Our panel says lots of dressings are light on oil: honey or yoghurt give texture, nuts the creaminess, or go for a south-east Asian nam pla and lime dressing
It’s hard to deny the transformative power of a good salad dressing, but you don’t necessarily need much oil, if any at all. Honey, for example, will give “a natural stickiness that helps adhesion to your salad, while the sweetness balances the acidity of vinegar,” says Tony Rodd, head chef at Pomus in Margate. He leans towards the heather variety, whisking it with balsamic vinegar and wholegrain mustard – this is magic when tossed with blanched greens, grilled peaches, and torn burrata. “You could always add toasted nuts and seeds for texture,” he advises.
Chris Shaw, head chef at Toklas in London, meanwhile, would think about yoghurt, garlic, and some form of acid, whether that’s vinegar or lemon juice. “You can achieve the same consistency as a caesar dressing, but with the sourness of yoghurt, which I prefer,” he says, and although he’d normally then loosen it with a little olive oil, you could use a splash of water instead. Toss with robust leaves (think gems), or into coleslaws, potato salads, chopped salads … you have options. If, however, you want the creaminess but without the dairy, go with nuts. “We use blanched almonds, pine nuts, and hazelnuts in the restaurant,” says Shaw, which are gently cooked in water then blended with more water, vinegar (something white), and garlic. You’ll be left with a nut cream, which is crying out for shaved, raw cauliflower, beetroot, potatoes, or sturdier salad leaves (radicchio, say). Nuts would also be Elaine Goad’s tactic. The head chef at Nopi in London favours toasted cashews, which she blends with water, tahini, lime juice, garlic, maybe miso for an umami hit. “If you prefer a bit of texture, don’t blitz it up too much; if you want it lighter, add more lime juice.”
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