How to Use the Soup Salt Calculator
Getting the seasoning right is one of the most important steps in cooking soup. Too little salt and the flavors seem flat; too much and it is unpleasant and hard to fix. This calculator gives you the mathematically precise amount of salt for any volume of soup at your target salinity level.
Input Guide
Soup Volume: Enter the total liquid volume in milliliters. One cup is about 240 ml; one quart is approximately 950 ml.
Target Salinity: The percentage of salt by weight. Human taste perception finds 0.7–0.9% most pleasant — close to the salinity of blood (0.9%).
Salinity Reference Chart
Light broth (0.5–0.7%): Clear soups, consommé, light vegetable broths. Standard soup (0.7–0.9%): Chicken noodle soup, tomato soup, miso soup. Hearty stew (0.9–1.1%): Chili, gumbo, thick bean stews. Pasta water (1.5–2%): Salted generously so the pasta absorbs seasoning.
Formula
Salt (g) = Volume (ml) × Target Salinity (%) ÷ 100. This assumes water density of 1 g/ml. Actual broth is slightly denser but the difference is negligible for cooking purposes.
FAQ
0.7–0.9% is the range most people find naturally delicious. It mirrors the salinity of human blood (0.9%), which may explain why this range tastes balanced and satisfying.
This calculator uses 5 g per teaspoon — the approximate weight of table salt. Kosher salt is flakier and weighs only 3–4 g per teaspoon, so you would need more by volume. Weigh your salt with a kitchen scale for the most accurate seasoning.
Add more unsalted liquid to dilute it. A peeled potato simmered in the broth can absorb some excess salt. A squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of vinegar can mask saltiness without changing the overall flavor drastically.