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Sauce recipe

Wafu Dressing (Japanese Onion Dressing)

Tangy Japanese soy and onion salad dressing, like the one at Japanese steakhouses. For salads, tofu and seared beef.

Wafu Dressing (Japanese Onion Dressing)
The ratio
  • 3 partsSoy sauce
  • 3 partsRice vinegar
  • 3 partsOil
  • 2 partsGrated onion
What you need
  • 1/4 brown onion, finely grated (about 3 tbsp)
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp mirin
  • 2 tsp caster sugar
  • 1 tsp finely grated ginger
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Makes
About 180ml, enough for 4 salads
Ready in
5
Keeps
1 week in the fridge
How to make it
  1. Grate the onion on the fine side of a grater, catching all the juice.
  2. Put everything in a jar, close the lid and shake hard for 20 seconds until the sugar dissolves.
  3. Taste: add more vinegar if you want it sharper, or more sugar to soften it.
  4. Rest for at least 30 minutes so the onion mellows. Shake again before using.
About this sauce

Wafu means Japanese-style, and wafu dressing is the soy, rice vinegar and grated onion dressing poured over salads at Japanese restaurants and steakhouses. The onion is grated, not chopped, so it melts into the dressing and makes it slightly thick and sweet. A little sesame oil gives it a toasty finish.

It's lighter and sharper than creamy goma dare. Make it an hour ahead if you can, so the raw onion mellows.

What to put it on

Green salads, cucumber, cabbage, cold tofu, seared beef, grilled fish and steamed vegetables.

Pour it over beef tataki salad, toss it with smashed cucumber or spoon it over agedashi tofu. Read about rice vinegar and mirin.

Uses this sauce

Recipes that call for this sauce. Make a batch and cook one of these.

Pairs well with

Dishes this sauce suits. These recipes make their own glaze or dressing, so you can swap this sauce in.