Don't Skip This Vital Seasoning Step When Making Oatmeal

Oatmeal is one of the most classic one-pot meals to hit the breakfast table. Creamy, thick, and high in fiber, the versatile breakfast staple is not only delicious but unquestionably quick and easy to make. However, making perfect oatmeal still requires a fair amount of intention, and whether you're cooking steel-cut oats, rolled oats, or even instant oats, there is one ingredient you don't want to skip: salt. Adding a pinch of salt (roughly ⅛ teaspoon) to your water per cup of oatmeal at the beginning of the cooking process (or at night with your sweetener for overnight oats) will bring out the sweetness and nuttiness of the oatmeal, enhancing its mild flavor profile and ridding it of blandness. 

However, you must add the salt to your oats and water (or milk) before starting your simmer. If you wait too long, your oatmeal will take on an unpleasant, overly salty taste. When done correctly, the added salt will also help balance out the flavors of any oatmeal toppings you add — from brown sugar to molasses to fresh blueberries — adding overall dimension to the dish and making what could have been a boring bowl of oatmeal a flavorful breakfast to sing about. 

Adding salt to your oatmeal as a bonafide flavor boost begins with choosing the right kind of salt. While you can achieve delicious results with any salt, table salt, which is the most finely ground, tends to have a strong taste, while sea salt, which is coarser and has a brinier taste, can possess inconsistent flavor and texture. For the ultimate oatmeal flavor boost, kosher salt is recommended. Its consistently neutral taste makes it ideal for incorporating into sweeter recipes, as its saltiness isn't strong enough to overwhelm your dish. Prefer your oatmeal microwaved? You can use salt to punctuate the flavor there, too. You'll simply add salt to your bowl with your oats, milk or water, and any additional ingredients of your choice, such as vanilla or cinnamon, and mix. Then you're free to microwave for 90 seconds to two minutes and enjoy.

While ⅛ teaspoon is all you need for cooked oats, if you're making overnight oats — traditional oatmeal's creamier sibling made with oats soaked in milk in the refrigerator overnight and eaten cold — you'll want to go slightly heavier with your salt, as it takes more seasoning to boost the flavor of cold food than it does for hot. However, if you're going for a savory flavor profile, feel free to add salt — along with other seasonings, such as garlic or pepper — to your liking. 

There are a variety of delicious ways you can top your oatmeal, from fruit to nuts to maple syrup. But if you're looking to stray from the usual berries and brown sugar toppings, try going with an apple pie theme. Top it with some chopped or sliced apples, cinnamon, and walnuts — the salt in your oatmeal will bring out the flavor of the apples while also pairing beautifully with the sweet, warm flavor of the cinnamon and balancing out the sweetness of the overall flavor profile. 

For another unique twist, stir ¼ cup of peanut butter with your oats, then swirl one to two tablespoons of your favorite jam into your oatmeal for a seriously delicious mashup of two classics. However, if your peanut butter is the salted variety, you might want to consider adjusting the amount of salt you add upfront. That way, you won't end up with an overwhelmingly salty dish. Otherwise, get creative and enjoy.