One Simple Ingredient Will Revolutionize Your Salads

Whether you're a Caesar supporter or feel rough about roughage, there's no denying that it's important to eat your greens. So, any ingredient that makes eating salad an even tastier experience is getting thrown in the bowl. If you're interested in enhancing the flavors in a salad, it's best to take this ingredient tip with a grain of salt.

Even when the ingredients in your salad are already seasoned, Epicurious says that finishing off your salad with a sprinkle of salt can add flavor and texture that will take your mixed greens to the next level. Salting to taste before serving brings the flavors of a multi-ingredient dish together, and salad is often overlooked but benefits significantly from the flavor-enhancing ability of the simple seasoning.

Fine Cooking notes that even the most subtle flavors flourish with just a small pinch of salt. That's because our bodies crave sodium chloride, and when it hits the palate, salt sends a message to our brains that we are eating something that will give our bodies essential nutrients. Salt also reduces bitter notes in food and highlights sweet and savory flavor profiles.

In addition to enhancing the flavors in your salad, Epicurious notes that sprinkling some salt on your greens can add a delicious crunch to your dish. Even regular old table salt will add a tiny bit of texture, but a chunky finishing salt will delight diners until the greens are gone.

Finishing salts offer an array of flavor profiles and textures. Fine-grain, white table salt can step aside when pink Himalayan salt, coarse black salt, and chunky flake salts are on the scene. Some finishing salts are flavored and, depending on your personal preferences, can bring an extra layer of smoky or spicy flavor to your greens. The big and sometimes colorful crystals of finishing salts are visually appealing, impart unique flavors from where they are harvested, and add that undeniable crunch that makes a salad a meal.

Next time you spill the salt in your kitchen, throw some over your shoulder into the salad that the simple seasoning will transform.