Great cooking is impossible without good (or even better: very good) olive oil. It’s a universal ingredient that can elevate any dish — binding flavors, adding taste, and highlighting each component. I’ve been flooded with requests for a guide to olive oils nearly every day for six months, so I teamed up with my excellent friend and partner @goodwine to create a series of posts and recipes showcasing my favorite products. These are the items that make it into my kitchen.
Follow the hashtag #extravirginsuperfresh to track posts and recipes this month. We’ll discuss how to choose olive oil, how to use it in salad dressings (with recipes), and even quick dishes under 10 minutes where olive oil plays the leading role. We’ll dive into extra virgin olive oils, their varieties, and their characteristics.
On 4/06, I’m hosting a live session with @yaroslavskyi_vova to discuss and taste olive oils together. Stay tuned for details so you can join in.
I’ll also create a highlights #extravirginsuperfres in my stories dedicated to olive oils, where I’ll collect everything related to this topic.
Basic Lemon Dressing
I recommend making this dressing once every 3–5 days (for convenience) in a small jar and storing it in the refrigerator door. The proportion is 3:1. The acidic component can be anything, but my favorite is lemon or lime juice. You can also use natural apple cider, red wine, or white wine vinegar.
- 3 parts olive oil (fresh oils with a pleasant, moderate bitterness)
- 1 part lemon or lime juice
- Sea salt
- Citrus zest
Wash and dry the lemon or lime, then roll it on the table while pressing lightly—this helps extract more juice. In a screw-top jar, combine olive oil and lemon juice. Carefully slice off the zest from 1/3–1/2 of the lemon, avoiding the white pith, and finely chop it. Add a pinch of salt and mix. Before serving, shake the jar thoroughly to create a creamy, yellow, cloudy dressing. The taste should be a balance of slightly salty and tangy. Neutral salad greens will love this pairing.
For variety, try adding smoked salt; it transforms even a simple salad of lettuce, radish, and chives. If your salad includes cheese, like grilled camembert, add 1 tsp of truffle oil for extra depth.
Best for: leafy greens, salads with crunchy vegetables, grain-based bowls, and salads with buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth, or millet. This dressing also works as a quick marinade for white fish or as a light sauce for grilled seafood like calamari, octopus, shrimp, or halloumi cheese.
Vinaigrette with Balsamic Vinegar and Grainy Mustard
Vinaigrette (from the word "vinegar") is a fresh, tangy dressing that pairs perfectly with leafy greens. A mix of 3–5 types of greens is enough to create a complete dish. It’s ideal for firm, crunchy leaves like baby romaine, iceberg, or bitter greens like frisée and radicchio. Add spinach and one or two types of aromatic herbs like basil, tarragon, or mint for variety.
- 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar (aged)
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 6–7 tbsp. olive oil (with a fresh, slightly spicy flavor)
Combine the balsamic vinegar and mustard until smooth. Add olive oil and mix again thoroughly. This is already delicious, but I prefer it spicier with a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Never use pre-ground spices in a package — only freshly ground pepper from a mill or mortar.
For a twist, add 1/2 cup of chopped, roasted hazelnuts to the vinaigrette before serving.
Herb Dressing
Good olive oil, quality sea salt, garlic, and a few aromatic herbs — this is one of my favorite summer dressings.
- 2 sprigs of fresh basil
- 2 sprigs of mint or tarragon
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme
- 5–7 tbsp. olive oil (rich and slightly fruity)
- 1 tbsp. white wine or apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic (or use dried if fresh garlic is too sharp for you)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Herb stems are edible and just as aromatic as the leaves (in basil and mint, 100%). Use as much as you’re comfortable with; for thyme, remove the leaves from the stems. Finely chop all the herbs and mix with olive oil, vinegar, salt, freshly ground pepper (I use a mix of pink, green, and black pepper), and crushed fresh garlic (or dried garlic). The quickest method is a blender, but don’t purée the dressing too much — leave some texture.
The key to herb dressings is letting them sit for at least 15–30 minutes to develop flavor. So, prepare the dressing first, then work on the rest of your salad, lunch, or dinner.
Basic Lemon Dressing
I recommend making this dressing once every 3–5 days (for convenience) in a small jar and storing it in the refrigerator door. The proportion is 3:1. The acidic component can be anything, but my favorite is lemon or lime juice. You can also use natural apple cider, red wine, or white wine vinegar.
- 3 parts olive oil (fresh oils with a pleasant, moderate bitterness)
- 1 part lemon or lime juice
- Sea salt
- Citrus zest
Wash and dry the lemon or lime, then roll it on the table while pressing lightly—this helps extract more juice. In a screw-top jar, combine olive oil and lemon juice. Carefully slice off the zest from 1/3–1/2 of the lemon, avoiding the white pith, and finely chop it. Add a pinch of salt and mix. Before serving, shake the jar thoroughly to create a creamy, yellow, cloudy dressing. The taste should be a balance of slightly salty and tangy. Neutral salad greens will love this pairing.
For variety, try adding smoked salt; it transforms even a simple salad of lettuce, radish, and chives. If your salad includes cheese, like grilled camembert, add 1 tsp of truffle oil for extra depth.
Best for: leafy greens, salads with crunchy vegetables, grain-based bowls, and salads with buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth, or millet. This dressing also works as a quick marinade for white fish or as a light sauce for grilled seafood like calamari, octopus, shrimp, or halloumi cheese.
Vinaigrette with Balsamic Vinegar and Grainy Mustard
Vinaigrette (from the word "vinegar") is a fresh, tangy dressing that pairs perfectly with leafy greens. A mix of 3–5 types of greens is enough to create a complete dish. It’s ideal for firm, crunchy leaves like baby romaine, iceberg, or bitter greens like frisée and radicchio. Add spinach and one or two types of aromatic herbs like basil, tarragon, or mint for variety.
- 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar (aged)
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 6–7 tbsp. olive oil (with a fresh, slightly spicy flavor)
Combine the balsamic vinegar and mustard until smooth. Add olive oil and mix again thoroughly. This is already delicious, but I prefer it spicier with a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Never use pre-ground spices in a package — only freshly ground pepper from a mill or mortar.
For a twist, add 1/2 cup of chopped, roasted hazelnuts to the vinaigrette before serving.
Herb Dressing
Good olive oil, quality sea salt, garlic, and a few aromatic herbs — this is one of my favorite summer dressings.
- 2 sprigs of fresh basil
- 2 sprigs of mint or tarragon
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme
- 5–7 tbsp. olive oil (rich and slightly fruity)
- 1 tbsp. white wine or apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic (or use dried if fresh garlic is too sharp for you)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Herb stems are edible and just as aromatic as the leaves (in basil and mint, 100%). Use as much as you’re comfortable with; for thyme, remove the leaves from the stems. Finely chop all the herbs and mix with olive oil, vinegar, salt, freshly ground pepper (I use a mix of pink, green, and black pepper), and crushed fresh garlic (or dried garlic). The quickest method is a blender, but don’t purée the dressing too much — leave some texture.
The key to herb dressings is letting them sit for at least 15–30 minutes to develop flavor. So, prepare the dressing first, then work on the rest of your salad, lunch, or dinner.
