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 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. 5 from 4 votes Print Pin Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Servings: 12 Servings Calories: 49 kcal Author: Jen deHaan Ingredients 1/3 cup ginger minced

1/3 cup nutritional yeast

3 Tbsp garlic minced

3 Tbsp tahini

2 Tbsp white miso paste

2 Tbsp coconut aminos or tamari, or soy sauce

2 Tbsp maple syrup

2 Tbsp water 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 Calories from Fat 18 % Daily Value* Fat 2g 3% Saturated Fat 0g 0% Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 164mg 7% Potassium 74mg 2% Carbohydrates 5g 2% Fiber 0g 0% Sugar 2g 2% Protein 1g 2% Vitamin C 0.9mg 1% Calcium 14mg 1% Iron 0.4mg 2% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Tried this recipe? Mention @PlantBasedRecipe or tag #MyPlantBasedRecipe

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.