How to fix my soup and the proper kosher salt vs table salt conversion

Question

i was trying to make a simple leek and potato soup for the family tonight, just a proper bit of comfort food like my grandmother used to make. she never had all these fancy packets and gourmet bits, just a cellar of normal table salt. i followed a recipe online that called for kosher salt, which seems like just another way to charge us more for something we already have in the cupboard. i used my usual table salt from the supermarket and now the whole pot is a salt-lick. it is absolutely ruined.

why do they have to make things so complicated with different types of salt these days? everything was much simpler before when a spoonful was just a spoonful. can anyone tell me the actual conversion so i don't make this mistake again? i am a bit of a pot-watcher so i should have noticed, but i just wanted a quick weeknight cook without all the fuss and chemicals. it is such a faff and a waste of good produce.

Answer 1

Table salt is finer so it packs tighter in the spoon. Always use half the amount of table salt compared to kosher salt. To save your pot, just add a splash of water and more leeks.

Answer 2

Hello Margaret. To fix your salty soup, you can dilute it by adding more unsalted liquid, broth, or cream, or add a raw peeled potato which will absorb some of the excess sodium during simmering.

Regarding the salt conversion, table salt is much denser and finer than kosher salt. Because the crystals are smaller, a teaspoon of table salt contains roughly twice as much sodium by volume as a teaspoon of coarse kosher salt. Therefore, a 1:1 substitution will always ruin a dish. For future reference, use half the amount of table salt when a recipe calls for kosher salt, or weigh them on a kitchen scale for accuracy.

Answer 3

Ah I remember making similar mistakes when I first started cooking family dinners. Table salt is much finer then kosher salt so it packs down and becomes way more salty by volume. Next time remember that you need about half as much table salt as kosher salt. To fix your pot now, try adding a bit more milk or potatoes to balance it out.

Answer 4

Table salt is denser than kosher salt meaning you need less of it by volume. To fix your soup, try diluting it with extra broth or adding a peeled potato to absorb the salt. A safe ratio is using half a teaspoon of table salt for every full teaspoon of kosher salt called for in a recipe.

Answer 5

hate when recipes dont specify salt type. table salt is way finer than kosher so it packs tighter and tastes much saltier. not totally sure on the exact conversion ratio but i think you just use less table salt. maybe try adding some water or cream to salvage your soup.