You taste the soup. You wince. Your hand slipped and the salt shaker dumped twice what you meant. Before you dump the whole pot down the drain (I have done this — please learn from my mistakes), there are at least four things you can try.

I once served salt-bomb lentil soup to dinner guests because I was too stubborn to ask for help. Do not be me.

The potato trick (partially real)

You have probably heard this one: toss a raw potato into the soup and it absorbs the salt. Here is the truth — it kind of works, but not like a salt magnet. The potato absorbs some of the liquid, and with it, some salt. But you are mostly diluting. Still, if you are in a pinch, slice a potato thick, let it simmer for 15 minutes, and remove it. The soup will be slightly less salty and you will have a cooked potato to snack on.

Add acid

A splash of lemon juice, vinegar, or even a chopped tomato does not remove salt, but it changes how your tongue perceives it. Acid balances salt the same way salt balances bitterness. White wine vinegar works especially well in chicken soup. Lime juice saves a chili.

Dilute properly

The obvious move: add more liquid. But plain water makes soup taste washed out. Instead, add unsalted broth, canned tomatoes (no salt added), coconut milk, or even just more vegetables. Each addition spreads the salt across a larger volume.

Add something creamy or sweet

A dollop of plain yogurt, sour cream, or a splash of heavy cream rounds out the saltiness. A tiny pinch of sugar — I mean a pinch — can also trick your palate. This works especially well in tomato-based soups.

And if all else fails, serve it over plain rice or noodles. The starch absorbs the salted broth and suddenly you have a dish that tastes intentional.