Freezing soup | Imamother

myself

Sun, Aug 31 2014, 6:33 am

I find that whenever I freeze vegetable soup it doesn't have the same smooth texture once defrosted. What's the best way to freeze it? I usually freeze it already blended, should I freeze with vegetables whole and then blend? Is there any tricks I don't know?

roika

Sun, Aug 31 2014, 7:54 am

How do you defrost it?
I find using the microwave isn't a good idea. It gives it wrong texture. Try reheating in a pot. Works on all my blended soups...

tigerwife

Sun, Aug 31 2014, 8:02 am

I find that potatoes specifically do not freeze well and generally avoid using them when I make a big soup (I always end up freezing most, as I only have two people to serve!)
For a creamy soup, I start off with sautéing at least 2-3 onions, and I add lots and lots of squash. My soups are usually very thick this way. I always defrost them in a pot over the stove, like the previous poster suggested.

ra_mom

Sun, Aug 31 2014, 11:07 am

myself wrote:

Which soups are you freezing and having a hard time with?

debsey

Sun, Aug 31 2014, 11:37 am

myself wrote:

I defrost in a pot, and I re-blend using a hand blender. That usually restores the texture.

myself

Sun, Aug 31 2014, 12:38 pm

ra_mom wrote:

Which soups are you freezing and having a hard time with?

Vegetable
Butternut Squash

These are amazing fresh but have a weird texture when defrosted. Split pea soup is also not right but I don't like the texture when it's fresh either so have stopped making it. Any ideas for a split pea soup with a smooth texture would be appreciated too! Very Happy

gittelchana

Sun, Aug 31 2014, 11:08 pm

roika wrote:

How do you defrost it?
I find using the microwave isn't a good idea. It gives it wrong texture. Try reheating in a pot. Works on all my blended soups...

And do so slowly on low heat.

zaq

Mon, Sep 01 2014, 1:33 am

Potatoes do not freeze well and, if left chunky in soup, will wind up an unappealing, soggy mess. Blended soups separate when frozen, so you need to reblend after thawing. The success of any soup based upon dried legumes (lentils, split peas, beans) depends on the freshness of the legumes. Very old ones may never soften no matter how long they are cooked, and that will of course affect the texture of the soup. Be sure to buy dried legumes from a store with rapid turnover of stock, and check the "best used before" date on each package. Also, never add salt to dried legumes until they're completely cooked, otherwise they, too, will never soften.

myself

Tue, Sep 02 2014, 5:39 am

Thanks zaq, so defrosting in a microwave is out, right? Basically, I need to defrost on the flame on low and then re-blend?

Is that what everyone else does? Any other ideas?