How To Revive Frozen Soup

Whether you made too much soup or you stocked the freezer for a rainy day, now you’ve reheated a frozen block of it and it just doesn’t taste as great as it did before the trip to the freezer. It might be slightly watery from freezing, or the herbs, once vibrant and green, are now a little flat and lifeless. It’s not beyond repair though. All it needs is a little sprucing up to make it as good as fresh.

For crisp and bright tasting soups after thawing, reach for our favorite flavor boosting pantry staples, and use our freezing tips for better soup the second time around.

3 Ways To Spruce Up Frozen Soup

Bring frozen soup back to life with these three simple tricks.

Reseason

Even if your soup was perfectly seasoned before it went into the freezer, that flavor doesn’t always hold up after thawing, especially if it has been sitting in the freezer awhile. This is in part because ice crystals can form in the soup when frozen, which melt when thawing and dilute its flavor. After reheating, taste your soup and adjust the salt to taste.

Another way to add salt and flavor is a splash of savory fish sauce or Worcestershire sauce. For added brightness, a squeeze of lemon juice or a touch of vinegar, such as sherry or red wine, can revive the soup. You can also use chopped fresh herbs to add flavor back into the soup, but throw them in at the end when ready to serve for maximum color and taste.

Adding a spicy kick can similarly refresh frozen soup, whether from a splash of hot sauce, dollop of chili crisp, or a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes. Aged grated cheeses, like Parmesan or pecorino, can also help season and add savoriness to previously frozen soup when added on top before serving.

Add crunch 

Flavor is not the only thing soup can lose in the freezing process; frozen soup often loses a lot of its original texture, too. The vegetables may be softer than they were when first frozen—potatoes in particular tend to get mushy after freezing.

Reintroduce texture with crunchy soup toppings, from croutons to pumpkin seeds, or toasted nuts. Crispy onions, crushed tortilla chips, and crackers also add additional crunch, as well as a bit of salt.

Freshen up the greens 

If your frozen soup contains greens of any sort, like spinach or kale, add a fresh bunch at the end of reheating. Any greens frozen in the broth will be quite wilted after reheating, so adding a few handfuls of fresh greens reintroduces texture, and adds a pop of bright green color. 

How To Freeze Soup For Better Results Later 

A little pre-planning can make a world of difference in how frozen soup tastes when reheated. 

Undercook the vegetables 

If planning in advance to freeze a batch of soup, undercook the veggies slightly. When cooked al dente initially, they'll have a better texture after thawing and reheating. 

Pause on the pasta 

Cook and freeze any starches you're adding to the soup, like pasta or rice, separately (and just like veggies, cook them al dente before freezing). This way you can add them into the soup just before serving and avoid them turning into a mushy, overcooked mess.

If you have the time, it's even better to cook your pasta or grains from dried while reheating the frozen soup, instead of pre-cooking and storing.

Don’t freeze dairy-based soups

Soups with milk or cream tend to separate when reheated after freezing. Instead, add the cream or milk to your soup after reheating. Since most creamy soups add the dairy towards the end of cooking process, prepare the recipe up until that step, freeze, and pick up where you left off after thawing. 

Best Way to Reheat Soup 

How you reheat soup has a lot to do with how well frozen soup turns out. It’s best to thaw the soup prior to heating, ideally overnight in the fridge, then gently reheat in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently to ensure nothing sticks or burns. The stovetop gives you greater heat control for more even cooking.

If in a hurry, you can defrost the soup in the microwave, if stored in a microwave-safe container, and warm it just until thawed enough to transfer to the stovetop to gently reheat.