Tips & Tricks for Satisfying Soups
Warm, comforting and delicious soups are easy one-pot meals that allow for creative and wholesome ingredient combinations. Use these tips for your flavorful, fulfilling soups this season.
Stretch Your Soups
Stretch soup batches with hearty, healthy ingredients that add nutrients and make soups go further throughout the week.
- Legumes add fiber and plant-based protein. Try black beans, chickpeas, cannellini beans, lentils and split peas.
- It’s super easy to toss in a handful of fresh baby spinach or arugula for a burst of color and nutrients. Try spiralized veggie noodles too!
- Add fiber and texture with grains like rice, quinoa, farro, barley and couscous.
- Try roasted nuts like almonds, walnuts or pistachios for an extra crunch. For a creamier garnish, add avocado slices, a soft-cooked egg or Greek yogurt.
Freeze for Later
Keep these tips and tricks in mind when freezing soups to preserve their freshly cooked flavor for months.
Cool it down: Storing hot soup in the freezer causes uneven freezing and ice crystals. Let the soup cool to room temperature before storing.
Use freezer-friendly containers: Store your soup in containers designed for freezer storage. If using zip-top freezer bags, freeze them flat.
Portion it out: Freezing soup in one or two-person portions helps the soup freeze more evenly and provides convenience for reheating. The smaller the amount, the better the soup will cool, freeze and reheat. No matter how you portion it, always leave room for expansion.
Hold the starches and dairy: Cream, cheese, pasta and grains don’t freeze well. Avoid freezing soups with dairy and starches, or add these ingredients after reheating.
Label it: You can store most soups in the freezer for two to three months. Label the soup with the date, recipe name and reheating instructions to remember where you left off.