Korean Gochujang Vinaigrette

By Naomi Imatome-Yun

Updated 07/02/19

mixing vinaigrette dressing

Michael Rosenfeld / Getty Images
  • Total: 5 mins
  • Prep: 5 mins
  • Cook: 0 mins
  • Yield: 1/2 cup (3 servings)
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
305 Calories
14g Fat
41g Carbs
7g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1/2 cup (3 servings)
Amount per serving
Calories 305
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 17%
Saturated Fat 2g 12%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1106mg 48%
Total Carbohydrate 41g 15%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Protein 7g
Calcium 148mg 11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This is an amazing dressing for salads, especially good on soba salads and cold shrimp and chicken dishes. Since every gochujang has a different spice profile, adjust the amount you use to the type of gochujang you buy. This information is usually on the gochujang label. This vinaigrette recipe is for a medium-spiced version, so your lips will be burning if you use a very spicy variation.

This recipe is excerpted from my cookbook Cooking with Gochujang, Asia's Original Hot Sauce, published by Countryman Press.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons gochujang
  • 1 tablespoon​ sugar
  • 2 tablespoons​ rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons​ soy sauce
  • 1 clove garlic (minced)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Whisk all dressing ingredients together until well combined.

  3. Serve and enjoy!

Chili Peppers Fight Inflammation

Chili peppers contain a substance called capsaicin which gives peppers their characteristic pungency, producing mild to intense spice when eaten. Capsaicin is a potent inhibitor of substance P, a neuropeptide associated with inflammatory processes. The hotter the chili pepper, the more capsaicin it contains.​

Capsaicin is being studied as an effective treatment for sensory nerve fiber disorders, including pain associated with arthritis, psoriasis, and diabetic neuropathy. When animals injected with a substance that causes inflammatory arthritis were fed a diet that contained capsaicin, they had delayed the onset of arthritis, and also significantly reduced paw inflammation.

Chili Peppers Boost Immunity

The bright color of red chili peppers signal their high content of beta-carotene or pro-vitamin A. Just two teaspoons of red chili peppers provide about 6 percent of the daily value for vitamin C coupled with more than 10 percent of the daily value for vitamin A. Often called the anti-infection vitamin, vitamin A is essential for healthy mucous membranes, which line the nasal passages, lungs, intestinal tract, and urinary tract as well as serving as the body's first line of defense against invading pathogens.

Health Benefits of Vinegar

Vinegar contains essential nutrients that are important for healthy digestion, food metabolism, and energy production. A vinegar, particularly organic types such as apple cider vinegar (which is less filtered and processed) are beneficial for the heart, blood vessel, nerve and muscle health. These include vitamins A, B-complex, C and E as well as minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, and sodium.

Nutritionist Julie Daniluk recommends taking a tablespoon of vinegar with each meal. You can dilute this with water or juice to make it easier to drink. Drink unprocessed varieties such as organic apple cider vinegar that is higher in minerals and vitamins and still contains remnants of the yeast mother that is used to distill it.

Drinking a tablespoon of vinegar before going to bed can help to regulate blood glucose levels at night. Vinegar supplements are also available in capsule form, but ensure that you are taking the correct dosage as instructed on the label. It is also important to consult your doctor or nutritionist before taking vinegar in any form to treat any type of condition.

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