I eat so much soup. It’s one of my favorite things to make, and that’s probably because it’s hard to mess up, there are tons of ways to make it, and it {usually} freezes well! I’m going to share the best way to freeze soup with you today (actually, I’m going to share a few methods) and also some of my favorite freezer-friendly soup recipes.
Best Way to Freeze Soup
Can you freeze soup?
Yes! You can freeze soup, but some soups definitely freeze better than others. In fact, there are some that I would avoid freezing.
What soups don’t freeze well?
Some soups don’t freeze well. These soups usually have pasta or grains, dairy, or unblended veggies. Potato soups also don’t always freeze well. You can use a few guidelines when trying to determine if your soup will do well if you freeze it (really, what you’re worried about is reheating it…not the freezing part!).
Pastas and grains will often turn mushy when you reheat. The same is true with potatoes and soups with lots of veggies (celery and potato chunks just aren’t the same after being frozen, thawed, and reheated). Dairy-based soups experience similar issues…any soup with a lot of cream or milk is likely to separate when freezing.
What should I use to freeze my soup?
My very favorite tool for freezing soup (and pretty much anything else) is these silcone Souper Cubes. They’re amazing! There’s a fill line so you know how much to pour in and can freeze your soup in exact one cup increments (they also have a smaller one and a larger one available). These hold up really well and are dishwasher safe (everything in my house needs to be dishwasher safe!). When frozen, you can pop the soup right out of the Souper Cubes and store in an airtight container until you’re ready to eat them (or, you can even leave them in the Souper Cubes).
These are the sturdiest silicone freezer molds I’ve used (I have several others that I’ve used in the past, but these are superior).
Best freezer-friendly containers for frozen soup
If you don’t want to use Souper Cubes, you can also freeze them in plastic or glass containers. I like these plastic containers. These glass ones also look like a good option. However, it’s very important to make sure that you do not fill the soup up to the top of the container. It will expand as it freezes, and if there’s too much it can crack the plastic or break the glass! So be very mindful of that when filling your containers.
How to use freezer bags to store your soup
Another method is to store soup in freezer bags. My mom always did this when I was growing up. Be sure to look for freezer-safe bags (if they’re not freezer-safe, they can crack, won’t seal properly, and can let in air). You can lay the bags flat and stack several on top of each other. I recommend storing in serving-size portions as it’s a pain when you have a big bag of soup but only want one portion. To get the soup out, let it thaw just a bit (run under warm water if necessary), and once it’s started to thaw you can slide it out of the bag.
If you’re using freezer bags, this bag opener is a great tool to hold your baggies open while you fill them (it’s hands-free!).
In this day and age I know a lot of us (me!) are trying to use less plastic and fewer plastic bags. However, I realize that not everybody is ready to cut plastic bags out of their lives yet for different reasons. But, did you know that you can reuse them? Just turn the baggie inside out and wash with dish soap, let it dry, and then turn it back the right way and use it again! You can do this over and over again, extending the life of your baggies and putting less plastic in landfills.
How to thaw frozen soup
When possible, I always let my frozen soup thaw before heating it up, although I’ve been known to be impatient and toss a block of frozen soup into a saucepan or the microwave to thaw it. If I’m being proactive, I’ll pull a serving out of the freezer and stick in the fridge the night before, or if I think about it in the morning and want it for lunch I’ll stick it on the counter to thaw. Once it’s thawed, you can heat it up in a sauce pan or in the microwave.
If you’re taking it straight out of the freezer, remove from the container, put it in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat until thawed (usually 2-3 minutes, but always start on the low side and add time as necessary). To thaw in a saucepan, place the frozen block in a pan over low to medium heat and stir constantly until melted all the way through.
Soup recipes that freeze well
Here are a few of my favorite freezer-friendly soup recipes.
