The Secret To Freezing Starchy Soup And Maintaining The Best Texture

A bowl of creamy chicken and wild rice soup , or classic chicken noodle can be just what the doctor — also known as your mom — ordered when you start to get the sniffles. At the same time, a cup of minestrone alongside a grilled cheese can serve as a lovely dinner. But these soups have one thing in common.

The starchy ingredients soak up the liquid, thickening the broth — which is downright delicious if you are eating it immediately. However, if you are going to make a big batch to freeze for later, you need to separate the liquid from the starchy ingredients — like grains or pasta — before putting it in the freezer. If you skip this step and freeze your finished product starch and all, your hard work will be for nothing and you will be slurping up a soup that's turned gummy, quite the unappetizing texture.



How do you know if your soup is a starchy soup? For the most part, soups that contain rice, quinoa, starchy vegetables like potatoes, or pasta will need to have those ingredients added after thawing the liquid base of the soup. For the best quality, cook the grains, pasta, or potatoes fresh to add to the rest of the soup once it's thawed. What about starchy pureed soup? Some starchy soups are pureed for a velvety smooth texture, like loaded baked potato or curried sweet potato soup .

Although there is some debate on the best way to freeze pureed potato soup for later , the consensus seems to be that you can easily freeze it, just add any dairy elements after thawing. (This applies to any soup recipe with dairy, as it doesn't freeze well and turns grainy.) You can similarly freeze any pureed sweet potato soup without worry.

To get the most out of your frozen soup, the key is freezing your soup in individual portions. This way you don't have to worry about defrosting more than you need, and it's also quicker to thaw. To properly freeze soup and avoid ice crystals, use air-tight containers or freezer bags, and leave a little space to allow room for the liquid to expand as it freezes.

With these tips, you'll have delicious batches of soup in your freezer all winter long..