How to use extra virgin olive oil in dressings? Salad dressing ratios and five Hong Kong home-style cold dishes

Bought a bottle of extra virgin olive oil but only use it for stir-frying? In fact, where it really shines is in unheated dressings and drizzles. Heating drives off some of the volatile aromas; used raw, its grassy, green-apple fruitiness and the gentle pepperiness in the throat come through in full.

Many Hong Kong families still think of “salad dressing” as bottled Thousand Island or sesame dressing. In reality, all you need is a good oil, a little acidity and a little salt to make a fresh dressing in five minutes — and it doesn’t just go with Western salads, it works just as well with Hong Kong-style small dishes such as smashed cucumber, wood ear fungus salad and cold tofu.

The short answer: When dressing food with extra virgin olive oil, remember one starting point: oil to vinegar at about 3:1, plus a little salt, then adjust to taste. For Chinese cold dishes, you can use olive oil in place of some of the sesame oil or cooked oil, with garlic, vinegar and soy sauce, for a fresher taste. Keep portions moderate, make cold dishes fresh and eat them straight away, and refrigerate any leftovers.

Key points (30-second version):

• Dressings are the use that best shows off extra virgin’s fruitiness, and a situation where refined oil struggles to substitute.
• Basic vinaigrette: 3 parts oil + 1 part vinegar or lemon juice + a little salt, shake well and it’s ready (a common ratio, adjust to taste).
• Chinese cold dishes: olive oil goes well with minced garlic, black vinegar, soy sauce and chilli, replacing some of the sesame oil.
• Portions: for one person’s cold dish, about 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of oil is usually enough; the food doesn’t need to swim in oil.
• Hygiene: wash raw vegetables thoroughly; make cold dishes fresh and eat them straight away, and refrigerate any leftovers.

Why are dressings the best use for extra virgin?

Use	How extra virgin performs
Raw (dressings, drizzling, dipping bread)	Fruitiness and slight bitterness and pepperiness come through in full
Medium-heat cooking	Fine, but some of the aroma fades with heat
Refined olive oil (Pure / Light) used raw	Flat flavour, hard to bring depth to a dressing

That’s why you should check the grade when choosing an oil: if you want to use it for dressings, choose a product labelled Extra Virgin. For the difference between cold-pressed and refined oil, see “What’s the difference between cold-pressed and refined olive oil?”.

The basics: one vinaigrette, five variations

Basic vinaigrette (salad for about 2–3 people)

• Extra virgin olive oil: 3 tablespoons
• Vinegar (white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar all work) or lemon juice: 1 tablespoon
• Salt: a small pinch
• Black pepper: to taste

Method: Put everything in a clean small glass jar, close the lid and shake hard for 10–20 seconds until the oil and vinegar temporarily combine (emulsify) and look slightly cloudy. Pour it over the salad only just before serving, so the leaves are less likely to release water and go limp.

Emulsifying tip: Add about half a teaspoon of mustard or a little honey and the oil and vinegar will combine more easily, and the dressing will cling to the leaves better.

Five variations:

Variation	Add to the basic dressing	Goes well with
Fresh lemon	Use lemon juice instead of vinegar, plus a little grated lemon zest	Mixed salad, poached chicken breast, seafood
Honey mustard	Half a teaspoon of mustard + half a teaspoon of honey	Lettuce, apple, walnuts
Balsamic	Use balsamic vinegar instead of white vinegar	Tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cheese
Japanese-style	1 teaspoon of soy sauce + a few sesame seeds	Tofu, seaweed, cucumber
Herb and garlic	A little minced garlic + chopped herbs (such as parsley or basil)	Roasted vegetables, potato salad

Five Hong Kong home-style cold dishes: fresher with olive oil

The quantities below serve about 2; adjust to taste.

1. Smashed cucumber with garlic

• Wash 2 cucumbers, smash them and cut into pieces, toss with a little salt, leave for about 10 minutes, then pour off the water released.
• Add 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of black vinegar or Zhenjiang vinegar, a little sugar and 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, and toss to combine.
• If you like it spicy, add a little chopped chilli.

Tip: Draw out the water first, then season, so the dressing isn’t diluted.

2. Tomato and silken tofu

• Drain 1 box of silken tofu, cut it into pieces and plate it; dice 1 tomato and scatter it on top.
• Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with chopped spring onion.

Tip: Olive oil’s fruitiness pairs very well with tomato and can replace the traditional cooked oil or sesame oil.

3. Black wood ear fungus salad

• Soak dried black wood ear fungus to rehydrate, cook it thoroughly, rinse under cold water and drain.
• Add minced garlic, vinegar, a little soy sauce and sliced chilli, then finally drizzle with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and toss.

Tip: Wood ear fungus must be cooked thoroughly; don’t soak it for too long, and prepare it soon after soaking.

4. Blanched choi sum with a drizzle of oil

• Blanch the choi sum until cooked, drain and plate.
• No need to heat the oil — simply drizzle over about 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil, then a little oyster sauce or soy sauce.

Tip: The traditional method heats the oil before pouring it over; extra virgin drizzled raw is already fragrant, saving a step and keeping the fruitiness.

5. Shredded chicken and cucumber salad

• Poach chicken breast until fully cooked, let it cool and shred it; julienne the cucumber and carrot.
• Toss with the “fresh lemon” vinaigrette and sprinkle with a few sesame seeds.

Tip: The chicken must be cooked through; once cooled, toss and eat it soon. It makes a good side for a packed lunch (keep it refrigerated).

Portions and use: dressings in moderation too

• For one person’s cold dish, about 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of oil is usually enough. Oil is the medium that brings the flavours together; the food doesn’t need to be soaked in it.
• Start small, then add more. Drizzle a little first, toss and taste, then add more if needed.
• Children’s portions are smaller. If you have young children at home, see “Is olive oil suitable for cooking for children?”.
• If you want to build a habit of using a little raw oil every day, adults can see the “olive oil drinking guide”; dressings are an easier way in than drinking it straight.

Cold-dish hygiene: especially important in Hong Kong weather

Cold dishes aren’t heated, so hygiene matters even more than with hot dishes:

1. Wash raw vegetables thoroughly, and keep separate chopping boards and knives for raw and cooked food.
2. Make them fresh and eat them straight away. Dressed cold dishes shouldn’t sit at room temperature for long; take extra care in Hong Kong’s hot, humid weather.
3. Refrigerate leftovers. The Centre for Food Safety recommends storing cold foods at 4°C or below and eating them as soon as possible.
4. Make homemade vinaigrette in a clean, dry jar; if it contains fresh ingredients such as minced garlic or herbs, use it the same day, or refrigerate it and use it up soon.

Keep the oil fresh for tasty dressings

Dressings reveal an oil’s freshness most clearly — once the oil has oxidised and smells rancid, the whole plate suffers. Smell it before use; if the grassy, fruity aroma is clear, you can use it raw with confidence. For how to tell whether oil is fresh, see “How can you tell if olive oil is fresh?”; for storage, see “How to store olive oil after opening?”.

Mastri: gentle fruitiness, good for dressings the whole family enjoys

For dressing oil, what matters most is a clear grade, fresh fruitiness and a taste that doesn’t catch the throat, so the whole family is happy to eat it.

Mastri Extra Virgin Cold-Pressed Olive Oil 750ml:

• Grade and ingredients: cold-pressed extra virgin; the ingredient list is only 100% extra virgin olive oil; no additives, no artificial flavourings, non-GMO ingredients (refer to the product page).
• Flavour: the product description mentions fresh fruitiness with grassy, green apple and artichoke notes; a gentle pepperiness that doesn’t catch the throat, and it won’t overpower Chinese cold dishes either.
• Dressings and drizzles: the product page suggests drizzling it directly over salads, pasta, hot soups, steamed seafood, or using it for dipping bread.
• One bottle, two uses: besides dressings, it also suits medium-heat home cooking such as fried eggs and stir-fried vegetables; a 750ml bottle is easier to finish within the recommended time after opening.
• Storage: sealed at room temperature, somewhere cool and away from the stove; best used within 6 months of opening.

Why not start with tonight’s blanched choi sum: blanch, plate, drizzle a round of Mastri straight over it, then add a little soy sauce.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is the basic ratio for an olive oil salad dressing?
A common starting point is oil to vinegar (or lemon juice) at about 3:1, plus a little salt and black pepper. If you like it tangier, go to 2:1. This is a conventional cooking ratio and can be adjusted to personal taste.

Q2: What’s the difference between extra virgin and regular olive oil for dressings?
Extra virgin is unrefined and keeps its fruitiness and pepperiness, so its flavour is clear when used raw; refined olive oils labelled Pure or Light taste lighter and struggle to add depth to a dressing. Extra virgin is recommended for dressings.

Q3: Can I use olive oil instead of sesame oil in Chinese cold dishes?
Partly, yes. Olive oil’s fruitiness suits smashed cucumber, tomato tofu and wood ear fungus salad; if you like the aroma of sesame oil, mix the two, using mainly olive oil with a little sesame oil for fragrance.

Q4: How much olive oil should I use per portion of a cold dish?
For one person’s cold dish, about 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon is usually enough. Start with a little, toss and taste, then add more if needed; the food doesn’t need to soak in oil.

Q5: How long does homemade vinaigrette keep?
A basic vinaigrette of just oil, vinegar and salt, kept refrigerated in a clean sealed jar, can be used for a short period; one containing fresh ingredients such as minced garlic or herbs should be used the same day, or refrigerated and used up soon. Smell it before use and discard it if it smells off.

Q6: Do I have to heat the oil before drizzling it over blanched choi sum?
Not necessarily. Traditionally the oil is heated to bring out a cooked-oil aroma; extra virgin olive oil can be drizzled on raw, as it already has fruitiness, and this also keeps its slight pepperiness.

Disclaimer

This article is general dietary and kitchen education, providing reference on using extra virgin olive oil in dressings and home recipes. Quantities and ratios are general suggestions only and can be adjusted to personal taste and needs. It does not constitute medical advice, nutritional therapy or food safety certification, and it does not guarantee any therapeutic or disease-improvement outcome. Pregnant women, young children, the elderly and people with weakened immunity should take particular care with food hygiene when making cold dishes; if you have special dietary needs, please consult a registered doctor or dietitian.