The best olive oil for salads is extra virgin olive oil. It is the most flavorful and fruity type of olive oil.
But, of course, there are many varieties of extra virgin olive oil, each with its own characteristics. So, we recommend one or more varieties of extra virgin olive oil for each type of salad.
For fresh salads with plenty of greens and vegetables, such as the typical summer salad with lettuce, tomatoes, onion, cucumber, carrots, etc., we recommend an extra virgin olive oil such as Picual or Manzanillo. Their fresh and herbaceous notes pair perfectly with these ingredients and enhance their flavors, adding character to ingredients that may otherwise lack flavor, as sadly happens all too often. (There are no tomatoes like the ones we used to have!)
For salads containing fruits such as apples, avocado, raisins, oranges and dried fruits, as well as pasta salads or salads with broccoli and cheese, we recommend Hojiblanca olive oil. Its characteristics pair particularly well with these ingredients. In tasting panels, Hojiblanca extra virgin olive oil often shows notes of apple, almond and dried fruit, and it is generally less herbaceous and bitter than Picual.
For salads made exclusively with fruit, such as pears, bananas, strawberries, berries, kiwi, etc., we recommend Arbequina extra virgin olive oil. Its sweet notes and lack of bitterness make it ideal for this type of salad.
These are our recommendations based on our own tastes and experience. You can try them and form your own opinion.
Bon appétit!