How To Breathe Life Back Into Your Frozen Soups

Nothing beats a warm and comforting bowl of classic chicken noodle soup. So much so, in fact, that many people freeze their precious leftovers for another meal or two at a later date. According to a 2021 survey conducted by Hillshire Farms and Tyson, out of all the foods home chefs tend to freeze, next to protein and frozen vegetables, frozen soups are high on the list, capturing 40% of participants' votes. If you're privy to freezing soups, you already know how to reheat them effectively. Whether you're reheating your leftover beef stew in 30-second intervals thanks to your microwave or adding a small amount of water and reheating those delicious leftovers on your stovetop, the texture of frozen reheated soup may often be a bit subpar.

If you want to add a little more crunch to your favorite leftover soup or stew, adding a handful of fresh vegetables toward the end of the reheating process does the trick. If your frozen soup contains any green vegetable, a new handful of kale or spinach will give this mixture a lively boost and make a significant difference to your resulting meal. However, if you don't have any extra fresh vegetables on hand, there are other tasty ways to add textural variance to your favorite icy soup stash.

If you plan to defrost and reheat your frozen portions of All the Veggies vegetable soup, you might be a little unimpressed with the resulting texture of those warmed leftovers. In the freezing process, you are essentially freezing all the moisture within the chopped vegetables. When thawed, it leaves your veggies with a lot less structure. This is primarily due to vegetables' internal cell structures breaking down during freezing. If you run into this issue often and you never seem to have extra fresh veggies on hand, there are other ways to add texture to your leftover soup.

Another great way to add complexity and newness to your frozen soup stash is by using your favorite crunchy toppings. Crackers are a known traditional add-in, but feel free to get creative and try revving up your bowl of reheated soup with toasted seeds, a sprinkling of capers or olives, or for a more basic addition, some lightly seasoned croutons. If you're a big fan of cheese but crave an additional element of crunch, you can try making parmesan crisps which are small flattened spoonfuls of grated parmesan cheese cooked in a 400-degree-Fahrenheit oven for up to five minutes. Beyond adding texture with crunchy vegetables or your favorite toppings, there are also some basic flavor additions that may help elevate the overall complexity of your reheated soup.

When it comes to soup varieties that have been frozen and reheated, depending on the type at hand, you may not always need to add a contrasting texture. Sure enough, you may have already undercooked your vegetables before freezing your beloved soup, so there's no need to add fresh kale or buttery croutons. In this case, what are some basic flavor enhancers worth trying that just might take your already delicious leftovers to the next level? Most solid food ingredients in soups will retain much of the base liquid when frozen, making reheated soup thicker than you'd like. To combat this issue, try a flavorful substitute like chicken or vegetable broth instead of adding water when reheating.

Besides swapping out water for broth, your reheated soup may still taste lackluster. If this is the case, your soup's ingredients have likely blended together to create a predictable flavor profile. Your leftovers might need a hint of citrus juice to liven up the existing elements or a touch of sugar to combat that streamlined, savory flavor. Other than these simple add-ins, feel free to add a sprinkling of fresh herbs or a small spoonful of either basil pesto, sour cream, or hummus to your reheated soup. Whatever you decide to try, if your frozen soups are lacking in the texture department, remember that fresh vegetables will liven up your next bowl in no time.