Simple Ways to Reduce Sourness in Soup: 7 Steps (with Pictures) (2024)

FAQs

How to neutralize sour taste in soup? ›

How Do You Neutralize Sour Taste in Food? If a dish is too sour, add a little bit of sugar! Sweetness balances out sour flavors, so if something makes your mouth pucker, a dash of sugar may help soften the blow of the sour food.

Sweetness: From sugar, honey, fruits or otherwise, sweetness will counteract bitter and sour flavours.

One natural way to reduce acidity in tomato sauce is by adding a small amount of sugar or grated carrots. The sweetness helps counterbalance the acidic taste. Another option is to incorporate dairy products like cream, butter, or cheese, which can help neutralize the acidity.

Rinse your mouth: Make a rinse using a half-teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of baking soda added to a glass of water. Swishing with this solution can help clear out a bad taste. Avoid spicy or fatty foods: Try to limit or avoid any foods or beverages that trigger acid reflux.

Sweetness can help balance bitterness, so consider adding ingredients like carrots, onions, or a small amount of sugar or honey. Acidic ingredients like tomatoes or a splash of vinegar can also help balance flavors.

If your dish tastes too sour try to add sweetness—think sugar, honey (it's healthy!), cream or even caramelized onions. You can also dilute the dish (same as you would with a dish with too much salt). As a last resort, add a pinch of baking soda to make the dish more alkaline.

How to Make Food Less Acidic. Add a fat such as butter, heavy cream, sour cream, cheese, or olive oil to coat the tongue and physically block some of the acidity from your taste buds. You might also try adding a sweetener such as sugar, honey, or maple syrup.

Since the acidity of the soup will vary depending on what brand of canned tomatoes you choose, I'll often add a pinch of baking soda for balance. If you suspect you may need some help in that department, give the soup a taste. If it tastes overly acidic or sharp, add a quarter teaspoon of baking soda.

How do you remove acid from soup? ›

If a sauce or thicker stew is too acidic — but not too salty — Sharma says you can add baking soda, which is alkaline. “A teaspoon or less of baking soda will immediately react with the acid and turn it into a salt,” Sharma says. After adding the baking soda, taste the dish again to make sure it's not too salty.

If you don't want to resort to sugar, baking soda, broth or cinnamon, you just have one thing left to do; cook the tomato as little as possible because, perhaps you can't imagine it, but the more tomato it cooks, the more sour it becomes.

Add an extra 1 tsp (4.8 g) of baking soda to your soup if it's still sour. Stir the baking soda into your soup, once again waiting for the powder to bubble and settle. Taste the soup again to see if the flavor is any better.

The best way to counteract vinegar if too much is put into soup is to add a sweetener, such as sugar or honey, to balance out the flavor. You can also add dairy, such as cream, milk, or yogurt, or a starch, such as potatoes, rice, or pasta, to help mellow out the acidity of the vinegar.

Heat 1 cup of sauce with 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (baking soda neutralizes acidity). Taste the sauce and add tiny amounts of baking soda to see if it mellows the acidity. If there is still an edge, swirl in a teaspoon of butter, letting it melt until creamy.

Add Some Starches

The easiest way to tone down a spicy dish is to serve a smaller portion with plenty of rice, bread, potatoes, pasta, or plain starch to counter the heat. For soups and stews, raw and starchy vegetables like potatoes or carrots work well.

Perk up a Bland Soup With Simple Pantry Staples

Got a soup that tastes a little bland and unexciting? Add a splash of vinegar (any kind!), or a squeeze of citrus. Chances are, you could use a little more salt.