We’ve all been there- you start making soup, and suddenly you have enough to feed an army. Leftovers are great, but so is not having to eat soup for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to finish it. Instead, you can freeze it!
Any kind of soup, vegetable, cream, chicken noodle can be frozen in individual portions. All you need are some takeout containers and some freezer space!
How to Freeze Soup
Since most soups are predominantly liquid, freezing them in large portions presents a challenge, since you can end up with one giant ice block. Instead, consider freezing in individual portions, so that it is faster and more efficient to reheat.
Freezing soup in a Tupperware container
Pint-sized takeout containers are best for freezing soup, like the ones you get from Chinese food restaurants. They are clear to see what is inside, can be labeled, and easily stack in your freezer. Since freezing can damage containers, don’t use your nicest Tupperware.
- Make sure your soup is chilled or at room temperature.
- Get as many containers as you need.
- Fill each container, leaving about half an inch towards the top. This is done to prevent the container from bursting. Since water expands when it freezes, leaving that breathing room will ensure that the soup stays in your container.
- Tightly seal lids, and with a permanent marker, write the name of the soup and the date you froze it. This will be helpful later when you’re trying to figure out all the mystery food in your freezer!
- Place the soup in the freezer upright, and store for up to 3 months.
How to reheat frozen soup
- Take out as many containers as you need to reheat.
- Heat a pot on low heat on the stovetop and add a small amount of water.
- To get the soup out of the container, run some warm water around the outside of the container, and then squeeze all around to loosen the soup block.
- Place the frozen soup in the pot, and cover.
- Depending on what kind of soup you have, the reheating process will take 10 to 20 minutes. The chunkier your soup, the longer it will take.
- Stir occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking, and add more water as needed.
- Once the soup has thawed, bring it up to a boil before turning off the heat, and enjoy!
If you’re in a pinch, you can also reheat frozen soup in the microwave.
Final Thoughts
Freezing soup is a great way to stretch your leftovers, and doing so in individual portions lessens the headache of reheating. So next time you make enough soup to last you a week, don’t fret, freeze!
