Is there a reason to not add salt when making a soup?
On several occasions I have had friends make soup without salt and then tell me that salt should be added only when the soup is served.
I've read Why is it important to add salt during cooking? But what is the reason, if any, for withholding salt during cooking?
I have only heard this advice in context of Chinese soup/broth, namely a Chinese-style chicken soup and a brothy oxtail soup. I've asked a friend about the reason, but didn't quite understand the response (something about damaging the proteins).
Best Answer
Because as you are cooking your soup, water in your soup is evaporating away as steam. You might salt a soup perfectly halfway through, but after evaporation, your now thicker soup is too salty.
When adding salt, wait until the end of the cooking process, as soups will reduce and concentrate the flavors as the liquid evaporates.
[ Source: http://allrecipes.com/howto/cooking-questions-soup/ ]
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Quick Answer about "Is there a reason to not add salt when making a soup?"
Underseasoning. Many cooks wait until the end of cooking to taste and season their soup. But adding salt and other spices early in the cooking process allows their flavors to blend into the entire soup—and adding salt to veggies right away actually pulls out more flavor from them.Why should salt not be added to cooking?
Once the salt is cooked, its iron structure changes and so it becomes easier for the body to absorb. In case of uncooked salt, the absorption is slightly slower, further causing high blood pressure or hypertension. Why you shouldn't sprinkle salt on cooked food?Should salt be used when making soup broth?
You may choose to roast the ingredients (the carcass from the poultry lesson should already be roasted) or leave them unroasted for a white stock. However you flavor it, remember not to add any salt!Can you take salt out of soup?
Add acid. It may seem counterintuitive, but adding a small amount of acid to the soup can cancel out some of the salty taste by distracting your taste buds. Try a squeeze of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. And if you're cooking a dish that features crushed tomatoes, throw in some more\u2014tomatoes are very acidic.Does it matter when salt is added?
Adding salt at the beginning of cooking gives it time to migrate into the pieces of food, seasoning them throughout. Meanwhile, if you add salt only at the end, it provides a more concentrated, superficial coating that immediately hits your tongue.Science: When to Add Salt During Cooking—and Why (It Makes a Huge Difference)
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Answer 2
Normally one would salt a soup or sauce to taste before serving, not early in the cooking process. When a soup boils, it's flavors concentrate as water is evaporated off. It is easy for it to become too salty if you add salt to taste before concentrating the broth, and it's much easier to add a little salt than try to remove it....
Also, the amount of salt that tastes good to individuals is highly variable. Your friends might be sensitive to salt or know that someone else in the group doesn't like food salty so they opt to just have everyone salt their own.
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