This easy Japanese style Goma Dressing is one of my favorite salad dressings! It's just like the one you find in Japanese restaurants that makes you fight over the last of the salad bowl. With toasted sesame flavors in a creamy tangy and umami rich dressing, it's the perfect salad topper or for drizzling over roasted veggies.
A long time ago I lived with a lovely Japanese flatmate, Manri, who introduced me to this dressing (amongst other dishes) in the way she grew up making it at home in Japan. She had a special bowl with inbuilt grooves for grinding her sesame, but a regular mortar & pestle will do, or you can use the grind function on your food processor.
This dressing is utterly delicious for a simple crispy salad, or you can use it for dressing a winter salad of roasted vegetables. If you love the sesame flavors of the dressing you might want to try this similar recipe Japanese Green Beans with Gomae Sesame Sauce. For an authentic home-style Japanese dinner, you could also try my favourite Japanese Miso Glazed Aubergine (Nasu Dengaku), of course with some rice, and maybe some Air Fried Teriyaki Tempeh.
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🍶Ingredients
I've included the authentic ingredients needed below. Head to the recipe card for quantites and to the 'Variations and Substitutions' to find easy swaps for ingredients you can't find or need to change.
- Sesame Seeds: You can choose to use untoasted whole sesame seeds and toast and grind them yourself, or toasted Japanese Sesame Paste. Goma is the Japanese word for sesame, hence why this is a Goma Dressing or might also be known as Gomae Sauce.
- Soy Sauce: you can choose regular soy sauce, or tamari which is a gluten free version of soy sauce.
- Brown Sugar: just a little brown sugar, granulated sugar or maple syrup to balance the flavours.
- Olive Oil: Olive oil helps to emulsify the dressing. You can also use any neutral oil.
- Rice Vinegar: Rice wine vinegar is light and clear, giving the dressing a light tangy flavor.
- Mirin: Mirin is a sweet rice wine. You can omit it if you can't find it.
- Sesame Oil: Look for toasted sesame oil to add an extra depth of flavor.
- Optional: Japanese Mayonnaise (Kewpie Mayo) or vegan mayo. I sometimes make my own Vegan Kewpie Mayo or you can use your favourite vegan mayo.
See recipe card for quantities.
👩🍳Instructions
Follow along with these step by step instructions for the perfect Goma Sesame Dressing!
1. In a dry pan, gently heat the sesame seeds, tossing them gently until they turn golden. (about 3- 5 minutes)
2. In a mortar and pestle, grind the sesame seeds to a rough paste. (or use the spice grinder function on your food processor)
3. In a jar, combine the ground sesame seeds with all the other dressing ingredients.
4. Mix well to combine.
Add mayo in for an extra creamy sesame dressing.
Hint: Be sure to taste and check the balance of flavor, adding more soy sauce or sugar to balance the salty and sweet, or a little more vinegar for tangyness.
🫚Substitutions & Variations
You can still have a delicious Japanese salad dressing even if you don't have access to all the special ingredients. Here are some common swaps and additions
- Tahini- choose tahini instead of roasted sesame or Japanese sesame sauce. Tahini isn't roasted, so won't have such a deep flavor, but you can add extra toasted sesame oil to give a little extra 'oomph.
- White Wine Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar in place of rice vinegar.
- Lemon juice in place of rice vinegar.
- No Mirin- you can leave out the mirin if you wish, just replace it with water. Mirin is quite sweet, so you might want to add a little extra sweetener of your choice.
- Fresh Ginger: sometimes fresh ginger is added to this Japanese Dressing. It's definitely a delicious add in.
🔪Equipment
To make this Goma dressing recipe using whole sesame seeds, you will need a heavy pan, a mortar and pestle or spice grinder to grind the seeds and a jar or bowl to mix it in. If you use pre-made tahini or Japanese sesame sauce, you'll just need a jam jar.
🥫Storage
Once the dressing is made, store in a jar or an airtight container in the fridge. It should keep for at least 7 days, or longer!
❗Top tip
Taste and taste again when making the dressing, to be sure you have the balance of flavors as you like them. It should taste toasty and nutty, with a sweet and savory tangyness.
🥗Where to use
Once you've made this delicious Goma Dressing, you'll never want to use store bought alternatives again. But you might be searching for some ways extra ways to enjoy it's creamy flavor: Here are my favorites:
- Over cold soba noodles with shredded carrots and ginger.
- Over crunchy salad leaves, with some daikon or radish, maybe with some other salad veggies.
- On a warm salad of roasted carrots, chunks of roasted sweet potatoes and onions with some broccoli. (Great as a winter salad, especially with some toasted nuts and seeds!)
- Over steamed bok choy as a simple side dish.
- In place of mayo in an asian coleslaw
- As a dipping sauce for crunchy veggies (yes, i have been known to just grab some carrots and dip them into the dressing jar like a heathen)
- For dipping in rice paper rolls (summer rolls)
❓FAQ
Tahini is simply ground sesame seeds. Tahini isn't made with toasted sesame seeds so the flavor isn't quite as deep, but the dressing will still be delicious.
More Vegan Japanese recipes:
Love Vegan Japanese food? Me too:
More salads
You might like these yummy bright salads:
📖 Recipe
Goma Dressing: Japanese Roasted Sesame Salad Dressing
Equipment
- Jar
- 1 Mortar and Pestle
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
For the Gomae Tahini Dressing
- 3 tablespoon sesame seeds (or tahini or japanese sesame sauce)
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon mirin (or water)
- ½ teaspoon brown sugar (or maple syrup)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon soya sauce (or tamari) (tamari is gluten free soy sauce)
- 2-3 tablespoon warm water (enough to thin the dressing )
- 2 tablespoon mayonnaise (either vegan mayo or kewpie mayo )
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (or to taste )
Instructions
- Toast the sesame seeds in a pan until golden.3 tablespoon sesame seeds
- Grind the sesame seeds in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
- In a jar, shake all the ingredients together. Add more water if it looks a bit gloopy.2 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon mirin, ½ teaspoon brown sugar , 1 tablespoon olive oil , 1 teaspoon soya sauce (or tamari), 2-3 tablespoon warm water, 2 tablespoon mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- Taste and taste again to make sure the dressing is balanced.
- Use on salads or as a dipping sauce.
Video
Notes
- Tahini- choose tahini instead of roasted sesame or Japanese sesame sauce. Tahini isn't roasted, so won't have such a deep flavor, but you can add extra toasted sesame oil to give a little extra 'oomph.
- White Wine Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar in place of rice vinegar.
- Lemon juice in place of rice vinegar.
- No Mirin- you can leave out the mirin if you wish, just replace it with water. Mirin is quite sweet, so you might want to add a little extra sweetener of your choice.
- Fresh Ginger: sometimes fresh ginger is added to this Japanese Dressing. It's definitely a delicious add in.
- Without Mayonnaise: Omit the mayo for a healthier dressing that is still delicious.
Walt says
How much sesame oil do you use, it is not in the list of ingredients?
Louise-Claire Cayzer says
Oops- good spot! - about 1 tsp or to taste. I'll update the recipe!