Quick Answer: Can You Freeze Potato Soup?
While it is fairly common knowledge that potatoes do not freeze all that well, you are in luck, because potato soups, for the most part, freeze fine! There are some special tricks and hacks you may have to pull, but once you know them, and have the right, good quality equipment and materials, you can freeze your potato soup to preserve and have later, whether leftover or freshly made!
This comprehensive, step-by-step, detailed guide has been put together to help you learn how to freeze potato soup easily!
Read right on to learn the first method of how to freeze potato soup!
How to Freeze Potato Soup
It is very easy to store leftover potato soup. However, there are a few things to note and take care of before you do so that your soup actually freezes well and its quality is preserved inside the freezer.
Also, note that the freezer bags or containers that you choose to freeze the leftover soup in are of good quality and have been thoroughly cleaned, sanitized, and washed before you freeze your potato soup in them.
Materials
- Sturdy spoon
Tools
- Resealable airtight freezer bag / airtight freezer-safe container with tight-fitting lid
Instructions
- Prep the potato soup for freezing – What this basically consists of is to make sure that there are no food debris left mixed in with your leftover potato soup.
If not removed carefully, these will significantly speed up the degradation process of the ingredients of your potato soup inside the freezer. - Spoon the potato soup into an airtight container or freezer bag – Once prepped, use a sturdy spoon to transfer your leftover potato soup into either an airtight freezer-safe container that has a tight-fitting lid (a Tupperware will do) or a resealable airtight Ziplock bag.
Whichever you go with, it would be helpful to choose a bag or container that fits all of the leftover soup in it without leaving too much space for air. At the same time, take care to not fill the bag/container to the brim with the soup, as the liquid may expand while freezing. - Seal securely and freeze – Make sure you squeeze out any excess air from inside the freezer bag and then seal it securely. If you are using a freezer-friendly container, snap on the lid tightly. Label the bag with the storage date, and it is ready to freeze!
Freezing Freshly Made Potato Soup All Together
Time Taken: 15-30 minutes
What You Need:
- Aluminum foil/plastic wrap
- Airtight, rigid, large freezer-safe container with a tight-fitting lid
Suppose you have made a sizeable batch of potato soup and wish to store it for some occasion later. In that case, you can use this method; it is also quite simple and allows you to defrost all of it at once, ready to serve! And for this one, we recommend a large, freezable rigid container.
Just in case you haven’t actually made your soup yet and are just exploring your options, here is a quick refresher on the classic tasty potato soup recipe:
Prepare your potato soup as per recipe
If possible, avoid using mayonnaise or any sour cream-based ingredients that usually do not freeze well and would also degrade the overall freezing capacity of the potato soup. Add them after thawing.
Spoon the potato soup into an airtight container or freezer bag
Once prepped, use a sturdy spoon to transfer your fresh potato soup into a large, rigid airtight freezer-safe container that has a tight-fitting lid.
Again, see to it that the container fits all of the soup in it without leaving too much space for air. Do not fill the container to the brim with the soup (leave around an inch of space!) as some ingredients may expand while freezing.
Seal securely
Make sure you snap on the lid tightly and securely.
Wrap the container with plastic wrap or foil
For one layer of added protection, especially against freezer burns, use some plastic wrap or foil to carefully and tightly wrap the entire container. Label the container with the storage date, and it is ready to freeze!
Freezing Freshly Made/Leftover Potato Soup in Portions
Time Taken: 30-40 minutes
What You Need:
- Small airtight Ziplock freezer bags
- Sturdy spoon
It is always, always strongly advised to freeze any food in serving portions, so that you are able to take, thaw, and use only as much as you need at a time without bothering the rest; that way, you can avoid having to thaw more than you need and then refreezing unnecessarily.
In case of potato soup, if you are sure that you will not be using up the entire amount you are freezing at one go, you should freeze the soup in this method.
That way, you can use the frozen potato soup over a period of time.It saves you time, space and effort.
Spoon the potato soup into small airtight freezer bags, based on serving portions
Divide the potato soup into serving portions (as in, roughly the amount you would need each time), and put accordingly into small airtight freezer bags.
Do not fill to the brim; leave at least an inch to expand.
Seal and freeze
Before you seal the bags, squeeze out all the air from them possible. Then seal the bags very tightly and securely.
Label the bags, and pop them into your freezer. They are good to be frozen for up to three months!
If you would like a more visual guide to take you through the best method and process of freezing potato soup, feel free to refer to
If you are (understandably) feeling a little queasy about keeping soup in freezer bags, you can also transfer the pouches into one or multiple airtight freezer bags, or keep the soups directly in airtight, rigid, freezer-safe containers, whichever works best for you.
How to Freeze Potato Casseroles or Potatoes au Gratin
Time Taken: 1-2 hours
What You Need:
- Freezer paper
- Aluminum foil
Potato au gratin or potato casseroles are a very popular and delicious meal option, other than potato soups. For a quick refresher on the recipe, feel free to consult this guide
Read on for a step-by-step for how to freeze potato au gratin.
Make your potatoes au gratin / potato casserole as per recipe
If possible, cook your dish in a disposable aluminum pan. This way, you can cook and freeze the potatoes in the same pan itself.
Quick-cool the au gratin / casserole in the pan
Never freeze any kind of cooked potatoes when they are still hot. They must cool down completely before you freeze them.
Cover the pan with freezer paper and aluminum foil
Cover the pan in such a way that it is tightly secured. Your pan of delicious potato casserole or potatoes au gratin is ready to be frozen for up to 2 to 3 weeks!
Just make sure that they stay consistently in the same temperature and are not exposed to the air or moisture in your freezer.
To defrost, reheat directly in an oven pre-heated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and cook until they reach 165 degrees.
It is also recommended to stir a small amount of milk into the casserole to smoothen out the uneven sauce. Enjoy!
How Long Can You Freeze Potato Soup?
Potato soup does not, strictly speaking, freeze well, but if kept correctly, it can actually be preserved for an extended period of time. It is recommended that you consume the potato soup within 4 to maximum 6 months for optimum flavor.
The longer you keep the potato soup in the freezer, the more it is going to lose its texture, consistency, flavor, and taste as the ingredients will start to lose moisture, separate, and get spoilt. So, make plans to eat it up accordingly.
Whatever you do, by no means keep your potato soup in the freezer for beyond 6 months.
How to Store Frozen Potato Soup?
Potato soup can be kept in freezer storage in airtight freezer bags, as prescribed in the methods above, whether homemade or store-bought, leftover or freshly-made, all together or separately in individual serving portions.
Other freezer storage tips include ensuring that the temperature in the freezer remains consistent and that the sealing has been done securely and carefully.
Remember that your potato soup may not hold up well in the freezer even beyond a couple of weeks if the storage is not done properly, following all the instructions correctly and meticulously and making sure you use the best quality materials.
How to Defrost Frozen Potato Soup?
To defrost frozen potato soup, just transfer the container from the freezer to the fridge and allow the soup to thaw overnight. You can reheat if after that, and remember to stir well to recombine the ingredients properly together again.
Thawing in the refrigerator overnight it the best way to go about defrosting frozen potato soup. If your soup is in a container, it can be kept directly it into the refrigerator.
If the potato soup has been frozen in a bag, put the bag in a container first, and then into the refrigerator.
This way, if, the bag, by any chance, got damaged in the freezer, the soup will be prevented from spilling all over the place and making a mess. It is better to be safe than sorry.
If you need the soup thawed faster, don’t worry, there is a method for that as well. Simply submerge it in a container with cold water for a couple of hours.
However, it is recommended that you use this method only if absolutely necessary, and stick to the fridge thawing method.
Once the potato soup is all thawed and nice, you can transfer it into a pot. Heat it over medium heat for a while.
All the while, be sure to keep stirring the soup really well with a sturdy spoon or ladle, to recombine all the ingredients.
At this point, you may want to add the milk, cream, herbs, or any other such ingredients of the potato soup. It should be ready for consumption in not more than a few minutes.
Can You Re-freeze Frozen Potato Soup?
It is never a good idea to refreeze potato soup. It can suffer significantly with regard to its texture, flavor, taste, and appearance. Therefore, it is best to avoid refreezing potato soup.
Even for freezing, freezing in portions, is the most recommended as it lets you defrost and use only as much of it as you need, at a time, without having to go into the hassle of refreezing.
Try your best to use up the entire amount of potato soup that you have thawed at one go without having any leftovers.
In case you do end up with some, it is best to discard them as the chances are that they are simply not fit or safe for consumption anymore.
Also remember that you must use up the potato soup mandatorily within a maximum of six months of freezing. Keeping it in the freezer for beyond that would pose challenges to its flavor as well as even taste.
Does Potato Soup Freeze Well?
While it largely depends on the kind of ingredients involved, on a general note, yes, potato soup freezes fine. If prepped carefully following the right methods, it can even be kept in freezer storage for up to five to even six months.
That said, do note that the longer you keep potato soup in freezer storage, the greater are its chances of slowly getting mushier and poorer with regard to their texture, and even taste and flavor.
So, freeze the potato soup accordingly, with plans to consume it by the earliest.
This is why I always recommend labelling the containers or freezer bags with the date, so that you do not end up forgetting about the soup and keeping it in the freezer for an extended period of time beyond the recommended period!
Here is another pro tip: if you are making the potato soup to freeze it and your recipe requires you to use chopped potatoes, use pureed potatoes instead.
Pureed soups freeze significantly than soups that are chunky. Pureed potatoes also mean less mush after thawing.
FAQs
Yes! If you have frozen your potato soup carefully using the proper method and are having it within a reasonable time from freezing it, your potato soup should be just fine to have!
Just make sure you carefully follow the instructions given here for thawing and reheating – messing up those procedures may possibly hamper the taste and quality of your soup.
In case of dairy products, it is best to add these ingredients after thawing and while reheating your potato soup. Adding them before freezing can often cause the soup to separate considerably – which can be fixed, yes, but requires a lot of stirring.
It is a better idea to add them after thawing and while reheating. However, this is obviously not an option if you are freezing leftover soup, in which case, stirring will help.
You can add herbs and other such ingredients to your potato soup, as with the dairy products, while reheating and after thafwing. This is how they will turn out the best.
You must consume frozen and defrosted potato soup within not more than 2 or 3 days after thawing and reheating, for optimal results. Keeping it longer increases chances of bacterial contamination, and should not be consumed anymore.
Try your best to use up the potato soup by the earliest; in case you have leftovers, they should best be discarded.
When it comes to soup, even one as traditionally thick as potato soup, you may want to take a few precautions before using a vacuum sealer.
First of all, put the soup in the bag or container and place it in the freezer for a couple of hours so it goes solid. Then, use the vacuum sealer to take out the air and create the perfect seal.
Yes, absolutely. Tupperware containers are actually known to be freezer-safe, and will also protect your potato soup from absorbing the other freezer flavors and odors.
Potato soup works great with a whole variety of different light food items, including a salad, some grilled meat or fish, some dinner rolls or even garlic toast! Bon Appetit!
Bottom Line
We hope this comprehensive, step-by-step guide covering the best methods to freeze potato soup successfully at the safety and ease of your home has helped you!
For any further questions you may have regarding freezing potato soup, please do let us know by reaching out to us!
If you have any other tips and tricks you have discovered about freezing potato soup, feel free to reach out and let us know; we will add them to this guide so they can help more people!
If this guide has helped you, please do share it with your friends and family so that they can also use it.