Soup’s on! Stir up these quick and easy soups using on-hand ingredients in just 30 minutes. Who said homemade-tasting soups took all day? Fast and flavorful recipes for easy family dinners get a boost from equally easy recipes for biscuits and muffins to go with soup. There will even be time for dessert!
Double a Soup Recipe
Soups freeze very well, so you may want to double a soup recipe and freeze half of it. Freezing, however, can impact the flavor and texture of some soups and stews. Here are some helpful guidelines:
- Soups and broths can be kept frozen for 2 to 3 months.
- Pour soup into freezer containers, leaving 1/4- to 1/2-inch headspace for it to expand as it freezes.
- Freeze broth in freezer containers. Or freeze in ice-cube trays; once the broth is frozen, transfer the "broth cubes" to a heavy plastic freezer bag.
- Thaw soups in the refrigerator, then try to use them right away.
- Stews that are thickened with flour or cornstarch may separate after freezing. If you plan to freeze a stew, wait to thicken it until you reheat it.
- The flavor of green bell pepper intensifies, and onion gradually loses its flavor. So you may need to adjust the seasoning to taste during reheating.
- Freezing makes potatoes soft and grainy. Therefore, wait to add cooked potatoes until reheating.
- Thick soups tend to become thicker during storage. Add a little broth, milk or half-and-half while reheating until the soup reaches the desired consistency.
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