7 Leftover Soup Storage Tips That’ll Keep It Tasting Delicious Reheated
And if you, like me, are often tempted to make multiple kinds of soups over a short period of time (because yes, you must keep things interesting for yourself), you may find that storing all that liquid goodness becomes something of a problem. Enter the freezer, because yes, you can (and indeed should) freeze your extra soup.
To help you make the most of your leftovers for as long as possible, we’ve rounded up a few tips and tricks on freezing best practices.
1. Freeze soup in single-serving containers
This help you reheat the soup more efficiently since you’ll only have to warm up what you plan to eat at one time.e”Make sure to store in single-serve, freezer-safe containers or in freezer bags, removing as much air as possible,” Lauren Harris-Pincus, RDN, author of The Protein-Packed Breakfast Club, previously told Well+Good.
2. Don’t overfill your containers
Given that liquids expand when frozen, you’ll want to refrain from filling any container to its brim. Instead, leave a couple inches so that your soup can safely increase in size without exploding and creating a mess in your freezer.
3. Line your plastic or glass containers with plastic wrap
The key to freezing soup effectively is to keep out as much air as possible (which also helps to reduce the risk of freezer burn). A good way to do this is to line the top of your container with plastic wrap before putting on the lid if you opt for jars over bags.
4. Flatten your plastic bags before freezing
“I often freeze soups in re-sealable bags, then lay flat until frozen,” says Harris-Pincus. “Once hardened, they can be stacked to maximize storage. Make sure it's already cold before you put it in the freezer to prevent freezer burn."
5. Understand what soups you can and cannot freeze
Not all soups are created equal when it comes to their ability to be frozen. For example, you do not want to freeze soups that are dairy based, as the fats will separate in the freezer resulting in a broken soup when reheated. Soups with lots of vegetables will result in a very mushy texture when thawed, as will soups laden with pastas or grains. On the other hand, soups that are heavy in beans or meat (like chili), are broth-based, or are pureed are great candidates for the freezer.
6. Date your soup
Food safety is always of the utmost importance, and you don’t want to stumble across soup years after the fact and be left wondering if it’s still okay to eat. To that end, be sure that you clearly mark your soups with their freeze date, and if helpful, a best-by date (generally somewhere in the three-to-six-month range).
7. Garnish your soups after thawing
We love reheating our soups in a big cast iron that allows for even heat distribution (Great Jones is a personal favorite) and then adding fresh basil, parsley, dill (or any other appropriate herb) to liven it back up.
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