Q. I made some lentil soup this weekend, but I misjudged how much the lentils would expand once cooked. I ended up with a huge batch of soup. There’s much more soup than I know what to do with. The good thing is that the soup tastes great, so I’m hoping that I can store some of it for later. I’m worried that freezing the lentil soup will destroy the taste or quality of the soup, and it would be a waste of money and effort. I would like to freeze the lentil soup so that I can enjoy some later. Can you freeze lentil soup?
Can you freeze lentil soup?
A. Yes, you can freeze lentil soup! Freezing lentils should not affect their quality or taste, but it may slightly after the texture and consistency of your soup. Not to worry, though-it can be brought back pretty much to normal with a little effort.
How to freeze lentil soup?
To freeze lentil soup, it’s best to start with the freshest soup possible. Cook your lentil soup according to your favourite recipe, and then let it cool. If your lentil soup has vegetables in it, make sure to stir it and to scoop down to the bottom of the pot to avoid have all liquid in some freezer bags, and mostly lentils and veggies in another. For blended lentil soup, stirring frequently prevents some separation.
Place a freezer bag inside a bowl, and fold over the top so that the bag stands up in the bowl. Ladle in the desired amount of soup into the freezer bag. Unfold the top, then seal the bag after squeezing out the excess air. Leave some headroom to allow for some expansion during the freezing process. Lay the freezer bags flat in the freezer and then stack them to save space.
To thaw frozen lentil soup, remove the desired number of bags from the freezer and allow the soup to thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, place the soup in a saucepan on the stove, and reheat gently. Lentils will continue to soak up water before they are completely frozen, so you may find that your soup is a bit thicker and drier than before freezing. Simply add a little bit of water or broth to the pot to thin out the lentil soup.
For best results, consume thawed soup within two days. Never refreeze previously frozen lentil soup.
How long will frozen lentil soup last in the freezer? Thanks.