How to Correct Salty Soup

Fix soup with too much salt in it.

Soup that tastes like saltwater cannot be eaten unless you do something to correct the flavor. One popular folk remedy, that cooking slices of potato in the soup will soak up the salt, was found by author Robert Wolke, writing for The Washington Post, to not affect the amount of sodium or the flavor of the broth. You can use more effective methods to correct salty soup and make it more palatable.

Things You'll Need

• Apple cider vinegar
• Sugar
• Water or milk

Instructions

1. Taste the soup to determine the level of saltiness: just a little too much or inedible.

2. Add to a just barely too salty soup 1 tsp. of cider vinegar with 1 tsp. sugar at a time, tasting after each addition until the vinegar and sugar balance out the salty flavor.

3. Pour out one-fourth to one-third of the liquid from inedible soup. Add that same amount of water or milk, depending on the liquid used in your recipe. For instance, you would pour one cup of liquid out of a pot of soup containing four cups and replace it with one cup of plain water to dilute the saltiness in the soup. Do not add salted broth back to the soup.

References

• The Washington Post: Can You Save a Salty Soup?
• Kitchen Hints and Tips: Salty Soup
• Chef Talk: A Guide to Fixing Kitchen Disasters

Resources

• Food Network: Soup Recipes