As cooler weather approaches, few things are cozier than a warm bowl of soup with colorful, hearty vegetables and beans in the winter. Soup is a great nutrient-dense and budget-friendly option to feed you and your whole family. See below for some delicious soup recipe ideas as well as a few tips for storing your soup leftovers.

Leftover soup?

The nice thing about soup is that it is great for leftovers. However, it is important to note that depending on the ingredients of the soup or how long you might want to keep it, different soups will need to be stored in different ways.

Refrigeration:

If you’re planning to use the soup within a few days, the best strategy for storing your leftovers is to refrigerate them in a container with a tight-fitting lid. If possible, it’s best to let the soup fully cool before placing it in the fridge, but if it’s still slightly warm there shouldn’t be a problem. Most soups will keep in the refrigerator for around three days.

Freezing:

If you want to have your soup around for a while longer, most soups can keep in the freezer for three months if they are stored properly. The biggest concern to keep in mind is what ingredients you have in your soup, and how that will impact its quality when frozen. For example, starchy ingredients such as pasta, rice, and potatoes will absorb too much liquid from the soup, which will cause these ingredients to become mushy. Additionally, dairy products can separate when they’re frozen. It is still possible to freeze soups with these ingredients, but soups without them are likely to fare better in the freezer. The less time soups with these ingredients are in the freezer, the better. If you are preparing a soup specifically to be frozen, it is possible to make the soup without the potential problem ingredients and add those in before serving it.

Lastly, be sure that the containers you’re using to store the soup are made of freezer-safe material.

References:

https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-store-soups-and-stews-4843224

https://www.mainesnap-ed.org/blog/soup-season/