Top 8 dressings to perk up fish dishes, hot vegetables, and salads

The addition of a tiny amount of dressing can be better than the sum of its parts

It's easy to overdo things when dressing a salad – the dressing wearing the salad, not the salad wearing the dressing. Like clothes, it should flatter, not hide.

The delicate salad leaves of summer, the delicious sweetness of butterhead lettuce, fresh Irish tomatoes, finely grated carrots, fine sticks of raw beetroot, garden peas, and creamy broad beans are perfect just the way they are, especially when they are Irish and haven’t crossed oceans.

So why should we use salad dressing at all? Somehow, the addition of a tiny amount of dressing can be better than the sum of its parts and will liven up a salad so well that we reach for more – the aim of the game.

Whipping up a crowd-pleasing dressing at home takes minutes. Add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard to the juice of half a lemon. Slowly whisk in extra virgin olive oil until you get the right consistency. Season with salt and pepper. It will keep for up to two weeks in the fridge in an airtight jar.

This week we looked at a range of different dressings, some new to us, to see how we might perk up fish dishes, hot vegetables, and salads. Whatever you choose, add a little at a time and don’t drown your food in it. There shouldn’t be any left at the bottom of the bowl (if there is, save it for tomorrow).

Be a snazzy dresser and underplay it to bring out the best of what lies beneath.

Nature’s Best Caesar dressing 165g €2.49 (€15.09/litre)

Nature's Best Caesar Dressing. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

Nicely gritty from grated Italian hard cheese, the rapeseed oil base has egg yolk, vinegar and lemon juice, with depth provided by garlic purée, onions, mustard, Worcester sauce, molasses and sugar. Best of all, there are anchovies (as in other Caesars) which are undetectable but add rich saltiness.  Tamarind extract provides more oomph. A favourite of two tasters who liked the clean flavours and wanted to try it with fish. We bought in Tesco.

Score: 9.5

M&S Pomegranate dressing 235ml €3.50 (€14.89/litre)

M&S Pomegranate Dressing. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

A slightly sharp (from lime juice and wine vinegar) with mild pomegranate and elderberry flavours. Drizzle over new potatoes or beetroot salad to add a piquant punch. From a wide, tasty range.

Score: 8

Ballymaloe Honey & mustard dressing 200ml €3.49 (€17.45/litre)

Ballymaloe Honey & Mustard. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

A well balanced dressing of sweetness from the honey with the richness of two types of mustard, wine vinegar and sunflower and olive oils, a hint of garlic, salt and pepper. A mercifully short list of ingredients delivering good flavour. Sublime on new potatoes. We liked the Caesar dressing too. A top marker.

Score: 9

The Cinnamon Cottage salad dressing 200ml €4.95 (€24.75/litre)

Cinnamon Cottage Salad Dressing. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

A soft sweetness from sugar with oil, vinegar (not specified on the label), mustard, garlic and salt make this a well-balanced dressing. Delicious on simple butterhead lettuce, grated carrot, and beetroot.

Score: 9

Kewpie Deep roasted sesame dressing 236ml €7.95 (€33.68/litre)

Kewpie Deep Roasted Sesame Dressing. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

The dominant flavour is the rich, creamy, delicious roasted sesame with canola (rapeseed) oil. Soy sauce and added salt bring it to a high 2.8% salt compared to many at under 0.5%. The saltiness is softened by brown sugar and egg yolk. Use sparingly if watching salt intake (and your budget).  Also good as a dip, with cold pasta, and smeared on salmon steaks to cook in an air fryer. From Sensasian, Ballincollig, Cork, and Asian speciality shops, kewpieshop.com .

Score: 8.5

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Mango & Chilli 150ml €1.79 (€11.93/litre)

Dunnes Stores Mango & Chilli. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

Dressing made with rapeseed oil, mango, wine vinegar and red chilli. Quite a chilli kick here (harsh, one taster said) with ginger, barely softened by the sweetness of the mango which provides a pulpy thick texture (with added xanthan gum). Good on toast or crackers as well as dressings on shredded cabbage, beetroot, and celery. The Italian dressing also has a sweetness from added honey. Irish made.

Score: 8

Hellmann’s Fat Free Vinaigrette 250ml €2.50 (€10/litre)

Hellmann's Fat Free Vinaigrette. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

Though it has just 0.5% fats compared to 10-20% in other dressings, it is surprisingly syrupy. Herb vinegar, red pepper and water are thickened with carrageenan and xanthan gum to imitate the heaviness of oil. Good on green salads, the flavours are of red pepper and dried parsley, thyme and black pepper. Pleasant. Tasters liked the honey and mustard dressing too (€3.20).

Score: 8

Newman’s Own Balsamic dressing & dip 250ml €2.99 (€11.96/litre)

Newman's Own Balsamic. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

Water is top of the ingredients list here - the added thickener xanthan gum doesn’t affect the texture much. Rapeseed and olive oils, balsamic vinegar are supplemented with barley malt vinegar which lessens the richness. Sugar, garlic purée (2.5%) add some interest, but the dried red pepper, onion, basil, parsley and oregano listed don’t have any depth of flavour. Overall, a pleasant dressing for tomatoes, or whipped into cream cheese for a spread. Salt is 1.35%.

Score: 7.75