Salt can transform any food from bland to delicious. But what happens when homemade soup or broth is too salty? Don’t worry, it happens to most cooks. There are some simple remedies to mitigate the saltiness so you can enjoy the work done without having to start over with another food.
Brilliant ways to fix food
Add dairy products. One of the simplest ways to compensate for excessive salting is to add dairy products. If you have dairy in the refrigerator, add a tablespoon of yogurt, cream, milk, or cream to the bowl before serving. The neutral flavor of dairy products has a diluting function and adds creaminess to the soup.
Coconut milk, avocado, or a little olive oil can perform a similar function for vegan soups.
Acid. It may seem counterintuitive, but adding a small amount of acid to the soup can negate some of the salty flavor by distracting the taste buds. Squeeze lemon juice or add apple cider vinegar. And if you’re cooking a dish that contains crushed tomatoes, add more – tomatoes are very acidic.
Try the potato or apple trick. To combat the salt, put a peeled raw potato or a peeled and halved apple in the pot where you boil the soup. The starchy tuber will absorb the liquid and some of the excess salt. You will need to remove the potato or apple once they are fully saturated with extra salt, but before they are fully cooked, about 30 minutes.
It is diluted. If you run out of salt and have leftover ingredients from the recipe, you can reduce the salt concentration by adding more of the other ingredients to the soup. Clear soup, water and vegetables are the best options. If diluting the soup makes it too thin, use a tablespoon of cornstarch as a thickener.