Korean Asian Pear Dressing
A silky, lightly sweet and tangy blended dressing built on juicy Asian pear, soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil and garlic. It's lovely on crisp greens, cabbage slaws, grilled meats and cold noodles.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- —
- Wait
- 30 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Makes
- About 1¼ cups (300 ml), eight 2-tablespoon servings
Steps
Before you start
- Use a ripe, firm Asian pear (Korean 'bae' or Nashi); it should smell faintly sweet and feel heavy for its size.
- Toast the sesame seeds ahead of time if they are not already toasted, and let them cool.
- Allow 30 minutes of chilling so the garlic mellows and flavors meld.
- Use toasted (dark) sesame oil, not plain sesame oil, for the signature nutty flavor.
Prep the pear
- Peel the Asian pear with a vegetable peeler, quarter it, and cut out the core and seeds.
- Cut the flesh into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks and measure 1 cup (170 g).
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Ready when: All skin, core and seeds removed; chunks are pale and juicy.
Tip: Leaving the skin on can make the dressing slightly grainy and bitter.
Prep aromatics
- Peel and roughly chop the garlic cloves.
- Peel the ginger with the edge of a spoon and finely grate 1 teaspoon.
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Ready when: Ginger is grated into a fine, wet pulp with no long fibers.
Tip: Use a microplane for ginger so no stringy bits survive blending.
Add to blender
- Add the pear, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, black pepper and honey (if using) to the blender jar.
- Hold back the neutral oil and sesame seeds.
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Tip: Skip the honey if your pear is very sweet; add it after tasting.
Blend until smooth
- Blend on high for 45 to 60 seconds, stopping once to scrape down the sides, until the mixture is completely smooth with no visible pear flecks.
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Ready when: Pale beige, perfectly smooth puree with no pieces of garlic or pear visible.
Tip: If using a small food processor, blend for 1½ to 2 minutes and scrape the bowl twice.
Emulsify with oil
- With the blender on low, slowly drizzle in the neutral oil through the lid opening over about 20 seconds.
- Increase to medium for 5 seconds to emulsify.
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Ready when: Dressing looks slightly thicker and creamy, with no oil slick on top.
Tip: Pouring all the oil at once can leave the dressing thin and separated.
Add sesame seeds
- Stir in the toasted sesame seeds by hand with a spatula so they stay whole and visible.
- Taste with a spoonful of lettuce or on a spoon and adjust: add 1 teaspoon more vinegar for tang or a little honey for sweetness.
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Ready when: Balanced flavor: sweet fruit first, then salty-savory soy and a tangy finish.
Tip: Soy sauce is salty, so adjust with vinegar or honey rather than adding more soy.
Chill to meld
- Transfer the dressing to a glass jar, seal, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so the raw garlic mellows and flavors meld.
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Ready when: Dressing is cold and has a rounder, less sharp garlic aroma.
Shake and serve
- Shake or stir the dressing well before using, since it may separate slightly.
- Toss about 2 tablespoons with each serving of salad, slaw or noodles, or spoon over grilled meat.
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Ready when: Dressing is uniform and lightly coats the back of a spoon.
Tip: If too thick after chilling, thin with 1 teaspoon cold water at a time.
Good to know
Tips
- Choose the ripest, juiciest pear you can find; a dry or underripe pear makes a flat, watery dressing.
- Add the oil slowly while the blender is running for a creamy, stable emulsion.
- Grate the pear on a box grater and whisk everything by hand if you have no blender, for a rustic, textured version.
- Try it as a marinade for bulgogi-style beef or pork: use 1/2 cup for 1 lb (450 g) of thinly sliced meat for up to 4 hours.
Make ahead
"Make up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate in a sealed jar. Shake well before using."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: no more than 1 hour while serving. Fridge: up to 5 days in a sealed glass jar; shake before using, and expect the color to darken slightly. Freezer: freeze in an ice cube tray for up to 2 months, thaw in the fridge overnight, then whisk or shake to recombine. Serve cold; no reheating is needed."
Substitutions
- Asian pear → ripe Bosc pear or crisp Fuji apple. Similar sweetness and juice, though the flavor is slightly less delicate and the texture a bit less crisp.
- soy sauce → tamari or coconut aminos. Tamari keeps it gluten-free; coconut aminos is sweeter and less salty, so skip the honey.
- unseasoned rice vinegar → apple cider vinegar. Slightly fruitier and sharper; use 2½ tablespoons to start.
- honey → maple syrup or sugar. Use the same amount; sugar makes it vegan-friendly.