How to Defrost Soup: 6 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow (2024)

FAQs

How do you defrost soup easily? ›

It will thaw in a day or two, depending on the size and shape of the storage container. If you're in a rush, place the soup in its container in a warm water bath until it is fully thawed. The in-between option is to immerse the container in warm water to loosen the frozen soups from the sides.

Place the container in the microwave and heat on a medium-low setting. Microwave the soup on 30% power for about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the container, stir the soup and continue microwaving until the ice is melted and the soup is hot.

Yes. It is safe to reheat frozen leftovers without thawing, either in a saucepan or microwave (in the case of a soup or stew) or in the oven or microwave (for example, casseroles and combination meals). Reheating will take longer than if the food is thawed first, but it is safe to do when time is short.

Run them under cold water, not hot (you don't want to start cooking them). Just hold the frozen mass under the water such that one of them separates, then the other.

Defrosting should always happen in the refrigerator or in the microwave. Remember that a large pot of soup might take longer than overnight to defrost in the refrigerator. Never defrost soup by leaving it on the counter.

How Long Does Defrosted Soup Last? If you thaw your frozen soup in the fridge for the appropriate amount of time (about 24 hours), then the soup should stay good in the refrigerator for three to four days. If you defrosted your soup using a quicker method, throw out what you don't eat.

Soups with a creamy consistency, like potato or chowders, might not taste good after freezing because it affects the texture and makes potatoes mushy. Rice, beans, and noodle soups might also taste different or become mushy. Typically, broth-based soups will freeze well.

Any soup that is frozen is going to be more watery; depending on what the soup is made of, if it has a tomato broth you can add paste just a table spoon to thicken it.

Alternative thawing method: If you pop a container of frozen bone broth into a bowl of warm water for about a minute, it will thaw enough to be removed from the container. Place frozen broth in microwave-safe container or pot and heat in microwave or on stove.

Cornstarch is a great option as it is a natural thickening agent, but you'll want to be careful about how much you use. Start with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch whisked together with cold water to create a slurry. Then, gradually add the slurry to the soup, letting it boil for one to two minutes before adding more.

How do you get the freezer burn taste out of soup? ›

"With freezer burn, it can dull the natural flavor in a food, so I recommend incorporating herbs and broths to give it new flavor," Nelken says. He recommends cooking freezer burned food on the stove (as opposed to the microwave) and incorporating either a miso broth or a chicken broth.

The best and safest way is to defrost in your refrigerator overnight. Or you can place your frozen soup container in a bowl or sink of hot water. Make sure the water line does not touch the lid. Leave in water for 5 to 10 minutes, until the soup separated from the sides of the containers.

Thawing and Reheating the Soup

To speed things up, put the bag in a water bath. Soup frozen in plastic or glass containers can also be thawed in the refrigerator or a water bath, as well as in the microwave, as long as the container is microwave safe. Soup can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop.