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Tips and Tricks

Your soup is too salty. Fix it with just one simple ingredient.

Maryal Miller Carter
USA TODAY

We’ve all been there: You’re hard at work whipping up a delicious soup or stew and salting it to taste. But things quickly take a turn for the worse. Suddenly, you’ve over salted your meal, making it borderline inedible. Don’t fret! Even the best chefs make this mistake. But before you lose hope and throw all that hard work in the trash, know that there are a variety of simple tricks you can use to save your meal and make food less salty. Our favorite method involves just one item you might already have on hand: a potato! Here’s how to easily fix over-salted food, like soups and stews.

Watch the video above to learn how to fix over salted food with just one item.

How to fix over-salted food

Supplies:

  • 1 potato
  • 1 pot of over-salted food, such as soup or stew
  • Water or broth (as needed

Instructions:

  • Peel the potato. Any type of potato will work, but a starchy potato like a russet potato will work best.
  • Place the peeled potato in the pot of over-salted food. This method works best on soups or stews.
  • Cook the potato until it is tender, about 15-20 minutes or more for larger potatoes. The potato will absorb extra salt and liquid.
  • Remove the potato from the pot.
  • Taste the food. If the saltiness is still too much, you can add water or broth to dilute it. Start with a small amount and add more as needed.

Other ways to remove salt from food

  • In addition to potatoes, you can use other starchy vegetables like carrots or parsnips to absorb excess salt. 
  • Dairy products like milk, cream, yogurt, or sour cream can help balance out the saltiness of a soup or stew. The fat and protein in dairy products can help to coat your tongue and reduce the perception of saltiness.
  • Fresh herbs like parsley, basil, or thyme can help to mask the saltiness of soup, too. Add a small amount of fresh herbs to the soup and stir until well combined.
  • Acidic ingredients like lemon juice, vinegar, or tomatoes can also help to reduce the saltiness of soup. Add a small amount of acid to the soup and stir until well combined.

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