How to Freeze Soup

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Every pot of soup eventually outlives the appetite that made it. The freezer is the obvious answer, right up until you thaw a container of something grainy and separated and quietly pour it down the drain. This guide covers freezing soup in general, not just one recipe. It walks through which soups hold up in the freezer, which ones need a workaround, and how to cool, thaw, and reheat them safely.

Which Soups Freeze Best

Broth based soups freeze best overall. With no emulsion to break and little starch to soften, they come out of the freezer close to the way they went in.

Bean and legume soups also freeze well. Chili is a good example, since the beans and the tomato base both hold their texture through a freeze and thaw. If you are cooking a batch for a crowd before you freeze the leftovers, our Soup Bar Calculator's Chili section will tell you how much to make.

The Dairy Problem

Cream and dairy based soups separate when frozen. Freezing disrupts the emulsion bonds that hold the fat and protein together, so the soup thaws with a grainy, curdled texture instead of a smooth one.

The workaround is simple: freeze the base without the cream, milk, or other dairy component, then whisk the dairy in while the soup reheats. This applies to French Onion, where the cheese topping is handled separately from the soup base, and to any cream style preparation of Potato or Butternut Squash soup.

The Starch Problem

Potato soup is best kept broth based or pureed for the freezer, with the cream added after reheating rather than frozen in. The Potato section of the Soup Bar Calculator can help you size the batch before you portion it out.

Pasta and rice added to soups, as in Minestrone, should be left out before freezing and added fresh during reheating, since those starches turn gritty or mushy after a freeze. Keeping them dry in the pantry instead is easy, and they last a long time there, as covered in Does Dry Rice or Dry Pasta Go Stale?

Tomato and Minestrone Notes

Tomato based and vegetable forward soups freeze well as a base. Tomato and Minestrone both come through the freezer in good shape.

For Minestrone specifically, hold back the pasta or rice. Freeze the vegetable and tomato base on its own, then cook the pasta fresh and stir it in as you reheat.

How to Cool Soup Before Freezing

Cool soup in two stages: from 140°F down to 70°F within 2 hours, then from 70°F down to 40°F within 4 more hours.

The fastest safe ways to get there are an ice water bath, or dividing the soup into shallow containers and smaller portions so it loses heat quickly. Never put hot soup directly into the freezer.

How to Thaw and Reheat Safely

Thaw soup in the refrigerator, which is the best option when you can plan ahead, or in cold water, or in the microwave.

Reheat the soup to 165°F, measured with a food thermometer. Soups, sauces, and gravies specifically should be brought to a rolling boil when you reheat them on the stovetop. Taste before serving, because seasoning often needs adjusting after freezing and reheating, and a small amount of salt does more than you might expect, as explained in Why Does Salt Make Food Taste Better?

Freezer Storage Basics

Leave headspace in every container, since liquid expands as it freezes. Label each one with the date and the contents so you are not guessing later.

Freezer storage at 0°F keeps soup safe indefinitely, but quality is best within a few months. There is no single universal window, since it depends on the soup. Bean and broth soups hold up longer than dairy adjacent ones.

Good containers and a reliable thermometer make all of this easier. You can find our picks on the Shop Kitchen Essentials page.

Frequently Asked Questions