Tomato soup gone sour? This pantry staple can save the day
Cooking tomato sauce for an extended period allows acidic compounds to break down naturally, making the flavour rounder and milder.
Find out why your tomato soup goes too sour (Source: Freepik) Does your tomato soup or sauce often turn too sour, leading to unpleasant burps and acid reflux that keeps you up at night? Don’t worry, you don’t have to throw out your dish and start over. Digital creator and culinary expert Tim Frey recently shared an easy hack on social media to fix the problem: simply add a spoonful of baking soda to your tomato soup or sauce to neutralise the acidity.
“Just make sure to mix it thoroughly and then cook it for another 20 minutes. Uncooked baking soda doesn’t taste very good,” he wrote in the caption of his Instagram post.
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Concurring, celebrity chef Ananya Banerjee said, “Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is alkaline, so it reacts with the acidic components in tomatoes, reducing their tartness and making the dish easier on people with acid reflux.”
According to her, when mixed with an acidic food like tomato, baking soda neutralises some of the acids and releases carbon dioxide, causing slight bubbling. This reaction helps make the soup or sauce taste milder and can prevent acid reflux symptoms.
Why does this issue happen in the first place?
Banerjee said that overly green or underripe tomatoes are more acidic. “Avoid using ripe tomatoes to make soups and sauces. Roast tomatoes before using as this caramelises their natural sugars and lowers acidity. Avoid overcooking garlic and onions – burnt aromatics can add bitterness, which makes the sauce seem more acidic,” the chef said.
She also suggested choosing fresh tomatoes over canned. “Some canned tomatoes have added citric acid for preservation, which increases acidity. If using canned, opt for ‘low-acid’ versions,” she said.
Why does baking soda work? (Source: Freepik)
What else can you use to tackle the problem?
If you don’t want to use baking soda, here are some other simple ways to balance the acidity in tomato-based dishes:
Add a sweetener: A small amount of sugar, honey, or maple syrup can counteract tartness. While this doesn’t neutralise acidity, it helps balance the flavour.
Use dairy (cream or butter): Adding milk, cream, or butter introduces fat, which coats the tongue and softens the sharpness of the tomatoes. Many creamy tomato soups use this trick.
Simmer for longer: Cooking tomato sauce for an extended period allows acidic compounds to break down naturally, making the flavour rounder and milder.
Add carrots or onions: Grated carrots or sautéed onions add natural sweetness, reducing the perception of acidity without needing artificial sweeteners.
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