Low sodium recipes can certainly be challenging. Trying to get the salt and sodium out of a recipe is hard enough, and still have flavorful results without the food tasting like it is missing the salt is the most challenging part.
Here are seven simple low sodium cooking tips to try, for more flavorful low sodium recipes.
1. Choose good quality, fresh ingredients, to start with is a must. You are not easily able to mask any off tastes when your meats or vegetables not up to par. Using the freshest ingredients makes a big difference towards achieving good flavor. Try shopping at your local farmer's market. You will find many varieties of fruits, vegetables, even herbs, that you never see in the grocery store. Locally grown will have better flavor.
2. Browning or caramelizing your food especially meats. This tip will not only give a rich look to your food but adds amazing flavor as well. Take your time doing this part. Lower your heat. You want browned not burnt. For example, caramelized onions can take about 45 minutes, but the flavor is worth it.
3. Invest in a pepper grinder or also called a pepper mill. Freshly ground pepper instead of the regular pepper in a can, gives your recipes a huge flavor boost. Add freshly ground pepper while cooking and a little more at the end or even at the table.
4. Use freshly minced parsley in most low sodium recipes. Folks usually think of fresh parsley for show, just to dress up a plate and make it pretty. It does that and more. Freshly minced Italian flat leaf parsley (not curly), adds a flavor brightness and a freshness to food. When you are cooking, add some of the freshly minced parsley towards the end of your cooking time and always sprinkle more on top of the dish before you serve. You can also sprinkle freshly minced parsley over your entire plate, over vegetables, meats, sauces, soups, salads, etc., for more added flavor.
5. Using fresh lemons will help give a salty edge to many of your low sodium recipes. The regular Eureka lemons versus the sweeter Meyer lemons, work better for this tip. This tip can be tricky. You want the brightness of the lemon without turning your recipe into a lemon recipe. This works especially well for low sodium soup recipes. Ladle a small amount of soup into a bowl. Add a few drops of fresh lemon juice, stir, then taste. Try again if needed. A few more drops of lemon juice, stir, and taste. This will give you an idea of how much lemon juice you will need to add to the pot. Don't add too much as you can always add more but it is difficult to take a too much lemon taste away. Fresh lemon juice also works well in salad dressings and squeezed on vegetables.
6. Find a good tasting salt substitute. A salt substitute without potassium chloride, is preferable. Again most folks pick up that metallic taste in their food from the potassium chloride. You cannot really cover up this taste.
7. Use really good quality salt free or no salt seasonings. Seasonings make a big difference, probably the biggest difference, especially when cooking anything low sodium. For best results find no salt seasonings without potassium chloride, as potassium chloride can add an off metallic taste to your food. Use fresh seasonings. When seasonings start getting old, they lose their flavor, or you might get a flavor change. You want maximum flavor.
These are just a few tips that will help improve the flavor of your low sodium recipes.