Can you freeze vegetable soup? The winter season is just around the corner and a hearty bowl of vegetable soup is in order! But if you made a large batch of soup, you can always freeze it for later use. Yes, you can freeze vegetable soup but you have to do it right to prevent the ingredients from turning into mush.
Any type of soup can be frozen and reheated but those with chunky textures are prone to overcooking. That’s why proper freezing and reheating are important to maintain their original consistencies.
Vegetables are very delicate and once frozen, they may lose their crunch. So, how do you freeze vegetable soup and come out with great results even if the dish is reheated? First, you have to make several tweaks in the recipe.
For instance, if you’re expecting a lot of leftovers, we recommend undercooking the veggies slightly. This way by the time the frozen soup is reheated, the veggies aren’t too mushy.
If you’re adding herbs, set aside the batch that has to be frozen, hold the herbs and add them only during reheating. Herbs and spices tend to lose their flavors after they’re frozen. Because of that adding them during the reheating will liven up the flavors of your soup!
When frozen properly, vegetable soup can keep in the freezer for up to 3 months if it’s cream-based. If it doesn’t contain dairy, it should last for up to 6 months.
How to Freeze Vegetable Soup?
The best way to freeze vegetable soup is to leave it to cool at room temperature before freezing. To begin, transfer the soup to a rigid, freezer-safe container with an airtight lid. You can also use Ziploc or re-sealable plastic bags. Especially, if you’d like to pack them in single servings but do this only once the soup has cooled down. Leave about an inch of space within the container to give the soup more room to expand as it freezes.
After packing, get a marker and write the name of the soup and the freezing date before sticking the containers one by one in the deep freeze.
What’s the Best Way to Defrost Vegetable Soup?
The best way to defrost vegetable soup is to leave it to thaw overnight in the fridge. Just transfer the container from the freezer to the fridge and leave it to thaw on its own. If the soup does not contain dairy, you can defrost it by sticking it in the microwave even if it’s frozen solid! Heat the soup on medium and pulse the microwave every 10 seconds.
If the ingredients have clumped together or if the soup started splitting, you can fix it. Get a whisk and half a cup of fresh stock and whisk the ingredients while gradually adding the broth. If the vegetable is cream-based, use milk or cream instead of stock.
Summary
The delicate nature of vegetable soup means you have to be careful not to overcook the ingredients. This way the end result is just as yummy the second (reheating) time around! If your soup is extra chunky, we recommend freezing the solids separately from the liquids. Add the ingredients together only after the solids and liquid have thawed. Now that you know how to freeze vegetable soup properly, you can go ahead and stock up on your favorite soup!