Too much pepper in soup: any way to fix?
I added too much ground black pepper to my soup (was actually following a recipe for once, while I usually season to taste) - is there any way to rectify this other than diluting it? I think I vaguely remember hearing once that adding lemon juice "removes" some of the pepper...?
Best Answer
A little lemon juice plus a bit of sugar might help. That is a fairly well known folk-remedy. If you can squeeze in something starchy (some rice maybe, or noodles?) that might help too.
Pictures about "Too much pepper in soup: any way to fix?"
Quick Answer about "Too much pepper in soup: any way to fix?"
So it makes sense that some sources suggest toning down pepper by adding the juice of half a lemon and a pinch of sugar. If diluting the soup by adding more broth doesn't work, lemon juice would be worth a try.How do you fix too much pepper in soup?
If there's too much pepper in the soup, you can fix the issue by adding more broth or starchy ingredients like potatoes, which can absorb the spiciness of the pepper. When you have too much pepper in a stew, you can dilute the cooking liquid or add more meat and vegetables.How do you neutralize too much pepper?
Add a teaspoon of lemon juice or one section of a quartered fresh lemon. The acid neutralizes the effect of the pepper. It may be necessary to simultaneously add a teaspoon of sugar to counteract the lemon's sourness. Add small amounts of lemon and sugar, tasting and adding more as needed.THANK ME LATER! #3 - HOW TO FIXED FOOD THAT'S TOO SPICY?
More answers regarding too much pepper in soup: any way to fix?
Answer 2
A technique that sometimes works for me is to skim off any oil that is on the top and discard it. Piperine (the "active ingredient" in pepper), like Capsaicin (the "active ingredient" in chillis) is oil soluble, and oil floats on water. There is generally a higher concentration of hot stuff in the oil, so removing it can sometimes reduce the heat. While this works a bit in things like curries and chili which contain plenty of fat to rise to the top your soup may not have enough oil to skim. There are other flavor compounds that are oil soluble so skimming the oil may remove some flavor that you'd rather keep in, but if it's just too hot it's worth a try.
Alternatively as you say you could add other strong flavors that can compete with it. Adding acidity will kick off some other taste buds and give your brain other flavors to process, as will sugar. Whether adding acidity, sugar, or other ingredients will work with your recipe is another story. If it tastes good otherwise maybe just live with it if skimming doesn't help.
Answer 3
When I added too much pepper to my soup, my fix was I used the water from boiling the noodles & added a can of petite diced tomatoes. It worked!
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Polina Kovaleva, Ryutaro Tsukata, 奥尼尔 孙, Katerina Holmes