The Fix For Over-Salted Potato Soup Is Literally Right In Front Of You

It's hard to beat a pot of homemade potato soup, especially when it's a chilly day outside. But no matter when you crave a bowl, one of the biggest issues that can ruin the entire meal is when it's over-salted. You might think an over-salted pot of potato soup is absolutely done for — but there's actually an ingredient already in the pot that can reset the issue. All it should take is more potatoes.

Out of the many mistakes nearly everyone makes with potato soup, over-salting might be at the top of the list because it's easy to do if you don't taste as you go or you're using a pre-made stock. The reason an extra spud or two can resolve the salty situation is that the starch will absorb some of the liquid and the salt that it contains. The trick works for any type of soup, and you would typically remove the salt-soaked spuds after they've done the job. However, in the case of potato soup where potatoes are already the main ingredients, you should be fine to keep them in the pot. The choice is up to you based on your preferred consistency.

To try the potato trick, you'll want to wash, peel, and cut your additional potatoes. This will allow for more surface area on the new batch of spuds to reach more of the soup and absorb the salt; match the cuts already in the pot if you want to keep them in there. For an average-sized pot of soup, start with one potato and increase for larger batches. After you add the prepared potatoes to the pot, it should only take about 30 minutes for the magic to happen. If you keep them in and the potatoes make your soup too thick, use water or unsalted stock to thin out the consistency.

If you're craving potato soup now, consider this classic potato leek soup recipe that's pureed for a creamy consistency. Or make our vegan loaded baked potato soup recipe that's decadent without the dairy or meat. Hopefully you won't need to use the potato trick for either of our recipes, but it might happen. And if it does, and you don't have extra potatoes at home, other starchy vegetables like corn or parsnips, grains, bread, and even pasta can soak up the excess salt in your homemade pot of soup.