Tips on Freezing, Storing, and Reheating Soup

To help prepare for the upcoming soup swap on January 23, we've compiled a list of tips about freezing and labeling soup. We hope you find these savvy soup solutions useful not only for the swap but for any future soups you freeze.

Chilling Soup

To cool down your soup, you can place the uncovered pot in a sink or another bowl filled with ice water. Stirring occasionally will help it cool faster. Don't put hot or warm soup directly into the refrigerator or freezer.

Once it’s relatively cool, you can place it into the refrigerator to chill. Any excess oil will rise to the top and solidify making it easier for you to skim it off before freezing.

Freezing & Storing Soup

First of all, the swap requires six individual quart containers. Dividing a soup into single quart containers works well in any case, because it freezes evenly and more quickly. It's also great because you can pull out a single quart for a meal and still have more frozen soup left in the fridge for another day.

1 quart = 2 pints = 4 cups = 32 fluid ounces

Once chilled, quickly transfer the soup into your containers. Ideally, you’ll want to use moisture-proof, vapor-proof, freezer-safe vessels to minimize freezer burn, avoid leaks, and prevent the transference of any other smells from your freezer. In this case, we picked up 42 ounce packs of Rubbermaid TakeAlongs. Each pack costs about $3.69 and includes 5 sets of containers with lids. These are a little larger than 1 quart, but that's okay since you want a bit of extra room. You could also use Gladware or any other brand available. Even some chinese takeout containers are 1 quart, so if you've got six lying around in your cabinets, you're set.

When freezing any liquid you want at least ¼ inch of extra space in the container to allow the liquid to expand as it freezes. (If you were to use bags, you want to make sure you get as much air out of the bag as possible, but, again, have room for it to expand).

You can also use jars, but it's imperative you have a good deal of space left in the jar so when the soup expands, it doesn't break the glass. You'll want these standing upright in your freezer to avoid leaking.

For an extra airtight seal, you can also take a piece of saran wrap and flatten it over the top of the container before securing a tight lid.

Labeling Soup

To label your containers you can get creative or just write the name of the soup directly on the container or on freezer tape adhered to the lid. It’s up to you. In any case, be sure to include the date the soup is placed into the freezer. For the swap, it’s helpful to label it vegetarian if it is and include any ingredients that could be an issue with allergies.

Reheating Soup

To defrost the soup, never do so at room temperature. Instead, completely thaw it in your refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop in a sauce pan or pot.

Cream-based soups don’t freeze as well as others and can separate when being reheated. If this happens you can whisk vigorously to remix or blend it in a blender for a minute or two. Frozen potato soups can change in texture, but not so much in flavor. Pasta in soups tends to be softer when reheated. One way to guard against this is to undercook the pasta by a couple of minutes or make the soup sans noodles and add the dried pasta when you reheat.

Make sure to enjoy your soup within 2-3 months, otherwise you risk losing flavor.

If we missed anything or you have any other pointers for freezing and storing soup, please leave a comment!