Are there any salad dressings that donβt rely on oil? | Kitchen aide
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
Itβs hard to deny the transformative power of a good salad dressing, but you donβt necessarily need much oil, if any at all. Honey, for example, will give βa natural stickiness that helps adhesion to your salad, while the sweetness balances the acidity of vinegar,β says Tony Rodd, head chef at Pomus in Margate. He leans towards the heather variety, whisking it with balsamic vinegar and wholegrain mustard β this is magic when tossed with blanched greens, grilled peaches, and torn burrata. βYou could always add toasted nuts and seeds for texture,β he advises.
Chris Shaw, head chef at Toklas in London, meanwhile, would think about yoghurt, garlic, and some form of acid, whether thatβs vinegar or lemon juice. βYou can achieve the same consistency as a caesar dressing, but with the sourness of yoghurt, which I prefer,β he says, and although heβd 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 β¦ you have options. If, however, you want the creaminess but without the dairy, go with nuts. βWe use blanched almonds, pine nuts, and hazelnuts in the restaurant,β says Shaw, which are gently cooked in water then blended with more water, vinegar (something white), and garlic. Youβll 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 Goadβs 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. βIf you prefer a bit of texture, donβt blitz it up too much; if you want it lighter, add more lime juice.β
Continue reading...Β© Photograph: Louise Hagger/The Guardian
Β© Photograph: Louise Hagger/The Guardian