The Special Ingredient Giada De Laurentiis Adds To Her Salad Dressing

Giada De Laurentiis is a seemingly never-ending source of genius cooking hacks, as per her TikTok account and other social media platforms. One of her best tips involves making your own salad dressing from scratch rather than grabbing a store-bought version that's overrun with preservatives and stabilizers. In an Instagram video, De Laurentiis shares her recipe for homemade vinaigrette which includes the special ingredient of lemon and oregano salt.

An herb-rich salt like De Laurentiis' lemon and oregano variety is an excellent ingredient to upgrade vinaigrette dressing, providing the perfect balance of tartness and earthy green taste. You can introduce the salt as you would in any other dressing recipe. Simply swap in the flavored version for table salt in a 1:1 ratio. In addition to elevating a standard salad dressing, the infused salt has a great deal more versatility beyond just that.

Whether you buy a jar of De Laurentiis' Giadzy Lemon and Oregano Salt or prefer to prepare your own version (it requires only a few simple ingredients), it can be added to a number of different dishes. If you're planning to make your own, there are a few pro tips to keep in mind, such as choosing the right type of salt, thoroughly combining your ingredients, and storing the salt properly for later use.

Similar to making a three-ingredient lemon pepper seasoning, a lemon and oregano salt requires just a few basics. Starting with fresh citrus fruit and herbs is ideal, but you can also work with dried herbs, if needed. You can adjust the ingredient ratios, but a good rule of thumb is to use approximately one quarter cup of fresh oregano and the zest of one lemon for every cup of flaky salt, preferably Maldon or kosher.

Using a food processor is key to properly combining all the ingredients. From there, it's a matter of storing your salt in an airtight container, and using it the same way Giada De Laurentiis does by adding a generous sprinkle into your homemade vinaigrette. Go slowly with your salt addition and, as always, taste as you go to ensure the proper balance between all ingredients.

Taking a cue from De Laurentiis' recipe, mix up Dijon mustard, apple cider or white wine vinegar, and honey with extra virgin olive oil and the seasoned salt. A hearty splash of this vinaigrette will do wonders for your salad and can even make a pleasant marinade for proteins or dressing for vegetables and grains. Providing such a simple and flavorful boost to vinaigrette, this ingredient will quickly become your go-to in any recipe.