Oil-free Dragon Sauce: insanely tasty ginger dip or bowl dressing (Low fat, Vegan) * Plant Based Recipes: Easy Oil Free Vegan Recipes (2024)

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Dragon sauce is a ginger forward creamy sauce that is usually added to buddah bowls – bowls filled with a grain, vegetables, and perhaps tofu chunks that have been baked or fried. But really it’s a perfect sauce for all sorts of things: dipping vegetables, drizzing over roasted vegetables, or just heaping a spoonful on top of plain rice. It reminds me so much of a ginger sauce my husband and I enjoyed at a restaurant called Japanese Village back in the 90s. It was baller, as the kids would say. This one is pretty darn close. And what’s better is that it’s also really quite inexpensive to make.

I originally heard about Dragon Sauce in a number of forums and social media online. There are a few different recipes available for one of the most well known Dragon Sauces, such as the popular Aux Vivres, however almost all of the recipes contained oil – and sometimes quite a bit. This is fine and perhaps tasty, but because I do not consume any oil for health reasons, I couldn’t try them out. I was about to try dropping oil or substituting something else, but I ran across this Dragon Sauce recipe mentioned on a Chowhound forum comment that did not contain the copious amount of oil – however, this recipe did not have specific measurements (heaping soupspoon intermixed with tablespoons and cups… bit open to interpretation!). What I first made was also a bit too sweet for my tastebuds on a salad. So I reduced the maple syrup and enhanced the miso and ginger a bit, made specific measurements, and here is the result.

I have made this recipe in both my Vitamix (high-speed blender), and a food processor. It actually changes the taste a little, because the minced garlic doesn’t entirely blend in and you get a bit of a chunky texture and more pronounced garlic flavor. Both results are good, my husband likes the food processor version a bit better. If you want a sweeter taste, add an additional tablespoon or two of maple syrup (closer to the original recipe I found). Let me know what you think in the comments!

Oil-free Dragon Sauce: insanely tasty ginger dip or bowl dressing (Low fat, Vegan) * Plant Based Recipes: Easy Oil Free Vegan Recipes (3)

Oil-free Ginger Dragon Sauce

This oil-free dragon sauce is ginger-forward and delicious on your next buddah bowl, vegetable platter, or even just a bowl of rice.

4.77 from 13 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Sauces, Spreads & Condiments

Cuisine: Asian, Fusion

Keyword: coconut aminos, garlic, ginger, maple syrup, miso, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, tahini, tamari, white miso

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 Servings

Calories: 49kcal

Author: Jen deHaan

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender, and combine well.

  • Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Notes

Note that this makes a lot of sauce, a little over a cup and a half. If you do not eat a lot of bowls, or only serve for 1 or 2 people, you may want to cut this recipe in half or reduce.

The ingredients for this recipe are based on and then revised quite a bit from a comment found on Chowhound forums.

Nutrition Facts

Oil-free Ginger Dragon Sauce

Amount per Serving

Calories

49

% Daily Value*

Fat

2

g

3

%

Saturated Fat

g

%

Cholesterol

mg

%

Potassium

74

mg

2

%

Carbohydrates

5

g

2

%

Fiber

g

%

Sugar

2

g

2

%

Protein

1

g

2

%

Vitamin C

0.9

mg

1

%

Calcium

14

mg

1

%

Iron

0.4

mg

2

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Tried this recipe? Customized it?Let us know how it was in the comments!

Changes and substitutions

If you do not have tahini, you could try using some cashews or white beans instead. I would probably try about 1/4 of a cup or so.

If you do like a sweeter sauce, increase the maple syrup. Try an extra tablespoon, and then go from there as you continue to blend.

If you like the chunky garlic idea mentioned earlier, but want to blend in a vitamix (or your blender removed the chunks), try stirring in a bit extra after you finish blending by hand.

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  • Author
  • Recent Posts

Jen deHaan

Owner at Plant Based Recipe

Jen is a plant-based nutrition enthusiast and vegan living in British Columbia, Canada. She has over 20 years experience in software, graphics, and art, including many years in Silicon Valley corporations. Jen completed the Developing Healthy Communities graduate program at Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Jen really likes dogs and dancing too.

Latest posts by Jen deHaan (see all)

  • Pad Thai Protein Salad recipe from The Plant-Based Cookbook + Book Review and Giveaway! - December 9, 2020
  • Lemon ginger bowl sauce with miso recipe (Oil free, no added sodium) - November 30, 2020
  • New vegan bacon at Whole Foods Market – 300 store roll-out - November 15, 2020

About Post Author

Jen deHaan

Jen is a plant-based nutrition enthusiast and vegan living in British Columbia, Canada. She has over 20 years experience in software, graphics, and art, including many years in Silicon Valley corporations. Jen completed the Developing Healthy Communities graduate program at Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Jen really likes dogs and dancing too.

See author's posts

About Jen deHaan

Jen is a plant-based nutrition enthusiast and vegan living in British Columbia, Canada. She has over 20 years experience in software, graphics, and art, including many years in Silicon Valley corporations. Jen completed the Developing Healthy Communities graduate program at Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Jen really likes dogs and dancing too.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. T Bone

    The nutrition label does not indicate how much is one serving

    Reply

    • Jen @ Plant Based Recipe

      The recipe plugin didn’t offer this to be entered into the label until recently, so it’s not there for many of these older recipes. The number of servings is however available on all recipes. So when looking at how much this produces (about 24 tbsp amount or so), the per-serving is about 2-3 Tbsp.

      Reply

  2. Brooke S.

    Oil-free Dragon Sauce: insanely tasty ginger dip or bowl dressing (Low fat, Vegan) * Plant Based Recipes: Easy Oil Free Vegan Recipes (14)
    I normally don’t leave reviews for recipes. But this is hands down the best sauce I think I’ve ever had. I’m almost in tears bc of how good it tastes!! (I know I sound loco) I didn’t have miso paste so I just added more water. Thank you thank you thank you!!!!

    Reply

    • Jen @ Plant Based Recipe

      Fantastic! So glad you liked it!!

      Reply

  3. Ronda

    Oil-free Dragon Sauce: insanely tasty ginger dip or bowl dressing (Low fat, Vegan) * Plant Based Recipes: Easy Oil Free Vegan Recipes (15)
    PERFECTION! So VERY Delicious! Cray that three ingredients are so great together and make a wonderfully delicious dressing! Thank you SO MUCH!

    Reply

  4. Ford

    Oil-free Dragon Sauce: insanely tasty ginger dip or bowl dressing (Low fat, Vegan) * Plant Based Recipes: Easy Oil Free Vegan Recipes (16)
    PERFECTION! So VERY Delicious!

    Reply

  5. Mitch

    Your nutritional info almost fooled me, this is NOT a lowfat sauce. Raw tahini has 16g of fat per 2 tbsp. Please fix

    Reply

    • Kristen

      This makes 12 servings – nutrition info is per serving.

      Reply

    • Jen (PlantBasedRecipe.com)

      You do not eat the entire recipe. The nutritional value is per serving. It is accurate, and it is low fat.

      Reply

  6. Kathy

    absolutely my favorite sauce, add some extra water and it also becomes the perfect salad dressing.

    Reply

    • Jen (@PlantBasedRecipe)

      I’m so glad you like it! I do the same for salad dressing and agree 🙂

      Reply

  7. Kim

    Does the maple syrup add sweetness or does it only balance the flavors? If I don’t want sweetness, would I eliminate the maple syrup or reduce the amount?

    Reply

    • Jen (PlantBasedRecipe.com)

      It’s mostly to balance the flavors and try to replicate a typical Dragon Sauce. You may want to test the sauce without before adding any and see what you think. Always a very personal thing 🙂 Can always add bit by bit at the very end to taste, or omit entirely.

      Reply

  8. Sam

    Oil-free Dragon Sauce: insanely tasty ginger dip or bowl dressing (Low fat, Vegan) * Plant Based Recipes: Easy Oil Free Vegan Recipes (17)
    Delicious!!!

    Reply

  9. Teemun Store

    Oil-free Dragon Sauce: insanely tasty ginger dip or bowl dressing (Low fat, Vegan) * Plant Based Recipes: Easy Oil Free Vegan Recipes (18)
    I love the recipe! thank you!

    Reply

  10. Teemun Store

    Oil-free Dragon Sauce: insanely tasty ginger dip or bowl dressing (Low fat, Vegan) * Plant Based Recipes: Easy Oil Free Vegan Recipes (19)
    So yum! i love it!

    Reply

  11. Michele

    Oil-free Dragon Sauce: insanely tasty ginger dip or bowl dressing (Low fat, Vegan) * Plant Based Recipes: Easy Oil Free Vegan Recipes (20)
    Tasty but a tad salty. I think I will use half the miso next time.

    Reply

    • Jen @ PlantBasedRecipe

      Definitely the way to go, adjusting for taste! Thanks Michele!

      Reply

  12. Tom

    Oil-free Dragon Sauce: insanely tasty ginger dip or bowl dressing (Low fat, Vegan) * Plant Based Recipes: Easy Oil Free Vegan Recipes (21)
    This is an excellent sauce! My wife and I were eating dragon bowls up in Montreal and decided to make our own bowls when we got home. This sauce is perfect for the bowls. I added the juice from 1 lime to the recipe and it gave it the citrus flavor we like! Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply

    • Jen @ PlantBasedRecipe

      Additional lime sounds great! Thanks so much Tom!

      Reply

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Oil-free Dragon Sauce: insanely tasty ginger dip or bowl dressing (Low fat, Vegan) * Plant Based Recipes: Easy Oil Free Vegan Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is dragon sauce made of? ›

The sauce features bold umami flavours like soy sauce and nutritional yeast, balanced out with sweet maple syrup. Cashews provide a creamy texture and a hint of garlic brings a touch of heat. You really have to try this sauce for yourself to truly understand how the flavours work so well together!

What sauces can vegans eat? ›

Many of these condiments may contain ingredients for which animals are harmed, so be sure to check the label.
  • Aioli. Aioli is traditionally a vegan condiment made with just garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. ...
  • Barbecue Sauce. ...
  • Chutney. ...
  • co*cktail Sauce. ...
  • Comeback Sauce. ...
  • Curry. ...
  • Fish Sauce. ...
  • Honey.

What's in Trader Joe's Dragon Sauce? ›

Made with jalapeños, tomatillos, cilantro, garlic, and habanero pepper powder, with a dash of vinegar and a splash of lime juice, it's a creative condiment that's delicious on... just about everything. Seriously! Drizzle Green Dragon on eggs, salads, burgers, enchiladas, fried rice, fish tacos...

What are the ingredients in dragon mayonnaise? ›

Water, Refined SOYBEAN Oil, Sugar, Pickled Chilli 12% (Chilli, Salt, Acidity Regulator: Acetic Acid), Thickener (Modified Maize Starch, Modified Tapioca Starch), Distilled Vinegar (Water, Acidity Regulator: Acetic Acid), Chilli 3%, Salt, Garlic, MUSTARD Paste, Acidity Regulator: Lactic Acid, Flavour Enhancer (Yeast ...

Why is ketchup not vegan? ›

While not an animal product in itself, many vegans consider sugar in ketchup to be non-vegan-friendly, as many white and brown sugars are filtered and bleached using animal bone char. Heating cow bones to a high temperature until they break down into carbon creates bone char or activated carbon.

Can vegans eat ketchup? ›

To put it simply, yes, Heinz ketchup is vegan-friendly. Not only are all their ingredients plant-based, when it comes to Heinz tomato ketchup they've said 'we can confirm that the product is suitable for a vegan diet. Our sugar is not refined using bone char from animal bones. ' Making it entirely suitable for vegans.

Is co*ke a vegan? ›

Coca‑Cola does not contain any ingredients derived from animal sources and can be included in a vegetarian or vegan diet.

What does dragon glaze sauce taste like? ›

Dragon Glaze Sauce typically contains a combination of soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, and sometimes chili flakes or other spices. These ingredients come together to create a sweet, savory, and slightly spicy flavor profile.

What is in Dragon's Breath hot sauce? ›

CRAFTED WITH UNIQUE INGREDIENTS LIKE THE BIRD'S EYE CHILLI

great companion for a stir fry or rice bowl, the handmade hot sauce includes fresh ginger, and garlic, fresh basil, Thai green chile peppers, and lime juice. This sauce is HOT at 225,000 Scoville Units!

What does green dragon sauce taste like? ›

There's plenty of roasted sweetness from tomatillos with some added flavor depth from lime juice and garlic to add a bite, and cilantro to add a herby twist. All of these flavors seem present and proportionately balanced for a strong but not overbearing spicy sauce with some character to it.

How hot is dragons breath hot sauce? ›

Mike Smith, who runs Tom Smith Plants in St Asaph, Wales, claims he's bred a new pepper that is so spicy it's a shoo-in for world's hottest – with heat so strong consuming it could potentially kill you. The Dragon's Breath pepper, as it's been named, reportedly measures 2.48 million on the Scoville heat units scale.

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