by Tracy Deluca

Created on: March 23, 2009

We've all done it. Over salted something to the point that it is just inedible. Some things are easily fixed and others you just end up throwing away. Soup, contrary to some people's beliefs, falls into the easily fixed category. Whether it is a homemade soup that was salted with a heavy hand or a canned soup that is just too salty, either one can be fixed with one of the following easy tips. If you are trying to fix a canned soup, you can try any of these tips. Just remember to place the soup into a saucepan and heat it on the stove. Trying to fix a problem with soup when you are heating it in the microwave is really not going to work. In general, you can purchase the low sodium canned soups and not have to worry about this. But, for those times when you forget or cannot find low sodium canned soups, these tips may just help you out.

Salty Soup Fix #1
The easiest way to fix a salty soup is to add more liquid to it. Add plain water or an unsalted stock or broth to the soup. Heat it thoroughly and taste. Continue to add liquid until the soup id no longer over salted. You may need to add more of the other ingredients if too much liquid is added. This may not be feasible if you already have a large amount of soup made. In that case, try one of the other tips.

Salty Soup Fix #2
Add a can of plain chopped tomatoes to the soup if it is a soup that they would compliment. The tomatoes have a bland enough taste that they can counteract the saltiness and the flavors will blend. If the soup is not one that tomatoes would taste good in, or if the soup is so salty that this does not work, try one of the other tips.

Salty Soup Fix #3
A few pinches of brown sugar will do wonders to balance out a salty soup. The brown sugar will not draw out any of the salt, but it may help to balance it without making it overly sweet. If the soup is too salty to cover with the sweetness of the brown sugar, try one of the other tips.

Salty Soup Fix #4
The final tip I have for fixing a too salty soup is the one that works the best. Potato. Take a large potato, use only part if it is a small amount of soup, and peel it. Slice it into thin slices and drop it into your soup. Cook the soup until the potato starts to become soft and translucent. Remove the potato slices and taste the soup. The chances are good that the potato will have absorbed so much of the salt that you may even need to add some!

Learn more about this author, Tracy Deluca.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.