Asian Salad Dressing – Barefeet in the Kitchen

This Thai-flavors inspired Asian salad dressing uses lime, chili paste, toasted sesame, and other easy umami-packed ingredients to deliver big flavor! It’s so good, you’ll be looking for reasons to make more salad just to enjoy this vibrant dressing.

Asian Salad Dressing

It’s no secret that I’m crazy for salads. From Sweet Kale Vegetable Salad to Southwestern Steak Salad I’m all over them.

But today’s dressing is so very good, it’s almost drink-with-a-straw worthy. It’s got just a hint of heat to it, courtesy of the chili paste and -mercy- it is bursting with irresistible flavor.

If you’re anything like me, once you taste this, you’ll be hooked. I found myself dipping carrot and celery sticks in it just so I could keep tasting it. It’s also excellent drizzled on grilled or broiled fish.

Asian Salad Dressing Recipe

To make today’s Thai chili lime dressing, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• limes
• chili paste
• fish sauce*
• agave syrup
• garlic
• light soy sauce
• sunflower oil
• sweet sesame dressing

Please note that the recipe calls for light soy sauce, not regular soy sauce. Light soy sauce is lower in sodium, but not in flavor. If you need to substitute regular soy sauce, just use the same amount specified and be aware it will be ever so slightly saltier.

Thai Chili Lime Dressing

*Fish sauce, if you don’t use it often, can be an intimidating ingredient. Please do make this dressing with fish sauce, though! It is one of the principal ingredients that gives this dressing its Thai origins taste.

While it smells funky as can be if you sniff it in the bottle, in the quantity used in this recipe, it doesn’t bring that funk to the finished product. It just brings an indescribable umami that adds magic to the taste.

If you absolutely cannot or will not use fish sauce, you can substitute an equal amount of Yondu sauce or tamari. It won’t be quite the same, but it will be delicious.

Also contributing to the Thai party is the chili paste! Sambal Oelek -the variety of chili paste called for in this dressing- is Indonesian, but chili paste is widely used in many Southeast Asian cuisines, and is readily available in many North American grocery stores.

If you can’t lay your hands on Sambal Oelek, you can substitute Huy Fong’s chili garlic paste in equal quantity. If you use another chili garlic paste, you may want to experiment with a significantly smaller amount and adjust upwards, tasting as you go.

Chili Lime Dressing

This dressing is made most easily using a blender. It keeps the dressing emulsified and smooth. If you don’t have a blender, you can certainly whisk this all by hand, but you’ll need to work a little harder and won’t end up with such a smooth, creamy textured dressing.

In a blender, combine the lime juice, chili paste, fish sauce, agave, garlic, and soy sauce.

Process until smooth and well combined, about 20-30 seconds. Pause and scrape the sides of the blender with a spatula occasionally, as needed.

With the blender running on low speed, slowly drizzle in the sunflower oil until the mixture is emulsified and thickened, or for about 30 seconds. Add the Sweet Sesame Dressing and process until well combined, about 10 seconds.

Transfer the dressing to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. This dressing will keep nicely in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

recipe shared, with thanks, from Mandy’s Gourmet Salads