ways to use this dressing is with shredded cabbage and carrots. So an Asian slaw, if you will. 🙂 Especially if you grab a bag of pre shredded cabbage, as I did for these photos (I used a Crunchy Slaw pre cut mix from David Jones, I ❤️the DJ’s Food Hall!!).
The other thing I use it for is sashimi salads. Leafy greens, cherry tomatoes and some store bought fresh sashimi, topped with crunchy fried shallots and this dressing. It’s a 1 minute dinner assembly!
Because this Asian Sesame Dressing doesn’t use any fresh ingredients that go off, it has a very long shelf life. I keep it for 3 weeks. I like to keep it in the fridge, just to be safe (and also because I keep my soy sauce refrigerated, and this has soy sauce in it).
SUCH a fantastic standby dressing! Nagi xx
PS Pictured below is an Asian Slaw made using the David Jones Crunchy Slaw mix (green and red cabbage, carrots), a sprinkle of store bought fried shallots, tossed with this Asian Sesame Dressing.
PPS In the recipe below, I’ve shared a big batch (1 cup) to make and keep, and single batch too (i.e. enough for one side salad for 3-4 people).
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Asian Sesame Dressing
Ingredients
Big batch to keep (makes 1 cup)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 cup white vinegar (adjust to taste for sharpness)
- 1/4 cup olive oil (Note 1)
- 1 tbsp sugar (any type) or 1 1/2 tbsp honey
Single serving batch
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil (Note 1)
- 1 tsp sugar (any type) or 1 1/2 tsp honey
Instructions
- Place ingredients in a jar and shake well until sugar is dissolved. Adjust saltiness with salt and sweetness with sugar to taste.
- Keep for up to 3 weeks, in the fridge (to be safe). Bring to room temp and shake well before use.
- Single serving batch is enough for 3 – 4 cups of shredded cabbage / leafy greens i.e. a side salad for 4 people.
- Big batch – my rule of thumb for how much dressing to use is generally 1 tbsp of dressing per 1 packed cup of shredded vegetables and 2 tsp per handful of leafy greens.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Don’t miss all the other Ready To Use Dressings I shared! These all last for 2+ weeks, most for 3 weeks.Find them all here.
Hi Alex! Most dressing always drops to the bottom but the important thing is that it coats the salad 🙂
This is, without a doubt, my new favorite salad dressing. I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes.
LOVE hearing that Shannon!!! So glad you enjoyed it! N x
Does the dressing need to be refrigerated?
It’s absolutely amazing
Hi Barbara! To be on the safe side, I keep this in the fridge though it probably doesn’t need to be 🙂 N x
Very Good! I love the sesame flavor. The only thing I did different was use use Rice vinegar.
So glad you enjoyed this Kathy! Thanks for letting me know 🙂 N x
Sounds delish… I buy the Panera Asian dressing which is a bit spend, so was happy to find your recipe.
Yum I used some with chicken broth and cornstarch for lomein.
That’s terrific to hear Meg! Thanks for taking the time to let me know – N x
This recipe is really good. Thank you for sharing. I just added crushed garlic and ginger.
I love hearing that Katherine!! Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it! N x
Really good! I have celiac disease and I can never find gluten free Asian dressing. This is cheaper and better! I added an additional tablespoon of the sesame oil because I found it a little too bitter, but my boyfriend liked it better before I added it so it’s just personal preference. We also added sesame seeds. We used it in a chicken salad with mandarin oranges and sliced almonds, turned out great!
That’s so great to hear Nia! Thanks for letting me know – N x ❤️
I have spent so much money…wasted..in commercially prepared recipes in search of a good dressing and all along I had these ingredients just sitting in my pantry! Thanks for sharing! It was absolutely delicious!
That’s great to hear Erica! Thanks for sharing your feedback! N x ❤️
Very tasty recipe and love how quickly it can be made. I believe 1/3 cup is 5 tablespoons, not 4. I used 4 tablespoons white vinegar, 2 tablespoons low sodium tamari and 1/2 tablespoon sugar. Perfect on a salad prior to a stir fried rice dish with kimchi and salmon.
Hi Stephanie! I learned that the “official” measures is 3 tbsp = 1/4 cup. 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed it though! N xx
This is amazzzzzing! Yum!
But, I can’t resist asking an obvious question from a line in the recipe – if you don’t mind…..Why do you keep Soy Sauce in the fridge? Is the pantry that full?? 🙂 🙂
Hi John!!! Force of habit 🙂 It doesn’t need to be – but I just do! N xx
I have been looking for a good DIY asian dressing to replace the expensive Annie’s Shitake Mushroom dressing that our family loves… and this is a perfect replacement. I whipped up a quick batch to taste and I’m hooked! Next time I may add in some toasted sesame seeds and some minced shitake mushrooms – but it’s delicious even without them!
That’s terrific to hear Lani! I’m so pleased to hear that. 🙂 N xx
Can I use tamari soy sauce instead of soy sauce
Hi! Yes but start with 2 tbsp instead of 1/4 cup then adjust later if it can take the salt as tamari has a stronger flavour 🙂
Love it! I added an extra half teaspoon of honey! My favourite!
YUM! 🙂 N xx
Nagi – you are a lifesaver as usual! I come home later after work and not wanting to get out the food processor to make a probably overly complicated peanut dressing for a simple Asian style salad, I find this and it was so quick, easy and tasted so so good! Thank you so much 🙂
I could have written that myself!!! That’s exactly what I think – even though my food processor is on the bench all the time, it’s one more thing (with lots of BITS) to clean up! N x PS Try adding peanut butter to this for a super simple peanut sesame dressing, I am sharing a sesame peanut noodle recipe soon which requires no food processor!
Delicious as is. I opted for the honey option instead of the sugar and love, love, love it. Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Looking at the ingredients I can’t see why this wouldn’t last indefinitely. Getting up now to try it! Thank you.
I’ve had a jar on my counter for weeks!!
Made this tonight for a more flavorful dressing for Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food Asian Steak Salad. Heavens! It is delicious! I used lime instead of vinegar because I made my husband buy lime for the original recipe and I opted for honey. I’m pinning this and keeping forever. Thanks for the recipe
Glad you enjoyed it Kelsey, thanks for letting me know! N xx
Hi! I was wondering how this would be if I used Chinkiang vinegar instead of white vinegar? Or even plain rice wine vinegar? Strangely enough, I always have both white and red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, rice wine vinegar and Chinkiang black vinegar in the house but often have no regular white vinegar. Yeah, go figure! I have to hit the grocery store this week so I will be sure to pick some up but thought I would ask while I was here. 🙂
Hi Robert! Rice vinegar will be great or even white wine vinegar 🙂 I know what you mean, I often get caught without white vinegar too!!! What is with that?? I use it so often yet never remember to get it!
OMG I’ve been looking for this recipe since I first tried it at my favorite salad bar. Love it tastes amazing
I’m so pleased to hear you enjoyed this John, thank you for letting me know! N x