Let’s be real for a second. Salt is the spice of life. We use it in cooking and baking because it goes with sweet and savory. It balances out a meal, livens up other flavors, and turns a bland dish into something worth writing home about. An under-salted dish is extremely underwhelming yet an over-salted dish can often be deemed inedible. 
Anyway, before I go off on a tangent, I think we can all agree on the fact that salt plays a really important role in our kitchens. But there are more ways to add salt to a dish than throwing another pinch into the pot. Today I want to talk about three ingredients that you can add to a dish to kick the salt level up a notch without adding actual salt.
Think about it, if adding such a basic spice to a dish can take it to another level, imagine how much depth a more substantial ingredient can do! The following three items may already be in your refrigerator and could potentially take your meal from good to great.
- Olives: The best thing about using olives to add a salty flavor is that the salt level varies depending on the type of olive. You can add a mild salt flavor with something like fresh green olives to a more substantial and bold level with oil-cured black olives. You get just as much variety in how you use the olives too. You can dice them and stir them into sauce, slice thin as a salad or pasta topping, or toss them whole into a roast.
- Feta or Parmesan: Mmmm, two of my favorite cheeses. Feta … actually really any crumbly cheese … is a perfect way to brighten a salad, pasta, grains, or even sautéed vegetables. Parmesan (or Pecorino) also bring a nice salt kick to a dish. I really love to grate some into my sauces or mix them with breadcrumbs for meatballs or breaded chicken. I may just be a huge cheese fan but there’s something really tasty about sprinkling some Parmesan on top of a hearty soup too.
- Bacon: I mean, who doesn’t love bacon? And while we’re talking cured meat, you can also use pancetta or prosciutto to add some flavor (and happiness) to a meal. Sure, you can add the meat to your actual dish – oh man like some crispy pancetta in a winter risotto – but you can also take it a step further. Cook the bacon and set it aside before preparing your other ingredients in the rendered fat. Use the bacon as garnish or just snack on it while you cook everything else 😉
So when it comes to the question, “to salt or not to salt?” the answer is both. You can’t leave a dish completely unsalted and expect it to wow anybody. But you also can do more than just adding a pinch of salt from the shaker on the table. Add flavor and style to your next dish by adding an additional ingredient to both season and impress.
Rebecca McKinney
I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.
So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!
Eat well & travel often,
Becky McKinney
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