Balance those spices

If you make soup or chilli too spicy, what can you add to tone it down enough to eat it? And if you add too much pepper to a vegetable soup, is there a way to reduce that taste?

If you make soup or chilli too spicy, what can you add to tone it down enough to eat it? And if you add too much pepper to a vegetable soup, is there a way to reduce that taste?

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In both cases, the first move would be to dilute the soup or chilli by adding more of the original base liquid, such as more stock or tomatoes. Some sources suggest adding a little sugar, particularly brown sugar, to something that is too spicy, but that would depend on the soup. Sweetness might not be a good match with the original flavour. For too-hot chilli, it also helps if you serve it with a dollop of sour cream. Dairy products are the most efficient way to cool the burn of chilli peppers.

For peppery soup, pepper isn’t a flavour that is easy to neutralise. But a little acidity, such as a tablespoon or so of balsamic or sherry vinegar added at the last minute, helps to bring soup flavours into balance. 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.

— MCT