Olive oil salad dressings: three basics

Bottled dressings usually carry sugar, emulsifiers and cheap oil. Making your own takes two minutes and lets the olive oil itself come through.

The base ratio

Three parts olive oil to one part acid — lime juice, vinegar or lemon. Add salt and pepper. Shake or whisk until combined. Everything else is a variation.

1. Lime and salt

Three tablespoons olive oil, one tablespoon lime juice, a pinch of sea salt. Good on cucumber, tomato and red onion.

2. Garlic and black pepper

Three tablespoons olive oil, one tablespoon vinegar, one crushed garlic clove, coarsely ground black pepper. Leave ten minutes before using so the garlic infuses.

3. Honey and mustard

Three tablespoons olive oil, one tablespoon vinegar, one teaspoon mustard, one teaspoon honey. Sweeter, and good on salads with chicken or fruit.

Use extra virgin for dressings. The "pure" and "light" grades have been refined and will not give the same flavour.