Thai lime dressing
- Preparation 5 min
- Servings About ½ cup
- Freezing I do not suggest
Ads
🍋 The vinaigrette born from my thai pomelo salad
This thai lime dressing, I developed it for my salade de pomelo à la thaïe. When I tasted it for the first time on the salad, I found it mind-blowing, completely insane. The sweet-salty-spicy-tangy combo is so well balanced that it deserved to have its own separate recipe. The combo of umami fish sauce, sweet honey, tangy lime juice and zest, finely grated garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and cold water to thin it out creates a versatile vinaigrette that will explode on any thai salad you make.
🥄 The three tricks for a perfect thai lime vinaigrette
First trick: adjust the fish sauce to taste. When I tested it the first time, I found it could be a little saltier, so I increased it slightly. Start with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, taste, and add up to 2 tablespoons according to your preference. Second trick: the vegetable oil in this recipe is NOT for flavor, it’s only so the vinaigrette emulsifies well and coats the salad ingredients properly. Choose a neutral oil (canola, sunflower). Avoid olive oil or sesame oil which give a different profile. Third trick: zest AND lime juice, not just the juice. The zest releases the essential citrus oils that give the vinaigrette its explosive thai character. Grate the zest finely with a microplane before squeezing the lime.
🌶️ Versatile on any thai salad
This thai lime vinaigrette is the secret weapon to have in the fridge whenever you want to make a quick asian salad. Beyond the pomelo salad, it’s mind-blowing on a simple green salad, on a poké bowl with shrimp or tuna, on grilled vegetables, on cold soba noodles, on a vermicelli salad with shrimp, or even poured over pan-cooked chicken. You can also use it as a dipping sauce for spring rolls or steamed dumplings. The recipe makes about ½ cup. Enough for a big salad for 4 people. Storage: a few days in an airtight Mason jar in the fridge, and the recipe doubles easily if you’re planning several uses during the week.
Ads
Ads
🐟 Adjust the fish sauce to taste
When I tested it the first time, I found we could push the salty side a bit more, so I increased the fish sauce. Start with 1 tablespoon, taste the finished vinaigrette, and add up to 2 tablespoons according to your preference. Fish sauce is powerful. Better to start with less and add more than to put too much at once.
🍋 Zest AND lime juice, never just the juice
The zest releases the essential citrus oils that give the vinaigrette its explosive thai character. Grate the zest finely with a microplane BEFORE squeezing the lime. Without the zest, you lose a whole aromatic dimension that makes this vinaigrette special.
🛢️ Neutral vegetable oil, not for flavor
The vegetable oil in this recipe is NOT to add taste. It’s only so the vinaigrette emulsifies and coats the salad ingredients properly. Choose a neutral oil like canola or sunflower. Avoid olive oil (too strong) or sesame oil (which would completely change the profile. Unless you’re making noodles, then it’s a nice twist).
🍯 Commercial honey OK here
Since the fish sauce is so powerful, you won’t really see the difference between commercial honey and local artisanal honey for this recipe. Save your beautiful local honey for recipes where it can shine more.
🐟 Squid fish sauce with allergy substitute
The Squid brand (with the squid image) is my first choice. Accessible everywhere, perfect profile. If you’re allergic to seafood, replace with 1 tablespoon of low-sodium soy sauce plus half a teaspoon of white miso to keep the umami without the allergy risk.
🌶️ Optional twists to customize
To push the vinaigrette further, add a teaspoon of lemongrass paste (authentic thai touch), a dash of sriracha for more fire, or half a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil if you’re using the vinaigrette on cold soba noodles. It’s completely insane.
🫙 Storage a few days, doubles without problem
This vinaigrette keeps for a few days in an airtight Mason jar in the fridge. The recipe doubles easily if you’re planning several uses during the week. Stir well before each use because the oil can rise to the surface.
✅ What to serve with my thai lime vinaigrette?
This vinaigrette is ultra versatile. The obvious classic: on my salade de pomelo à la thaïe (its original recipe). It’s also mind-blowing on my Asian soba noodle salad replacing the usual vinaigrette, or on my Asian cucumber salad to push the thai profile. Also compare it with my Homemade ponzu sauce with ginger to have two distinct asian profiles in your fridge.
Ads
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) fish sauce (start with 1 tbsp (15 ml) and adjust to taste)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) honey
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) cold water
- Juice and zest of 1 lime
- 1 large garlic clove, finely grated
- ¼ tsp (1 ml) crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) neutral vegetable oil (canola, sunflower)
Ads
Preparation
- In a bowl, mix the fish sauce, lime juice and zest, honey, water, garlic, red pepper flakes and vegetable oil.
- Whisk well to completely dissolve the honey and emulsify the vinaigrette.
- Taste and adjust: add fish sauce for more saltiness, red pepper flakes for more heat, lime juice for more acidity or honey for more sweetness.
Yes, in case of seafood allergy. Replace the 2 tablespoons of fish sauce with 1 tablespoon of low-sodium soy sauce plus half a teaspoon of white miso. You keep the characteristic umami without the allergy risk. The profile will be slightly different but the result remains excellent and well balanced.
A few days in an airtight Mason jar in the fridge. Stir well before each use because the oil can rise to the surface. The recipe doubles easily if you’re planning several uses during the week. For optimal use, make it 30 minutes before serving so the flavors have time to marry.
Mind-blowing on my thai pomelo salad, on a simple green salad, on a poke bowl with shrimp or tuna, on grilled vegetables, on cold soba noodles, on a vermicelli salad with shrimp, or poured over cooked chicken. You can also use it as a dipping sauce for spring rolls or steamed dumplings. Once in the fridge, you’ll find ten uses during the week.
The vegetable oil in this vinaigrette serves only to emulsify and coat. Not to bring flavor. A neutral oil (canola, sunflower) lets the other ingredients (fish sauce, lime, honey, chili) shine. Olive oil would be too strong and mask the delicate thai profile. Sesame oil is an excellent twist on noodles, but it completely changes the profile.
The obvious classic: on my thai pomelo salad (its original recipe). It’s also perfect on my asian soba noodle salad replacing the usual vinaigrette, or on my asian cucumber salad. Also compare with my homemade ponzu sauce with ginger to have two distinct asian profiles.
Ads
Ads
Ads
Ads
Ads
Ads