The recipe for this Japanese onion, ginger and carrot salad dressing is tomato based, but instead of tomato paste, I've substituted it with ketchup. If you've got tomato paste in your pantry, by all means, try giving the paste a try too, and see which you prefer. I find that the tomato paste has a bit more acid, resulting in a dressing with more tartness.
The main ingredients for the salad dressing include three vegetables, yellow onion, ginger, and carrots. These vegetables are pureed in a food processor (or blender) until smooth and mixed with soy sauce, rice vinegar, ketchup, and oil. I recommend using an oil with mild flavors such as canola, vegetable, or coconut oil, but feel free to experiment with your favorites. Finish the dressing off with a touch of salt and pepper, and you've got a quick and very fresh salad dressing bursting with flavor.
The pureed raw onion adds a nice spiciness to this salad dressing but is mellowed by the flavors of the carrots and ginger. It tastes best when chilled first.
This dressing may also be used as a marinade for meats or fish.