During the meal itself as well, there are several actions that could entail a Shabbat prohibition.

After food has been transferred from the vessel in which it was cooked to another vessel, the new one is classified as a secondary vessel. For example, the pot in which the soup is cooked is a primary vessel, and when it is transferred to a bowl, that bowl becomes a secondary vessel.

With regard to sprinkling salt on soup in a bowl (the secondary vessel), Sephardim are permitted to do so. For Ashkenazim, if the soup is still as hot as the temperature of yad soledet bo, then one should add salt only if it has already undergone a preliminary process of cooking, which is the case for most types of table salt. This is based on the halakhic principle that “there is no cooking after cooking.” By contrast, if the salt has not undergone a preliminary process of cooking, it is prohibited.

If the soup has been transferred from the pot to a soup tureen, and from there it was ladled into bowls, those soup bowls are defined as tertiary vessels. In such a case, it is certainly permitted to add salt, even if the soup is very hot.

One may add croutons, cooked noodles, and the like to soup in a secondary vessel.

For Sephardim, it is permitted to pour cold water into soup that is in a secondary vessel in order to cool it, if it is still too hot to eat. Some Ashkenazim are stringent not to do this if the soup is burning hot, even though it is in a secondary vessel.

Solid foods, such as potatoes, chicken, etc., have a special status in halakha, and the law is more stringent with regard to seasoning them, because they preserve their warmth for a long time. It is proper to refrain from sprinkling spices or pouring cold, uncooked sauce directly onto such items, even after they have been transferred to a secondary vessel. It is permitted to pour ketchup on solid dishes, as ketchup is cooked during the process of production.

If one wants to put ice in a drink, first one should pour a drink into a glass and only then put ice cubes in the drink. If one mistakenly put the ice in first and then poured the drink over it, it is permitted to drink the beverage.