Can You Freeze Mushroom Soup?

Mushroom soup is a simple and comforting dish that is, of course, best served piping hot. But, what about ice-cold? What can you do if you make too much soup or just have some left over? Sure, you can keep it in the refrigerator, but then a skin usually develops and it won’t keep for too long.

What about the freezer? Can you freeze mushroom soup? You sure can! Freezing soup is a great way of preserving this hearty and healthy meal. But, as it’s a thick and creamy soup, you need to do it properly.

Freezing is one of the most common ways of preserving food.

But it can disrupt the consistency and change the taste and texture. So, it’s important to make sure you freeze your soup properly.

You don’t want to be looking forward to heating up that delicious soup on a wintery day, only to find it isn’t as nice as you were hoping.

How to Freeze Mushroom Soup

So to make sure that you don’t go wrong, here’s our step by step guide to freezing mushroom soup.

Step 1: Cool the soup. This step might be obvious, but it’s worth stating just in case. Before freezing the soup, you need to make sure that it has completely cooled.

Placing soup that is hot, or even just a little warm, in the freezer will produce steam inside the container which will freeze. This will also cause pressure to build up and the container may burst open.

Putting anything warm or hot in the freezer can also potentially cause other foods around it to defrost.

Step 2: Transfer it. Now that the soup has cooled, transfer it into a deep airtight container.

Don’t try to fill the container too much as the soup may spill out when it begins to freeze. It will need a little extra space inside.

Step 3: Freeze. Now that the soup is cool and secured in an airtight container, you can place it in the freezer.

Make sure to place it on something flat, preferably the bottom of a freezer drawer. This will stop it from potentially spilling and will ensure it freezes flat and evenly.

How to Defrost Mushroom Soup

Defrosting soup is super (or souper…sorry) easy.

There are a couple of ways to properly defrost mushroom soup.

Option 1: In the refrigerator. One way is to place the container in the refrigerator and let it gradually thaw out. This is probably the best option as it will be gradual. This means that the soup will be less likely to separate and will defrost evenly.

Option 2: In the microwave. Another way is in the microwave. Defrosting anything in the microwave is always a risky option as the food may react to the high heat and just start cooking. Then you may end up with a container of half hot half-frozen soup.

But, if you manage to defrost it properly and thoroughly in the microwave, you can then just switch the settings, heat it up, and eat it. Easy.

Option 3: On the hob. You can also heat the soup directly on the hob. This might be tricky depending on the shape of the container you used. Obviously, if you used a rectangular Tupperware box, then the soup will have frozen in this shape. And adding an oblong of frozen soup to a round pan isn’t very easy. But, if you manage it, you can defrost the soup on low heat and then allow it to heat up.

If you choose to freeze the soup in a bag, you can also just run this under the faucet and it will defrost relatively quickly.

The best option is to allow the soup to defrost slowly in the refrigerator and then heat it up again on the hob.

Factors to Consider Before Freezing Mushroom Soup

As mushroom soup is made with cream, there is a tendency for it to split when it’s frozen. This just means that some of the ingredients will separate.

The heavier ingredients will sink and the lighter ones will sit on top. It may look a little gross, but once you defrost it, mix it, and warm it back up, it should be fine. But, it may not have exactly the same consistency and texture as before.

You also need to consider what ingredients you have in your mushroom soup. If it contains rice or other grains, then freezing may not be a good idea.

The grains may take on water during the freezing process. It’s also not a good idea to reheat rice in general, even if it has been frozen. If you can get it piping hot then it should be okay, but still be wary.

You should also consider the container you plan to freeze the soup in. You can use a freezer bag but that can be awkward to keep steady in the freezer. It will also make defrosting trickier and messier.

The best option is to use a solid container, such as a plastic box, that is safe to go in the freezer and in the microwave. This way, if you choose to defrost using the microwave, you can simply take the box out of the freezer and place it in the microwave.

Overall, the answer is yes, you can freeze mushroom soup. Freezing and defrosting soup, as it is a liquid, is a pretty simple process. The main things to consider are the ingredients as not all of them may freeze well.

The soup may separate when it defrosts, but it can easily be mixed up together again. It won’t be exactly the same texture and consistency, but it won’t be very different.

Assuming you won’t be eating the defrosted soup cold, heating it up and mixing it will also help it to combine again. Freezing mushroom soup is absolutely a good idea and a great way of preserving a hearty and delicious meal, so go ahead!