The Absolute Best Way To Freeze And Reheat Soup

There is never such a thing as too much soup. Whether you have made a homemade Thai coconut chicken soup or simply concocted a masterful blend of store-bought soup and flavored oil that knocked your socks off, you're going to want to save your leftovers for future enjoyment. Soup can last in the fridge for a few days, but the safest way to store leftovers is to freeze them in portions that will serve however many people you want to feed. As for reheating, the trick is to not be in too much of a hurry to make your soup warm again.

The first thing you need to know is that soup has to cool before you can freeze it. If it goes into the freezer too hot, you give bacteria the opportunity to grow. Therefore, you should let the soup lose steam by soaking its serving vessel in an ice bath. Once the soup is cool, you can drape a freezer bag, such as one of HoldOn's BPA-Free Zip-Seal Bags, over a cup or bowl, letting the lip of the bag hang over. This way, you can easily fill the bags without mess. Make sure to leave an inch or two of extra room in the bag for the soup to expand as it freezes, and remove any excess air. Lay the bags flat, which makes them stackable, and they won't even take up very much room in your freezer.

When it comes to reheating soup, the microwave, stovetop, and Instant Pot are all good options. The absolute key, however, is not to rush the process. Cream-based soups need low heat to gradually come up to bubbling, while brothy, thinner soups can take medium-low temperatures. Try to reheat the soup too quickly, and you'll burn the dish and/or ruin the consistency. In the microwave, zap the soup in 60-second bursts, stirring between each round and making sure to vent your lid. Soup must be heated back to at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit to be food-safe. 

If you've ever reheated soup, you will understand that, sometimes, consistency is an issue even if you follow reheating instructions to the letter. The pros know that, for best results, you should freeze soup base without its garnishes and add-ins like veggies, cheese, sour cream, or noodles. Potatoes, in particular, seem to suffer from grittiness and break-down with reheating, so be sure to add these in separately. Interestingly enough, potatoes are also one of the solutions to a common soup reheating problem: wateriness. An expert tip endorsed by Jacques Pépin is to thicken soup by adding instant potato flakes. They'll do wonders for the texture and won't impact flavor. With a little patience, you'll have a delicious soup ready to enjoy once more.