Tempering The Saltiness Of Soy Sauce Is Astonishingly Simple
BY VANESSA NIX ANTHONY
Soy sauce enhances foods with a deep savoriness, but it's also very salty. If you're concerned about your sodium intake or don’t like the strong saltiness, try adding water.
Diluting soy sauce with water can reduce the saltiness and mellow its flavor. Play with the water-to-sauce ratio and taste it to make sure you like it before adding it to a recipe.
You could also dilute soy sauce with lemon, lime, or orange juice to counterbalance the saltiness while adding tangy and sweet flavor. For sweetness that's not acidic, add sugar.
Sugar can mellow the salt and thicken the sauce slightly. You can also buy low-sodium soy sauce, though some people don't enjoy the more one-dimensional flavor.
If you prefer to buy soy sauce that has less sodium to begin with, don't confuse low-sodium with "light" soy sauce, a category of sauces that often have the saltiest flavor.