Instantly Upgrade Any Hearty Salad With This Nutty Oil

Before you reach for regular olive or vegetable oil when making your next salad, see what magic you can work with a bottle of sesame oil. While many cuisines, such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Thai, utilize the piquant nuttiness of sesame oil for a mouthwatering effect, the strong flavor naturally present in sesame oil makes it an underutilized tool in many other cuisines of the world.

Though underrated, sesame oil can become a sneaker hit of a secret ingredient in your cooking, especially in salads, because of how bold its flavor is. You can find two types of sesame oil in grocery stores: untoasted and toasted. The differences are apparent when you see the bottles, as untoasted sesame oil will be transparent with a yellow tinge, much like vegetable or canola oil. Toasted sesame oil, however, will have a deep brown color. It also has a much bolder flavor and is used raw as a finishing oil, whereas untoasted can also be used as a cooking oil.

The two types of sesame oil have clear differences and cannot be used interchangeably. Untoasted, sometimes called light, sesame oil is delicately nutty but mild enough to be used for cooking, and it also has a higher smoke point. Toasted or dark sesame oil has a bold, rich flavor and is often only used in uncooked applications like salad dressings and marinades or as a finishing oil drizzled over prepared foods. The flavor of dark sesame oil is altered when it is cooked, and it also burns easily, so it is best to avoid heated applications.

Since sesame oil has a more distinct flavor than other oils, it makes a great addition to heartier salads with ingredients that can stand up to the rich flavor. A simple dressing of toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice vinegar can make a great multipurpose dressing for cucumber salad like you would order in a dim sum shop, or it works great when tossed into a cold soba noodle salad.

Sesame oil is also a base flavor for the cult-loved carrot-ginger salad dressing in Japanese restaurants. Although it is often served with delicate iceberg or green leaf lettuce, this dressing's bold flavor is also great with sturdy, crunchy shredded cabbage. Beyond salads, sesame oil adds a toasty flavor to dips like hummus and guacamole or can be drizzled on popcorn instead of butter.