Get more out of your salad dressing

A leafy green salad just wouldn’t be complete without a delicious dressing that adds flavour and brings the ingredients together. But did you know the humble salad dressing is a home chef’s secret ingredient that can help dress up far more than just salad?

“You can use a great salad dressing for anything, from tossing through a stir-fry, using as a delicious dip or even to marinate your steaks,” says Lyndon Heslop, chef at Sydney-based dressing, relish and sauce brand Birch & Waite. “The key is selecting a good quality dressing made with fresh, real ingredients.”

The Babylonians were first to use herbs, oils and vinegars to flavour their greens, over 2000 years ago. Today, this popular condiment is found in almost every Australian fridge and is worth over $67 million annually to the Australian economy. To help you make the most of the salad dressing you have in your own fridge, Birch & Waite has shared some clever ideas to add some extra pizzazz to your meats, meals and snacks.

Birch & Waite’s 7 easy alternative uses for salad dressings:

1. Marinate steaks

Using a dressing as a marinade can offer bolder, longer-lasting flavours. Try an Asian sesame, soy and ginger dressing; Greek lemon dressing; or balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

2. Add flavour to bland chicken

Chicken is excellent for protein, but can be bland. Select dressings that have some spice or a hit of flavour like a dressing fused with tahini and turmeric; a Greek yoghurt, feta and dill dressing; or even the classic crowd-pleaser, creamy Caesar dressing.

3. Tossed with roasted vegies

This is an awesome spin to the traditional roasted vegies mix. Select a creamier dressing like Birch & Waite’s Green Goddess with an aromatic combination of herbs, garlic and lemon or a Golden Goddess dressing fused with tahini and turmeric; and toss the dressing through a selection of vegetables to add a delicious burst of flavour.

4. Spice up a wrap

Turn your basic meat and veg wrap into a lunch with more punch, with the addition of a flavoursome salad dressing. Select a Greek yoghurt, feta and dill dressing, or even a Caesar dressing, to enjoy a cafe-worthy wrap at home.

5. Stirred in a stir fry

Adding a bold dressing to your stir-fry can offer more robust flavours. Try a Thai, lime and coriander dressing, a balsamic vinaigrette or an Asian sesame, soy and ginger dressing. Just add through your stir-fry in the final 5-10 minutes of cooking and heat through.

6. Drizzled on a pizza

Liven up your pizza with a drizzling of a creamy dressing. Go for a creamy Caesar dressing, a creamy garlic and herb dressing or a Greek yoghurt, feta and dill.

7. A delicious dip

Enjoy your favourite dressings as flavoursome dips. Keep it healthy with some crunchy vegetable selections, or even use as a sensational side to chicken wings or falafels. You can go for a creamy dressing, or try one fused with spices for more kick.

Birch & Waite has a range of fresh, chilled salad dressings available nationally at Woolworths and Harris Farm Markets.