Q. I made a pot of mushroom soup for dinner, but now I have some leftover that I would like to freeze for later. I’m a bit wary of trying to freeze it though, because I’m not sure how the cream in the soup will take to being frozen. Will the soup separate or become grainy? I would like to simply freeze what’s left for dinner another night, but not if the taste and texture are going to be ruined once I thaw it out. My husband thinks I should be able to freeze mushroom soup without a problem, but I’m not so sure. Can you freeze mushroom soup?
A. Your husband is correct. You can freeze mushroom soup! Now, if the soups has rice in it, then I would recommend not freezing it because the rice can soak up all the liquid during the freezing process, but otherwise I wouldn’t worry about it. It is true that the cream can separate from the rest of the liquid, and the fat in the cream can take on a yellowish hue during freezing, but the colour and texture should return to normal upon thawing.
To freeze mushroom soup, first allow the soup to cool completely. I would also suggest leaving off any garnishes and just adding them later when you reheat the soup to eat. Depending on how much soup you are freezing, you can choose to freeze it in a hard sided freezer safe container or in a freezer bag that will be laid flat in the freezer. Stand the freezer bag up in a bowl by folding the top of the bag over the rim of the bowl. Then, ladle or pour in the soup. Whether using a container or a freezer bag, allow about an inch or two headroom to allow for expansion during the freezing process. Seal the bag, then label and date it and place it in the freezer.
To use frozen mushroom soup, remove the bag or container from the freezer and allow it to thaw in the fridge for several hours or overnight. It can also be thawed by holding the bag under cool running water. Then, pour the mushroom soup into a saucepan and gently reheat, stirring constantly. You may notice that the soup has separated or has a slightly different texture before reheating, but the stirring will work to reincorporate the texture to its original state.