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How to Heat, Reheat and Freeze Soup

By Betty Crocker Kitchens
Created January 12, 2017
Gazpacho, Vegetable or Tortilla Soup? Chicken Noodle or Fish Chowder? The possibilities are endless! Serve soup year-round: hot or cold, cooked quickly or simmered slowly, and as a meal starter or main course.
Making Soup

Some soups are designed for quick assembly and serving. Others demand to be simmered slowly. Soup simmered over low heat for a period of several hours develops a full, rich flavor. You can cook soup not only on the stovetop, but also in a slow cooker. Try these tips for making great soup:

  • Be sure to use the pot size called for in the recipe so that soup heats properly without having an annoying boilover. 
  • Slowly heat soups made with dairy products. If soups containing milk, cream, eggs or cheese come to a boil, ingredients may separate and curdle. 
  • If you need a quick soup base, try Progresso® Vegetable Classics soups. And for south-of-the border flavor, Old El Paso® refrigerated taco sauce and Old El Paso® chopped green chiles make perfect additions to soup recipes. 
  • Keep lumps from forming when thickening soup with flour and water. Here’s how: in a separate bowl, thoroughly beat flour into a small amount of cold water using a wire whisk. Whisk into the hot soup mixture. 
  • Want to thicken your soup without using a roux (fat and flour mixture) Stir dry mashed potatoes into the soup mixture. Or use a blender or food processor to puree some cooked vegetables in the soup with a little broth; stir back into the soup. 
  • To remove fat from the soup, refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Fat will rise to the surface and solidify. Skim fat with a spoon and discard. 

Refrigerating & Reheating Soup 

Soup is ideal for making ahead of time. Store soup in shallow containers for rapid cooling.

  • Cover and refrigerate soups for up to 3 days. 
  • Soups made with fish or shellfish should be refrigerated no longer than 1 day. 
  • Heat broth-based soups over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot; or reheat in the microwave. 
  • Reheat thick purees or soups containing milk, cream, eggs or cheese over low heat, stirring frequently. Boiling may cause ingredients to separate. 
  • Thaw soups in the refrigerator and use promptly. 
  • 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 

Freezing Soup  

Soup freezes well, so you may want to double a soup recipe and freeze half of it. Freezing can affect the flavor and texture of some soups, so follow these guidelines to preserve flavor: 

  • Soups and broths can be kept frozen for 2 to 3 months. 
  • Allow 1/4- to 1/2-inch headspace for soup expansion in freezer containers as it freezes. 
  • Freeze broth in heavy plastic freezer containers, resealable freezer plastic bags or in ice-cube trays. Broth “cubes" can be transferred later to a heavy plastic freezer bag.