How to save a dish that's too salty without throwing it away: Does the potato trick really work?

The principle often cited is simple: you put a raw potato in soup that’s too salty, let it cook for about fifteen minutes, and then remove it along with the salt it has absorbed.

The problem is that the potato doesn’t selectively absorb the salt. It absorbs some of the cooking liquid, and that liquid obviously contains salt. So, what you end up with is mostly a salty potato.

The Exploratorium, in its “Science of Cooking” section, explains that there is no scientific evidence showing that this method specifically removes excess salt. After cooking, the potato has mainly taken on the flavor of the liquid in which it was cooked.

If you add a large potato to a small saucepan, several things happen at once. The potato absorbs liquid, adds volume to the dish, releases a little starch, and changes the texture.

If you then leave the potato in the dish, you’ve essentially spread the same amount of salt over more food. This may make the dish less intense on the palate, but it doesn’t prove that the potato has removed the salt.

And if you remove it, you’re also removing some of the salty liquid it contains. Again, this isn’t a targeted action against sodium.

To truly reduce the salt concentration, you need to increase the amount of the base without adding more salt.

In a soup, this could be water, salt-free broth, additional vegetables, lentils cooked without salt, or a portion of the soup prepared separately without seasoning.

In a sauce or stew, simply adding a lot of water can ruin the texture. It’s often better to add another portion of the base: unsalted tomatoes, unsalted cream, vegetables, meat, or legumes, depending on the recipe.

The principle is always the same: same amount of salt, greater volume.

When making soup or broth, the easiest way is to gradually add water or unsalted broth, then taste it at each step.

If the soup becomes too bland, enhance the flavor with vegetables, herbs, garlic, onion, or unsalted spices.

For a cream soup, you can also add pureed cooked vegetables, a little milk, or unsalted cream if the recipe calls for it.

When making a sauce, adding a lot of water isn’t always a good idea, because it can make the sauce too runny.

It’s often best to add more unsalted base ingredients: unsalted tomatoes or tomato purée for a tomato sauce, unsalted cream or milk for a creamy sauce, or a small second batch of unsalted sauce to mix into the first.

Avoid letting the sauce reduce for too long before correcting the problem: as the water evaporates, the salt becomes more concentrated.

For a thick dish, it’s best to add ingredients that are already part of the recipe: vegetables, unsalted beans, lentils, potatoes, rice, tomatoes, or an extra serving of meat.

This way, you spread the same amount of salt over a larger volume without making the dish too watery.

In this case, potatoes can be useful as an additional ingredient, but not as a salt absorber.

For rice, pasta, or cereal that’s too salty, one solution is to cook a second portion without salt, then mix the two together.

For certain vegetables served without sauce, a quick rinse can help if the salt is mostly on the surface. Then simply reheat them gently without adding any more seasoning.

In any case, avoid adding a sauce or condiment that’s already salty to correct the dish.

For a clear soup, start by adding a small amount of unsalted broth or water. Stir, let it return to room temperature, then taste it.

Add the liquid gradually rather than pouring in a liter all at once. If the soup becomes too bland, enhance the flavor with herbs, vegetables, garlic, onion, or salt-free spices.

If you have enough ingredients to make a second batch, prepare a small second batch of soup without any salt and then mix it with the first batch—this often yields better results.

A sauce requires more care, because you can’t always dilute it much without making it runny.

For a tomato sauce, add tomato puree or unsalted tomatoes. For a cream sauce, add cream or unsalted milk if the recipe allows. For a simmered sauce, increase the amount of the main ingredients without adding salt.

Be careful with reduction: as the water evaporates, the salt remains in the pan. A sauce that’s already on the salty side can become far too salty if you let it reduce for too long.

For hearty dishes, the most practical solution is often to add unsalted ingredients that are already part of the recipe.

Unsalted beans, vegetables, tomatoes, lentils, potatoes, rice, or an extra serving of meat can spread the salt out over a larger volume.

In this case, potatoes can be helpful, but not because they magically absorb the salt: their main purpose is to increase the amount of unsalted food in the dish.

When dilution isn’t possible, you can adjust the perception of taste. A small amount of sugar, fat, or sometimes acidity can make the salty sensation less intense.

The Exploratorium explains, for example, that sugar can reduce the perception of a very salty taste, while fat can alter the way salt is perceived in the mouth.

But let’s be clear: this does not remove the sodium. A dish remains just as salty chemically. We are merely altering its flavor balance.

Adding sugar until you can no longer taste the salt can create a second problem: a soup or sauce that’s too sweet.

If the recipe allows, start with a very small amount, stir, and taste. The same goes for lemon, vinegar, or cream: they’re meant to rebalance the flavor, not to cancel out the salt.

When a dish is truly too salty, it’s best to go back to the basic solution: dilute it or increase the amounts of unsalted ingredients.

If the accident just happened and the salt grains are still visible on the surface, take action before mixing. Remove as much of the affected area as possible with a spoon.

For pasta, rice, or certain vegetables not in a sauce, a quick rinse can sometimes remove some of the salt left on the surface. You’ll then need to reheat and season again with care.

Once the salt has completely dissolved in a soup or sauce, however, there is no simple way to remove it selectively.

The most effective approach is to add salt gradually. Broths, cheeses, deli meats, store-bought sauces, olives, capers, and canned goods often already contain a lot of salt.

So add the salt in several stages and taste it before adding the final pinch. For sauces that need to reduce, season lightly at the beginning and adjust the seasoning toward the end of cooking.

And if you’re using store-bought broth in a dish that’s already rich in salty ingredients, choose a version with no added salt or low salt whenever possible.

For soup or broth, add unsalted liquid. For a sauce, increase the amount of unsalted base. For a stew, add vegetables, starchy foods, or a second small portion of an unsalted ingredient.

Sugar, cream, or lemon can help adjust the taste, but they don’t remove the sodium.

What about potatoes? You can certainly add them if they’re part of the recipe. Just think of them as an additional ingredient, not as a salt filter.