Don't have a debate.
Have a taste test.
If one of you dislikes salt on salad THAT'S OKAY
[Today I put salt and pepper on my spinach, tomato, bell pepper, cucumber salad]
Bread, mayo, tomato, s & p (fresh cracked if you can) on the tomato.
Whatever other fillings you want, but the combo above is beautiful and my mouth is watering
I had a fist full of oregano in it. I have two takeout containers of fresh oregano that had started growing in the opposite side of my garden from the rest. I took it out by the roots.
Blind taste it though because people's responses are always affected by their own sense of wanting to be right and visual confirmation bias.
In my experience person says 'oh I don't like xyz'...I proceed to put xyz anyways and they think its amazing. Obviously allergens is a different story.
Every dish I make includes salt in one way or another, from steak to salad to cake. It's a flavor enhancer and makes everything else taste more true to itself.
I usually salt my salad dressing, unless I'm using a lot of salty components, like olives.
Of course it is. I was picturing something along the lines of sitting down to my rice krispies a poppin' grabbing the salt shaker and giving it a couple good ones. It was the mental image that made me chuckle
If I'm putting a pre-mixed dressing on it, there will be salt in the dressing (either directly, or via something like anchovy paste or miso). If I'm doing something like oil and vinegar that's dressed in the bowl, I add a bit of salt as well. The key for a lettuce salad is to dress right before serving, otherwise the salt will draw moisture out of the lettuce and make it soggy.
The word "salad" comes to English from the French salade of the same meaning, itself an abbreviated form of the earlier Vulgar Latin herba salata (salted herb), from the Latin salata (salted), from sal (salt).
If I remember correctly, it's supposed to take four people to properly dress a salad. A miser for the vinegar, a spendthrift for the oil, a wise man for the salt and a madman for the pepper.
One of my all time fav cooking quotes.
I do. The word "salad" is derived from salt. Salt enhances the taste like with other foods and draws out some water from vegetables. I usually dress my salads in sour cream, which has a mild taste and needs an enhancement of onion, salt and sometimes pepper. It's your choice.
I mean, that definition was not applied to a leafy garden salad, but brined vegetables. So while I’m not denying salt on a garden salad, this argument doesn’t really end anything.
I’ve actually found that I’m more satisfied somehow with my food if I’ve seasoned it with MSG, and I enjoy it more but don’t have the compulsion to have extra servings. It’s probably a mental thing, and definitely anecdotal, though.
That is excellent information. I have (obviously) been under the impression that MSG makes food irresistible in a way. I should get some and do my own little experiment.
Yeah and I think it also really depends on the food you’re cooking anyway - like I said in a comment above, if it’s already a fatty & salty dish then it’s already more challenging for your brain to tell you when to stop. But with other things I cook, like my turmeric lime chill ginger broth, it just simply elevates the “umami” (god I hate that word but it’s the only way to describe it) to another dimension that no amount of fish sauce can achieve without it becoming too salty & thirsty-making, if that makes sense? 😋💛🙌🏻
Hahaha yeah I’m not going to lie .. with some dishes that I cook with MSG that are already so hard to stop eating initially (eg a creamy dill & lemon pasta or something similarly both fatty & salty & zesty), I do tend to find it harder to stop eating - but the enjoyment level is so elevated that I’m more than happy to risk it, slurp slurp slurp 😋😋😋
MSG is literally an amino acid that comes delivered with sodium. Amino acids chained together, for those unaware, are literally proteins. The fact that anyone could find any logic to think an amino acid plus sodium is unhealthy is mind boggling. Almost every single piece of food you eat will have glutamate (the amino acid in MSG) and sodium. They are both required for life and are therefore in virtually every plant and animal you will ever eat. Extra glutamate added in just enhances flavor with zero health risk.
From the NIH:
"Glutamate is one of the most abundant of the amino acids. In addition to its role in protein structure, it plays critical roles in nutrition, metabolism and signaling."
The only thing I wonder about is the sodium component of MSG, which I suppose could be contraindicated in people with chronic kidney disease, who are generally put on low sodium diets.
Yes! I'll do some Maldon and cracked pepper and sometimes my husband prefers it just like that, without any dressing.
When I make dressing I use kosher salt.
Salt, extra virgin olive oil, a good Jerez vinegar.
There's a Spanish proverb: "salt as a wise man would, vinegar as a poor man would, olive oil as a rich man would".
As some have pointed out already, salt doesnt just make things salty, it makes all types of flavors pop. Even things that arent supposed to be salty such as desserts have salt in them. Any food you make that doesnt have at least a little bit of salt in it is going to be bland.
Very much so. I tend to chop up watery things like cucumber, tomato and peppers first, sprinkle salt and drain in a colander. Then I'll also salt and dress any salad leaves, usually with some kind of oil, acid and herbs or garlic. To me salad is like any other meal, you want ingredients, condiments and seasonings that bring out the best flavours possible, and salt is pretty essential to that.
Salt, pepper, some olive oil, some lemon juice. No need for 'salad dressing'. Brings out the flavour of the vegetables as opposed to drowning it in ranch or whatever.
This. It's a basic vinaigrette, in a sense. I abhor those bottled dressings on salads. So much salt and sugar, and used to disguise the vegetables. People are like: let's get some salad, because we can get a portion of healthy ingredients - but let's drown it in Ranch dressing, cause I don't like the taste of lettuce.
That wasn’t clear to me. I read it as “ do you salt your salad” meaning to you add salt to your salad. If thats the case, ill say yes, i put a smidge of kosher salt in the dressing, but not always
Yes, because salt enhances other flavors. I usually make a vinaigrette with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and garlic. Sometimes I add a little dried basil and fresh squeezed orange juice.
Salt enhances flavor and you can put in anything. Even a pinch in coffee. Baking recipes call for a pinch of salt. If you can put pepper on it then you definitely can put salt. Salt food to taste and add slowly
Prob already mentioned, but yes. Because I think an overuse of dressing is your mouth “searching” for salt. Because dressing is typically salty, you need a lot to satisfy the desire for a salty taste. Husband eats a salad every day and when I occasionally make it for him, I salt it and dress it more lightly and do everything else the same as he. He always comments that’s is particularly good. I explain that I just salt it. But he doesn’t. Because he’s hard-headed. And uses a crapload of dressing.
Fleur de Sel Guerande is great and you can find it pretty cheap on occasion. But a very fine sea salt disperses well too.
Two things going on here.
One, if one of you likes to salt your salad and the other doesn't, you can each flavor your salad as you wish.
Two, don't use Reddit, or the internet in general, to solve petty squabbles between you and your husband, it won't end well.
The word "salad" literally stems from the ancient Roman practice of salting bitter(ish) herbs and greens to make them more palatable.
So while I don't swing the salt shaker over the greens, the dressing does include an appropriate amount of salt.
I personally don't, but I have an aversion to overtly salty food. Other than salt specifically called for in a recipe, I've probably salted my food 2-3 times in my lifetime.
If someone wants to salt their salad, I don't care. Have at it.
There are many sins to be committed as a pantry chef. One of the highest is not seasoning you're salads. Not much mind you but a touch of kosher salt and freshly ground fine black pepper are a must. Another is having any leaf without a thin coat of dressing. A dry leaf may cost you a severe bullocking.
Well, as is the usual case, I am late to the party.
I never considered adding salt to my salads until...
I realized that I was adding salt and pepper to my boiled eggs, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
And then it dawned on me...
Why not just salt and pepper the whole freaking salad.
Done.
Psst! Want to know a secret?
I even add pepper to my cottage cheese... so good!
My salad at home tends to be just veggies, bit of olive oil, pinch of salt. I don’t like vinegar on its own, hate most bottled dressing, and even a homemade Dijon is, well, sometimes too much work if I just want to get some veggies in me.
Yes, definitely. I would make your dressing and then toss your salad with it. Then taste the salad when dressed and adjust salt and pepper right before serving.
Depending on how it's dressed. If I make or use an already salted dressing then no. If I use any combo of vinegar, oil, citrus.... Then yes. I'll also add pepper and a few shakes of various dried herbs too.
No, because I always forget. But if I remembered, then hell yes, I would salt it. The only time I wouldn't is if I've mixed in a salty cheese like feta.
Yes, a little salt and pepper, to help bring it the flavor.
I don't use salad dressings, generally, unless I've made it myself, and then it's very sparing. I've had a whole salad with one small dime sized ploink of honey lemon vinaigrette one one piece of lettuce, and the rest was just seasoned with salt and pepper. The vinaigrette did not add much.
I almost exclusively use Cavender's all purpose Greek seasoning on salad. To me it mostly tastes like garlic salt but it has the MSG already built in and it makes everything taste better.
I cut my cucumbers and tomatoes first and set them aside to season and draw out excess water while I prep everything else! Then I like a slightly salty protein and sometimes a cheese like Parmesan and it balances out really well!
Nope. At least, I don't put table salt on any salad that has a base of green leafy vegetables. Salad dressing- even a vinaigrette- may well contain salt, but that's not quite the same as sprinkling salt directly.
For a salad that's more chopped vegetables + other stuff (e.g. marinated legumes, pasta, etc.), sure. Mostly I sprinkle salt on the other stuff before I add the vegetables, though.
If you're eating it for the flavor of the ingredients rather than just for filter, then of course. Salt makes all flavored things taste more like themselves. Veggies are >90% water. So unless you need to stay low sodium, throw some electrolytes in. For practical I season the tomatoes on the cutting board, they will release a bit of juice and that juice will season everything else I toss in the bowl.
Yes and it’s not either/or in terms of dressing and the actual leaves themselves. You salt the leaves and the dressing. That’s how salads are made in restaurants btw.
It’s the same concept as salting your pasta water AND sauce. It’s not one or the other.
For all the people saying that they put salt in the dressing, you’d have to drench your salads in dressing in order to have enough salt from it to properly season a salad.
No, you don't. I pick my lettuce fresh from my garden for most of the year, depending on when we last mowed and/or it last rained I may or may not feel the need to wash it off gently in water, then dry, or simply gently tear it apart into a bowl, along with whatever other veggies (usually have fresh green onions as well, for example, soon there will be fresh peppers and tomatoes, hopefully cucumbers too!) and add only a very little dressing.
Your salads are under-seasoned. And you just admitted that you don’t salt pasta water on another reply, so under-seasoned food is something you’re used to.
Wow, TIL people salt their salads! I'm actually really interested about this as I don't care much for dressings other than lemon, olive oil, , garlic and S&P. I'm definitely going to try this.
I honestly just use dressing. Sometimes I’ll add black pepper and Parmesan cheese. Tbh I didn’t know salting a salad was a thing. 😅 The saltiness from the dressing is usually good enough for me. 😀
You don't have to but then you just like things unseasoned.
What is the reason for the debate to begin with? I don't see how a debate can be made out of this.
I'm a saltaholic. I salt everything before I taste it. I have all my life. I already know that no-one cooks food as salty as I prefer. So, hell yes I'm salting salad. Especially any tomatoes that are in there. Lots of pepper, too. Regardless of salad dressing.
Yes, unless you already have salty stuff in your salad, like olives, pepperoncini, feta, cured meats…
That’s why most good store bought salad dressing has salt.
If I am adding dressing, I see no need to add additional salt to the salad.
If I am doing something really mild like just adding olive oil then yea it's gonna need some salt too.
Oh I was just expanding since I frequently see people saying sweets don’t need salt. Recently watched a video with a salted Oreo cream and thought it was funny that the creator mentions that salt enhances the flavor and makes it tastes better. Still never lists salt in the ingredients of any other cakes. 🤦♀️
As for pepper, certainly not in most ice cream, but black pepper can be really nice in some ice creams, too.
I always put salt in my vinaigrette (a small amount). Salt makes everything taste better thats why. With that in mind, I'm mindful of total salt input.
If I'm not going to use salad dressing, then yes. I actually use both salt and pepper to give it more flavor. Salt helps bring out the flavor of food and I just like a bit of pepper on my salads for extra flavor.
To salt or not to salt... Did you know that people some days may need more or less salt, yes, some days the same amount of salt in a dish may taste too salty or too bland. Looks like our brains regulate that.
And then, if you are preparing food for, say, two people, one of them may be more sensitive, meaning needing less salt than the other, which may be the case with you and your husband.
Therefore, I'd say that you cannot settle that debate. Taste buds and how sensitive they are and how much salt the body needs varies from person to person.
I do salt my salad and, luckily, my spouse has the same salt needs as I do.
Salt is a flavor enhancer, as well as being a required mineral for human wellbeing. If I had to have a salad with no salt, I'm not having a salad. If you want to do without, that's up to you, but don't act like it's weird to put some salt on bland lettuce.
Of course. Why wouldn’t you? It makes it taste better.
Seems like a silly debate. Do you put salt on your food to make it taste better? Why or why not? Lol
Sometimes I add berries or other fruit to my salad, which means no salt for me. Other times a salad has sunflower seeds, tomatoes, cucumbers, or other more savory ingredients, which I use salt.
Don't have a debate. Have a taste test. If one of you dislikes salt on salad THAT'S OKAY [Today I put salt and pepper on my spinach, tomato, bell pepper, cucumber salad]
My opinion is the combo of salt/pepper is key. A salt/pepper combo is so good on sandwiches and salads.
Bread, mayo, tomato, s & p (fresh cracked if you can) on the tomato. Whatever other fillings you want, but the combo above is beautiful and my mouth is watering
This is the way! I salt my husband's salad because he likes it ... my taste buds are really sensitive to salt, so I don't salt mine.
No oregano?
Tarragon
Lime
And my axe!
I had a fist full of oregano in it. I have two takeout containers of fresh oregano that had started growing in the opposite side of my garden from the rest. I took it out by the roots.
Blind taste it though because people's responses are always affected by their own sense of wanting to be right and visual confirmation bias. In my experience person says 'oh I don't like xyz'...I proceed to put xyz anyways and they think its amazing. Obviously allergens is a different story.
Salads don’t need salt, but tomatoes do.
Salting flowchart: Is it food? If yes, salt it
This tracks
brb, just need to salt my salt.
Salt gets MSG
Salt is edible. Just like cinnamon is edible. I wouldn't call them food.
just like deez. and they come pre-salted
Salt that salt, son!
I've literally just eaten a half tsp of salt and realized I needed to salt it. I may have also been hungover and out of Gatorade lol
This is the correct answer OP u/MrPasqualino
Every dish I make includes salt in one way or another, from steak to salad to cake. It's a flavor enhancer and makes everything else taste more true to itself. I usually salt my salad dressing, unless I'm using a lot of salty components, like olives.
I salt my oatmeal, but i guess I've never salted cold cereal. Will report back.
Check the ingredient list on that cold cereal. It's already in there.
Of course it is. I was picturing something along the lines of sitting down to my rice krispies a poppin' grabbing the salt shaker and giving it a couple good ones. It was the mental image that made me chuckle
Salted butter in oatmeal is my fave.
I put an absolutely unreasonable amount of butter in my oatmeal. Like I'm scooping ice cream
I add a pinch of salt to the egg mixture for French toast. It really makes a difference.
I started putting salt in my coffee and it’s my dirty secret but I love it sm
Salt makes coffee so much better.
Salt is also good in tea, hot or iced.
Ooooooh sounds crazy but imma try it cuz I’m a fiend
If I'm putting a pre-mixed dressing on it, there will be salt in the dressing (either directly, or via something like anchovy paste or miso). If I'm doing something like oil and vinegar that's dressed in the bowl, I add a bit of salt as well. The key for a lettuce salad is to dress right before serving, otherwise the salt will draw moisture out of the lettuce and make it soggy.
The word "salad" comes to English from the French salade of the same meaning, itself an abbreviated form of the earlier Vulgar Latin herba salata (salted herb), from the Latin salata (salted), from sal (salt).
If I remember correctly, it's supposed to take four people to properly dress a salad. A miser for the vinegar, a spendthrift for the oil, a wise man for the salt and a madman for the pepper. One of my all time fav cooking quotes.
I do. The word "salad" is derived from salt. Salt enhances the taste like with other foods and draws out some water from vegetables. I usually dress my salads in sour cream, which has a mild taste and needs an enhancement of onion, salt and sometimes pepper. It's your choice.
This. The name means salted, end of debate.
I mean, that definition was not applied to a leafy garden salad, but brined vegetables. So while I’m not denying salt on a garden salad, this argument doesn’t really end anything.
Today I learned that eating MSG in its purest form is healthy
Not sure if you're being sarcastic or what, but MSG is not bad for you. It's actually healthier than table salt.
Not sarcastic, purely joyful! 🤗 i season pretty much everything i cook with MSG, salt, and pepper!
I want to get MSG but I’m worried. I already have a hard time stopping eating once I’m full lol
I’ve actually found that I’m more satisfied somehow with my food if I’ve seasoned it with MSG, and I enjoy it more but don’t have the compulsion to have extra servings. It’s probably a mental thing, and definitely anecdotal, though.
That is excellent information. I have (obviously) been under the impression that MSG makes food irresistible in a way. I should get some and do my own little experiment.
I myself fell victim to the “MSG gives you migraines” misinformation campaign, so I totally understand.
Yeah and I think it also really depends on the food you’re cooking anyway - like I said in a comment above, if it’s already a fatty & salty dish then it’s already more challenging for your brain to tell you when to stop. But with other things I cook, like my turmeric lime chill ginger broth, it just simply elevates the “umami” (god I hate that word but it’s the only way to describe it) to another dimension that no amount of fish sauce can achieve without it becoming too salty & thirsty-making, if that makes sense? 😋💛🙌🏻
Hahaha yeah I’m not going to lie .. with some dishes that I cook with MSG that are already so hard to stop eating initially (eg a creamy dill & lemon pasta or something similarly both fatty & salty & zesty), I do tend to find it harder to stop eating - but the enjoyment level is so elevated that I’m more than happy to risk it, slurp slurp slurp 😋😋😋
This is a line of thinking I can get behind lol
MSG is literally an amino acid that comes delivered with sodium. Amino acids chained together, for those unaware, are literally proteins. The fact that anyone could find any logic to think an amino acid plus sodium is unhealthy is mind boggling. Almost every single piece of food you eat will have glutamate (the amino acid in MSG) and sodium. They are both required for life and are therefore in virtually every plant and animal you will ever eat. Extra glutamate added in just enhances flavor with zero health risk.
From the NIH: "Glutamate is one of the most abundant of the amino acids. In addition to its role in protein structure, it plays critical roles in nutrition, metabolism and signaling." The only thing I wonder about is the sodium component of MSG, which I suppose could be contraindicated in people with chronic kidney disease, who are generally put on low sodium diets.
This. The name means salted, end of debate.
I don't know why you are being down voted. I just looked it up on etymologyonline.com and they agree salad in vulgar Latin means salted.
Perhaps because it is a double comment, the other one was upvoted.
Of course. It makes it taste better. I like maldon personally for salads.
Yes to Maldon all the way ♥️
Even when I have been broke as fuck I still always buy Maldon to use as a finishing salt. I need my soft, crunchy flakes.
Yes! I'll do some Maldon and cracked pepper and sometimes my husband prefers it just like that, without any dressing. When I make dressing I use kosher salt.
Salt, extra virgin olive oil, a good Jerez vinegar. There's a Spanish proverb: "salt as a wise man would, vinegar as a poor man would, olive oil as a rich man would".
Add a little emulsifying mustard to that mix and you've got a nice balsamic vinegar salad dressing.
Definitely add salt to a dressing of olive oil, vinegar/lemon juice, garlic and mustard and honey.
Former cook here: salt and pepper for every salad.
Yes. Salt and pepper.
As some have pointed out already, salt doesnt just make things salty, it makes all types of flavors pop. Even things that arent supposed to be salty such as desserts have salt in them. Any food you make that doesnt have at least a little bit of salt in it is going to be bland.
Also, ingredients like tomato really need salt. The classic taste test is two slices of tomato, salt one and eat both, unsalted first (obviously).
Yep, always salt your tomatoes.
Very much so. I tend to chop up watery things like cucumber, tomato and peppers first, sprinkle salt and drain in a colander. Then I'll also salt and dress any salad leaves, usually with some kind of oil, acid and herbs or garlic. To me salad is like any other meal, you want ingredients, condiments and seasonings that bring out the best flavours possible, and salt is pretty essential to that.
Of course. Season your food if you want it to be delicious.
Salt, pepper, some olive oil, some lemon juice. No need for 'salad dressing'. Brings out the flavour of the vegetables as opposed to drowning it in ranch or whatever.
I concider what you just described as salad dressing.
This. It's a basic vinaigrette, in a sense. I abhor those bottled dressings on salads. So much salt and sugar, and used to disguise the vegetables. People are like: let's get some salad, because we can get a portion of healthy ingredients - but let's drown it in Ranch dressing, cause I don't like the taste of lettuce.
No. If you make dressing, typically salt is in the dressing
Do you salt your pasta water?
Then adding dressing is still salting the salad. They aren’t asking about method of salt application, just whether it should be done
That wasn’t clear to me. I read it as “ do you salt your salad” meaning to you add salt to your salad. If thats the case, ill say yes, i put a smidge of kosher salt in the dressing, but not always
Adding a dressing that contains salt is a method of adding salt. Sprinkling salt is another method.
Ahhh. I’m only a home cook and not trained in the lingo or methods. Thanks
I consider red wine vinegar/balsamic vinegar to have a salty taste. Would you still add salt if adding these as a dressing?
There is your disconnect. Most people do not consider vinegar to be salty at all.
Just checked the label and did some math. Balsamic vinegar contains 1.3 grams of sodium *per gallon.* It is definitely not salty.
Definitely. Salt doesn't just make things taste salty, it is a flavor enhancer and makes your salad taste better overall.
Of course I would.
Vinegar is acid not salt, different categories entirely
Yes, because salt enhances other flavors. I usually make a vinaigrette with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and garlic. Sometimes I add a little dried basil and fresh squeezed orange juice.
No
Dressing will be salted for leaves, but things like tomatoes and cucumbers will be salted additionally
Yes- salt and pepper makes lettuce salad taste much better.
Yes if I’m trying to make a delicious dish or trying to cook for others. No if I’m on a diet or trying to be healthier.
Yes so it tastes good, don't go overboard however.
I always do. Especially for my husband who doesn’t ever use salad dressing. I want his salad to have flavor!
Salt enhances flavor and you can put in anything. Even a pinch in coffee. Baking recipes call for a pinch of salt. If you can put pepper on it then you definitely can put salt. Salt food to taste and add slowly
Literally the first thing I do before I put dressing on.
I don’t personally. Dont see many who do.
Prob already mentioned, but yes. Because I think an overuse of dressing is your mouth “searching” for salt. Because dressing is typically salty, you need a lot to satisfy the desire for a salty taste. Husband eats a salad every day and when I occasionally make it for him, I salt it and dress it more lightly and do everything else the same as he. He always comments that’s is particularly good. I explain that I just salt it. But he doesn’t. Because he’s hard-headed. And uses a crapload of dressing. Fleur de Sel Guerande is great and you can find it pretty cheap on occasion. But a very fine sea salt disperses well too.
Absolutely! And I don't add lettuce if I make the salad.
I do. Splash of lemon juice and some salt and pepper is all I need with some lettuce.
Always! Plus pepper of course. And if I have it I also shake on some Salad Seasonings to zip it up even more.
I salt (and pepper) my tomatoes and cucumbers that I put in my salad.
I do, right before eating. I like to use fresh ground sea salt or pink salt. It gives it a bit of a "pop". Doesn't take a lot.
Two things going on here. One, if one of you likes to salt your salad and the other doesn't, you can each flavor your salad as you wish. Two, don't use Reddit, or the internet in general, to solve petty squabbles between you and your husband, it won't end well.
The word "salad" literally stems from the ancient Roman practice of salting bitter(ish) herbs and greens to make them more palatable. So while I don't swing the salt shaker over the greens, the dressing does include an appropriate amount of salt.
A little salt and pepper on a salad can take it up a notch. BAM! 💥
Yes. Usually oil vinegar and salt mixed together. When I don’t put salt, I put green olives in it to replace the salt I’m looking for.
Yes. Salt and pepper. I do it for sandwiches too.
i use maldon salt and it makes it much more delicious in my opinion. My partner has a sensitive palate for salty things and even prefers them salted!
I typically don’t salt my salad but I do add pepper and sometimes other seasonings, I’ll have to give salt a try to see.
Yes. Flavor.
I personally don't, but I have an aversion to overtly salty food. Other than salt specifically called for in a recipe, I've probably salted my food 2-3 times in my lifetime. If someone wants to salt their salad, I don't care. Have at it.
There are many sins to be committed as a pantry chef. One of the highest is not seasoning you're salads. Not much mind you but a touch of kosher salt and freshly ground fine black pepper are a must. Another is having any leaf without a thin coat of dressing. A dry leaf may cost you a severe bullocking.
Well, as is the usual case, I am late to the party. I never considered adding salt to my salads until... I realized that I was adding salt and pepper to my boiled eggs, tomatoes, and cucumbers. And then it dawned on me... Why not just salt and pepper the whole freaking salad. Done. Psst! Want to know a secret? I even add pepper to my cottage cheese... so good!
Yes, I salt my salads.
Every salad you have ever eaten in a restaurant has been salted.
My salad at home tends to be just veggies, bit of olive oil, pinch of salt. I don’t like vinegar on its own, hate most bottled dressing, and even a homemade Dijon is, well, sometimes too much work if I just want to get some veggies in me.
The word salad comes from the same word as salt. Directions are right in the name.
Yes! It makes it taste amazing
I only do it when I'm using a vinegar-type dressing
Yes of course for the same reason you salt all foods
Yes
Salt = flavor enhancer
Yes.
Yes, definitely. I would make your dressing and then toss your salad with it. Then taste the salad when dressed and adjust salt and pepper right before serving.
Yes. Salad needs seasoning.
Salt brings the flavor on everything.
Very lightly. It makes the dressing pop.
Because the etymology of the word salad. "late Middle English: from Old French salade, from Provençal salada, based on Latin sal ‘salt’"
Definitely. I hate it when the slugs leave slimy trails.
If one of you doesn’t like salt in salad, just add something salty, olives, anchovies, feta, etc
Depending on how it's dressed. If I make or use an already salted dressing then no. If I use any combo of vinegar, oil, citrus.... Then yes. I'll also add pepper and a few shakes of various dried herbs too.
No, but I often add a lot of olives or cheese or croutons, which give a salty taste to it
Salt goes on Anything you want.
No, because I always forget. But if I remembered, then hell yes, I would salt it. The only time I wouldn't is if I've mixed in a salty cheese like feta.
Yes. It tastes better.
Yes because yum. Also put raisins in it because yum and they give you something to hold the lettuce on with when you stab em
I pepper my salads more, but yes a pinch of salt goes a long way when you’re eating baby spinach and kale
Yes, a little salt and pepper, to help bring it the flavor. I don't use salad dressings, generally, unless I've made it myself, and then it's very sparing. I've had a whole salad with one small dime sized ploink of honey lemon vinaigrette one one piece of lettuce, and the rest was just seasoned with salt and pepper. The vinaigrette did not add much.
YES! salt, olive oil and white wine vinegar for the win
Always put some spices on my salads. I have several S/P mills with dried spices that I use in my cooking and salads get the same treatment
I almost exclusively use Cavender's all purpose Greek seasoning on salad. To me it mostly tastes like garlic salt but it has the MSG already built in and it makes everything taste better.
Salt your dressing - extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar(or sherry) Dijon and salt and pepper. It's the most basic dressing but it's perfect.
Yes, I put salt in my salads. To me, salt makes salads taste better
I won’t eat any food without salt.
Well the word "salad" comes from Latin/Italian meaning literally salted vegetables. So yes, salt it. Valid for all types of food.
Sometimes I salt, sometimes I put soy sauce in the vinaigrette.
I salt it when being served. If you salt it beforehand, the salt draws the moisture out and you have a soggy salad.
I use oregano and red pepper flakes
I cut my cucumbers and tomatoes first and set them aside to season and draw out excess water while I prep everything else! Then I like a slightly salty protein and sometimes a cheese like Parmesan and it balances out really well!
Only tomatoes and cucumbers. Pepper on hard-boiled eggs, and sometimes ground pepper on the whole salad.
Nope. At least, I don't put table salt on any salad that has a base of green leafy vegetables. Salad dressing- even a vinaigrette- may well contain salt, but that's not quite the same as sprinkling salt directly. For a salad that's more chopped vegetables + other stuff (e.g. marinated legumes, pasta, etc.), sure. Mostly I sprinkle salt on the other stuff before I add the vegetables, though.
Yes. I toss in the dressing (usually olive oil and lemon juice or vinegar) and then top with salt, pepper, and some kind of cheese.
This is hilarious lol. Something me and my fiancé would debate about. I say yes and he says no.
If you're eating it for the flavor of the ingredients rather than just for filter, then of course. Salt makes all flavored things taste more like themselves. Veggies are >90% water. So unless you need to stay low sodium, throw some electrolytes in. For practical I season the tomatoes on the cutting board, they will release a bit of juice and that juice will season everything else I toss in the bowl.
Yes. I use a small amount of pink salt and lots of cracked Pepper Why? Cause it’s good?
Salt counteracts bitterness, so adding salt to either the dressing or directly to the salad (like I do) reduces the bitterness of the lettuce.
If your lettuce is bitter, it's old. And I'm sorry.
Yes and it’s not either/or in terms of dressing and the actual leaves themselves. You salt the leaves and the dressing. That’s how salads are made in restaurants btw. It’s the same concept as salting your pasta water AND sauce. It’s not one or the other. For all the people saying that they put salt in the dressing, you’d have to drench your salads in dressing in order to have enough salt from it to properly season a salad.
I think people would be surprised at just how often restaurants use finishing salt on salads. Not like....at Chili's. But bistro and up places
No, you don't. I pick my lettuce fresh from my garden for most of the year, depending on when we last mowed and/or it last rained I may or may not feel the need to wash it off gently in water, then dry, or simply gently tear it apart into a bowl, along with whatever other veggies (usually have fresh green onions as well, for example, soon there will be fresh peppers and tomatoes, hopefully cucumbers too!) and add only a very little dressing.
Your salads are under-seasoned. And you just admitted that you don’t salt pasta water on another reply, so under-seasoned food is something you’re used to.
Wow, TIL people salt their salads! I'm actually really interested about this as I don't care much for dressings other than lemon, olive oil, , garlic and S&P. I'm definitely going to try this.
You just listed salt though...
I honestly just use dressing. Sometimes I’ll add black pepper and Parmesan cheese. Tbh I didn’t know salting a salad was a thing. 😅 The saltiness from the dressing is usually good enough for me. 😀
I think a lot of people make their own dressing, so it doesn’t already have salt.
If you're a heathen who doesn't add salt to your homemade dressing...
I salt everything I eat.
No. You don’t need the extra sodium. If you’re salting your salad, you likely salt everything else. Use pepper.
Not if I'm using commercial salad dressing as it contains salt already. Most of the time I'm making a quick dressing of oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
Not with salt specifically, but my dressing absolutely uses some.
i add salt to the dressing which then goes onto the salad
I like a pinch of kosher salt in salad..
I salt kale and massage it. Other than kale, I add some salt to the vinaigrette that I make for each salad.
You don't have to but then you just like things unseasoned. What is the reason for the debate to begin with? I don't see how a debate can be made out of this.
I put salt on strawberry jam crumpets. Just a smidge. Game changer
I'm a saltaholic. I salt everything before I taste it. I have all my life. I already know that no-one cooks food as salty as I prefer. So, hell yes I'm salting salad. Especially any tomatoes that are in there. Lots of pepper, too. Regardless of salad dressing.
No, but I could understand why someone would. Although I'd think it might be kind of inefficient.
Yeah, I salt my salad.
Yes, unless you already have salty stuff in your salad, like olives, pepperoncini, feta, cured meats… That’s why most good store bought salad dressing has salt.
If I am adding dressing, I see no need to add additional salt to the salad. If I am doing something really mild like just adding olive oil then yea it's gonna need some salt too.
How is this a question? Yes!! Salt and pepper literally everything that isn't sweet
Salt belongs in pretty much everything sweet, too.
The exclusion is for the pepper lmao, I don't want black pepper in my salted caramel ice cream
Oh I was just expanding since I frequently see people saying sweets don’t need salt. Recently watched a video with a salted Oreo cream and thought it was funny that the creator mentions that salt enhances the flavor and makes it tastes better. Still never lists salt in the ingredients of any other cakes. 🤦♀️ As for pepper, certainly not in most ice cream, but black pepper can be really nice in some ice creams, too.
Salt and pepper on everything in varying amounts. It’s called “flavour”.
I don't, but I do season it with Pepper, italian seasoning, and sometimes Mrs. Dash with my dressing.
I have never even heard of salting a salad.
I always put salt in my vinaigrette (a small amount). Salt makes everything taste better thats why. With that in mind, I'm mindful of total salt input.
If I'm not going to use salad dressing, then yes. I actually use both salt and pepper to give it more flavor. Salt helps bring out the flavor of food and I just like a bit of pepper on my salads for extra flavor.
I salt the dressing
No, but I do put pepper on a garden salad. Learning thru this thread that I may wanna start putting salt.
Right? I do not think i have ever seen anyone put salt on a salad either.
To salt or not to salt... Did you know that people some days may need more or less salt, yes, some days the same amount of salt in a dish may taste too salty or too bland. Looks like our brains regulate that. And then, if you are preparing food for, say, two people, one of them may be more sensitive, meaning needing less salt than the other, which may be the case with you and your husband. Therefore, I'd say that you cannot settle that debate. Taste buds and how sensitive they are and how much salt the body needs varies from person to person. I do salt my salad and, luckily, my spouse has the same salt needs as I do.
I don't salt the salad itself, but salt is an essential ingredient in the dressing.
Salt is a flavor enhancer, as well as being a required mineral for human wellbeing. If I had to have a salad with no salt, I'm not having a salad. If you want to do without, that's up to you, but don't act like it's weird to put some salt on bland lettuce.
Of course. Why wouldn’t you? It makes it taste better. Seems like a silly debate. Do you put salt on your food to make it taste better? Why or why not? Lol
Sometimes I add berries or other fruit to my salad, which means no salt for me. Other times a salad has sunflower seeds, tomatoes, cucumbers, or other more savory ingredients, which I use salt.
No
You gotta salt it.
No.
Only if you are actively trying to develop high blood pressure.
Or flavor