Mandy’s Salad Dressings Just Got A Flavour Upgrade

There’s been a shakeup at Mandy’s gourmet salad restaurants: The Montreal-based gourmet salad chain has announced its chug-worthy line of homemade salad dressings will no longer be made with canola oil. The dressings will use a premium olive oil base instead.

Canola oil has recently come under fire from certain high-profile health and wellness influencers over the years, who (wrongly) claim seed oils are inflammatory. But an email from Mandy’s says the decision has been in the works for a while and isn’t in response to any kind of “viral moment.”

Instead, they say the oil change is thanks to customer demand. A spokesperson for Mandy’s says customers have been asking for olive oil dressings “for years,” and that the swap was “about listening to our guests, continuing to improve, and staying committed to quality.”

The new dressings will use an extra-virgin olive oil from Spain going forward. The chain is also doubling down on cutting seed oils from its ingredients list by ensuring that its mayonnaise and cooking oils are also made with olive oil.

The chain’s popular line of salad dressings—cult favourite Tamari is a consistent sellout—are all available for purchase online and in many Canadian grocery stores. But for now you’ll only be able to get the olive oil dressing when you order from one of the chain’s restaurants.

The bottled options will still be made with canola oil (which really is A-OK; canola oil is a standard salad dressing base) for the foreseeable future. But the Mandy’s team confirmed there are future plans to make the switch for those items, too.

Canola oil is a pantry staple for good reason

Canola oil is a pantry staple because it’s a cooking fat with a neutral flavour that can be used in a variety of dishes. It’s also considered to be a healthier fat. That’s because, like olive oil, canola oil is a source of monounsaturated fat, which is associated with maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. The Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation recommends canola oil as a healthier alternative to saturated fats like butter, lard and coconut oil, which are associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.

The oil, which is made from the crushed seeds of the canola plant, has recently been labelled as unhealthy by U.S. Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who said it and other seed oils are “toxic” because they contain a high content of omega-6 fatty acids. This, dissenters argue, can produce an inflammatory effect in the body. Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop Kitchen delivery food service, which reportedly leans into “clean eating,” also eschews seed oils.

Most health experts are baffled by the perception of seed oils as bad, however, and say there are far more reasons to include them in your diet and use them in your cooking than there are reasons to avoid them.

Secret sauce to success

Mandy’s gourmet salads are often packed with protein, seeds and savoury crunchy bits in addition to fresh vegetables and leafy greens. But the cult favourite with a celebrity clientele and expanding menu and product line of goods has humble roots. Founded by Montreal-based sisters Mandy and Rebecca Wolfe more than 20 years ago, the company started with the duo slinging greens at a small Montreal takeout counter. Two decades on, there are now 15 Mandy’s restaurants, with locations in Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa; two more locations are reportedly coming to Vancouver this fall.