Can You Freeze Soup? How to Freeze It Safely

Soup is one of the best foods to cook in bulk, because most of it freezes beautifully. A few simple steps decide whether a frozen portion tastes as good as fresh or comes out watery and grainy. Here's how to freeze soup safely, which soups to freeze, and how to bring them back.

Step 1: Cool it quickly

Never put a large, hot pot of soup straight into the freezer or fridge, and don't leave it to cool on the stove for hours. A big volume of soup can stay in the danger zone, 40 to 140°F (4 to 60°C), long enough for bacteria to grow. Aim to cool it and get it into the fridge within 2 hours:

• Set the pot in a sink filled with ice water and stir every few minutes.
• Or divide the soup among several shallow containers so it cools faster.
• Chill it fully in the fridge before freezing. Cold soup freezes faster and more evenly.

Step 2: Choose the right container

Step 3: Leave headspace

Liquid expands as it freezes. Leave about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space at the top of rigid containers, and a little more in glass jars. Jars with shoulders that narrow toward the top are the ones most likely to crack, because the frozen soup has nowhere to expand.

Step 4: Portion and label

Freeze soup in the amounts you'll eat, such as single-serving or 2-cup containers, so you only thaw what you need. Label every container with the name of the soup and the date. Unlabelled frozen soups all look alike after a month.

How long frozen soup lasts

Soup kept at 0°F (−18°C) stays safe indefinitely, but for the best flavour and texture, eat most soups within 2 to 3 months. Brothy and blended vegetable soups hold up the longest; soups with dairy or pasta change most over time.

Which soups freeze well (and which don't)

• Freeze well: blended vegetable soups, bean and lentil soups, chili, broth-based soups, and tomato soup.
• Cream and dairy soups: milk, cream and cheese tend to separate and turn grainy. Freeze the soup before adding the dairy, then stir it in while reheating. If you freeze it with dairy, whisk or blend it as it reheats to bring it back together.
• Soups with pasta or rice: the starch keeps absorbing liquid and turns mushy. Freeze the soup without them, then cook fresh pasta or rice to add when reheating.
• Soups with potatoes: chunks of potato can turn grainy and spongy. Blended potato soups freeze better than chunky ones.
• Delicate garnishes: add fresh herbs, croutons, cheese and a swirl of cream when you serve, not before freezing.

How to thaw and reheat frozen soup

• Overnight in the fridge is the safest and easiest method. Eat it within 3 to 4 days of thawing.
• In cold water: submerge the sealed bag or container in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes.
• From frozen: run a container briefly under warm water to loosen the block, then reheat it gently in a covered saucepan over low heat, stirring as it melts.
• Microwave: use the defrost setting, then heat in short bursts, stirring in between.

Whichever method you use, bring the soup to a full boil before serving. Soups often thicken in the freezer, so add a splash of broth or water if needed; see how to thicken soup if yours went the other way.

Soups worth making in bulk

Our roasted butternut squash soup and creamy tomato soup both freeze well (freeze the tomato soup before adding the cream), and the chickpea and spinach curry freezes for up to 3 months. For homemade stock, see how to make chicken broth, and for other foods, how long leftovers last.

Food-safety sources: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, “Freezing and Food Safety” and the FoodKeeper app.