Try my simple and refreshing Japanese-style vinaigrette called Wafu Dressing. It’s a versatile and delicious homemade Japanese salad dressing that pairs well with any type of salad combo. You can make it at home in just 10 minutes!
Today, I’m sharing a reader recipe request for my Japanese salad dressing called Wafu Dressing. Wafu (和風) means Japanese-style. You might have heard another Japanese food term that starts with “wa” and that is wagyu (和牛), which means Japanese beef. Washoku (和食) means a Japanese meal and wagashi (和菓子) means a Japanese confectionery.
Table of Contents
What is Wafu Dressing?
Generally, wafu dressing (和風ドレッシング) is a Japanese-style salad dressing made with vegetable oil, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Japanese home cooks each have their own recipe for it. I add grated onion to my version to make it extra flavorful.
I drizzle this vinaigrette on a simple wafu salad of hand-torn iceberg lettuce topped with tomatoes, boiled egg, wakame (seaweed), cucumbers, and red radishes. You also could try it on any cooked or raw salad, a noodle salad with soba noodles, or your favorite mix of lettuces.
There are so many kinds of wafu dressing choices available in Japanese supermarkets. In my opinion, dressing made from scratch is superior because it has no MSG or preservatives. Also, I love that you can adjust the taste as you wish. The ingredients and condiments are very typical for a Japanese kitchen, so I hope you will give this recipe a try!
Ingredients You’ll Need
This Japanese dressing comes together in just 10 minutes. Simply combine the ingredients in a bowl or mason jar and whisk:
- grated onion — my special ingredient for extra flavor!
- neutral oil — for a variation, you can replace with olive oil or your favorite type; replace some of it with sesame oil to make Chinese-style dressing called chuka dressing (中華ドレッシング)
- Japanese soy sauce
- Japanese rice vinegar (unseasoned)
- sugar — I use granulated sugar; feel free to experiment with other sweeteners like brown sugar
- freshly ground black pepper
- toasted white sesame seeds
This versatile salad dressing keeps for 7–10 days in the refrigerator. Make a big batch in a blender and use it in your menu throughout the week!
More Homemade Salad Dressings You’ll Love
- 4 Japanese Salad Dressings
- Sesame Dressing
- Carrot Ginger Dressing
- Miso Dressing
- A Million-Dollar Japanese Onion Dressing
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Wafu Dressing (Japanese Salad Dressing)
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp grated onion (I use a ceramic grater)
- 3 Tbsp neutral oil
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned)
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl or mason jar and whisk everything together. Drizzle on top of a simple salad. Here, I prepared hand-torn iceberg lettuce topped with tomatoes, boiled egg, wakame, cucumber, and red radish.
To Store
- Keep the dressing in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 7–10 days.
Nutrition
Update: The post was originally published on October 14, 2011. The photos are updated in November 2013.
Where does the 1g trans fat come from??
Hi Don! Thank you for reading Nami’s post.
The exact amount of trans fat in your oil will depend on the type of oil you’re using. So please use our data as a reference. However, please note that our data calculates trans fat based on a database, which means that a small amount of trans fat may be automatically rounded up to 1 g.
This was soooo delicious! Tastes just like what one gets at a Japanese restaurant!
Hi Shirley! Thank you so much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback!
We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed her recipe. Happy Cooking! 🤗
Hi. Can’t wait to make this. What kind of onion should I use? Should it be sweet like Vidalia? Does it make a difference? Thank you in advance!
Hi Marlene! Thank you for trying Nami’s recipe!
Yes! Sweet or yellow onions work well, but any onion will do. The flavor will vary depending on the type of onion used.
We hope this was helpful!