Dressings that are so good you’ll want to drink them

We've found 12 red carpet-ready dressings to dazzle your salad, seafood and meat dishes.

Control those cravings with nutrient rich food. Source: Alan Benson

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A salad without a dressing is really just a bunch of vegetables waiting to be rescued. You could go in subtle with a little salt and pepper, oil and vinegar mix, or you could fly in with all guns blazing with one of these hero sauces. On Food Safari Water, Chef Masaaki Koyama from Masaaki’s Sushi lifts his wakame and octopus salad with a dashi and vinegar dressing that he says is so good you can drink it. His recipe is below, along with 11 other delightful dressings that we wouldn't mind swigging.

Dashi and vinegar ImageIn episode 2 on Food Safari Water, Koyama shows us how to make the dashi used in this dashi and vinegar dressing at home. A rich dashi adds depth and complexity to this dressing, so it's worth having a go.

Salmoriglio ImageBorn in Southern Italy, salmoriglio adds a tart, fresh flavour to seafood and roast meats. As Lino Sauro, Olio Kensington Street shows on episode 1 of Food Safari Water, it pairs perfectly with salt-baked snapper, adding freshness and colour.

Lemongrass and chilli ImageGive your steak a kick with a lemongrass and chilli dressing packed with Vietnamese flavours. This is meat-and-three-veg with some serious attitude.

ChimichurriImageA good chimichurri is bursting with herby flavours and just tart enough to notice. The condiment originated in Argentina and Uruguay, though many say it is practically identical to a Sicilian salmoriglio (see above). Many versions of chimichurri add a pinch of hot pepper or finely diced onion.

Bagna caudaImageGarlic, anchovy and butter: with these ingredients taking centre stage, you just know you’re going to love bagna cauda. This dipping sauce from Piedmont in Italy is the perfect communal offering. In Piedmont, cardoon, an edible thistle, is often dipped along with bread, celery, carrot, artichoke, fennel and peppers.

Gado gadoImageWhile the whole Indonesian dish is called gado gado (“mix-mix”), we’re stealing the rich peanut dressing. Freshly roasted nuts, lemongrass, makrut lime and lime will fill the kitchen with a fragrance that will make you long for Jakarta. While perfect with the veggies and tofu in gado gado, the peanut sauce is also delicious with chicken or beef.

Nam jimImageNam jim, a classic Thai dipping sauce, has just the right salty, sweet, spicy and sour balance to pair beautifully with seafood. It is especially delicious with grilled king prawns or this smoked ocean trout, though serving it up with a dish of prawn crackers is a simple way to make a punchy party appetiser.

Feta dressingImagePack all the classic Greek flavours, including lemon, garlic and oregano, into one creamy feta dressing. This sauce marries perfectly with a fresh green bean salad or lamb, chicken or beef dishes.

WafuImageA mix of soy sauce, rice vinegar and oil, wafu adds depth to salad vegetables or steak. There are many variations on this dressing, with the addition of finely diced onion, mustard, garlic or grated ginger being popular. Replacing part of the vegetable oil with sesame oil creates chuka or ‘Chinese-style dressing’.

Saffron dressingImageThe flavours of Morocco combine to make a colourful addition to seafood and salad. It’s worth making your own preserved lemons to add real depth of flavour to this saffron dressing.

Nuoc chamImageThe famous Vietnamese dressing is a fixture at every table. Nuoc cham is particularly popular served with rice paper rolls. It also tastes divine with seafood, pork or chicken – try it with a grilled lemongrass chicken salad.

Green goddessImageThis is fashionable dressing at its best. Green goddess is the condiment of the moment, turning up in poké, Buddha bowls and quinoa salads across Instagram. It also turns leftover roast vegetables into something worthy of worship. Maeve O'Meara is back in Food Safari Water 8pm, Wednesdays on SBS or catch-up on all episodes via SBS On Demand. Visit the program page for recipes, videos and more. Dive into Food Safari Water