Salad dressing, sweet and sour

Sweet and sour dressing is a tangy, lightly sweetened vinaigrette-style dressing typically built from vinegar, sugar, and oil, used to dress coleslaw, cabbage salads, or simple green salads where a bright, tangy-sweet contrast is wanted. It is also used as a light glaze or marinade base for grilled vegetables or as a dipping sauce alongside spring rolls and other appetizers, drawing on the same balance of acidity and sweetness found in many Asian-style sweet and sour sauces. A tablespoon is usually enough to dress a modest portion of salad or slaw without overwhelming it, and it can be warmed briefly to loosen it before tossing with shredded cabbage or carrots.

Bottled dressings like this keep in the refrigerator after opening and should be shaken or stirred before use, since the oil, vinegar, and sweetener can separate on standing. At just 15 calories per tablespoon, it is a low-calorie way to add flavor to a salad without contributing much to the day's calorie total, though its sodium content, 208 milligrams per 100 grams, is worth noting if it is being used generously across multiple dishes. Its 3.7 grams of sugar per 100 grams reflects the sweet half of its flavor profile, and it contains 17% of the Daily Value for vitamin E per 100 grams as well.