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Can You Freeze Miso Soup?


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Miso soup is one of the most popular soups on the planet! Health conscious people and those who love Asian cuisine enjoy bowls of miso for its great flavor and health benefits. Miso soup is often given out as a complimentary starter at Japanese restaurants.

bowl of miso soup

I don’t know about you, but when I take miso soup leftovers home, the Styrofoam container of soup tends to sit in my fridge and collect dust. After a few days I stop, stare at it and wonder, “Did this soup go bad?”

One of the best ways to prevent miso soup from spoiling is to freeze it.

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents

What Is Miso Soup?

Miso soup is a staple of Japanese cuisine made from a simple fish broth called dashi, scallions (green onions), tofu, seaweed, soy sauce, bonito flakes and miso paste. It is a salty soup with an umami flavor that is rich in probiotics and good for gut health. Miso soup’s umami flavor comes from the miso otherwise known as soybean paste.

If you’re looking for the best miso soup recipe on the planet then check out my Keto and Gluten Free Miso Soup!

Can You Freeze Miso Soup

Yes, you can freeze miso soup. Freezing miso soup is a great way to preserve the freshness and flavor of your leftover miso soup. Luckily, freezing miso soup will not change its taste or texture.

How To Freeze Miso Soup

Freezing miso soup is easy to do! Just follow these step by step instructions:

  1. Once you’re done cooking the soup remove it from the pot and break the soup down into single serving portions in 1 pint containers.
  2. Leave the lids off of the containers and line them up on the counter. Breaking the soup down into smaller portions will help it cool off faster. You need to wait until the soup’s temperature cools down to room temperature before you can safely put the lid on the soup. If you put the Tupperware lid on the soup when it’s still hot the heat will create a vacuum seal. This will make the soup harder to open.
  3. Place the soup in the freezer and allow it to freeze over 4-6 hours.

Does Freezing Miso Kill the Probiotics?

This is a great question. I’ve read up on capsulated probiotics which state that you should not freeze the probiotics because the capsules can get damaged in the freezing process. However, the probiotics (bacteria) are hearty and can survive the freezing and thawing process.

Most microbes cannot survive freezing because the water in the cells crystalize when it turns into ice. The crystallization shreds the cell of the microbe so that the microbe can’t survive the freezing and thawing process.

Spore forming bacteria can survive the freezing process. An experiment conducted and published in 1955 documented the survival rate of different types of probiotic bacteria over a number of subsequent freezing, thawing, and refreezing processes.

The findings were that all of the bacteria were able to survive freezing and thawing to some degree. While some bacteria did better than others, they were all able to withstand being frozen. But the number of live cells was diminished after being frozen.

The number of bacteria that survived was reduced after each refreezing process. So the more often bacteria are frozen and unfrozen the less likely they will survive.

So if you freeze probiotic rich miso soup the probiotics will be able to survive the freezing and thawing process. According to the study, probiotics will survive frozen for a few weeks.

Can Probiotics Survive Boiling?

While probiotics can survive extremely cold temperatures they don’t do well in hot temperatures. Overheating the soup when you reheat it will certainly kill off any live probiotics quickly. Live probiotic cultures are destroyed at around 115°F. So if you are cooking miso soup fresh you would wait until the end of cooking to stir in the miso paste.

When re-heating soup, the probiotics are already inside. So if you want to make sure you aren’t sabotaging your probiotic intake gently re-heat the soup to 110°F maximum before you eat it. Don’t let the soup simmer or boil. For more detailed re-heating instructions checkout the section on how to reheat miso soup below.

How Long Can You Freeze Miso Soup?

Miso soup can be frozen for up to 3 months, but the probiotics will only survive in the freezer for a few weeks. If you leave the soup in the freezer for longer then a few weeks the soup will still taste the same and retain it’s freshness. The only difference will be that the gut healing benefits of the miso soup will be compromised, if not gone all together.

Best Containers to Freeze Miso Soup

The best way to store leftover miso soup is to freeze it in some sort of air-tight container. There are tons of different types of containers you can purchase to freeze your miso soup in. Lots of health conscious people prefer to use glass. Modern chefs have taken to using silicone for meal prep and freezing. You could also use a freezer-safe bag for convenience.

Silicone is easy to clean and soup doesn’t stick to it when it freezes. I recently used silicone to freeze popsicles and I loved how easy it was to get the frozen pop out of the mold.

  1. Silicone Freezer Individual Serving Molds
  2. Freezer-safe bags
  3. Ice cube tray

How to Thaw Miso Soup

There are a few ways you can thaw out frozen miso soup without killing off the probiotics from the miso paste.

In The Refrigerator

If you can plan ahead the best way to thaw out miso soup is in the fridge. Simply remove the frozen miso soup from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator two days before you want to eat it. It will take two days for the soup to fully thaw out in the fridge.

Under Cold Water

You can run the container of frozen soup under running cold water for 30 seconds to one minute. This will loosen the soup so that you can slide it out of the container and into a pot to reheat it on the stove.

In The Microwave

Place the soup in a microwave safe bowl and cover it with a paper towel. Reheat the miso soup in 30 second intervals and stir frequently.

How To Reheat Miso Soup

The best way to reheat miso soup is to warm it up on the stove top in a small pot. If you follow the instructions above on how to freeze your miso soup by breaking it down into smaller portions…

  1. Thaw out the miso soup in the fridge, under cold water, or the microwave.
  2. Place the soup in a small sauce pan and cook it over low heat and stir every few minutes.
  3. Within 7 minutes the soup will start to steam. This means it’s hot enough to eat!

How Do You Store Leftover Miso Soup?

The best way to store leftover miso is in an airtight container in the fridge. Miso will stay fresh in the fridge when stored properly for up to three days. Keep in mind that the best time to eat miso soup is the day it is prepared. The fermented soybean paste in miso soup will continue to ferment after it’s cooked. The longer miso soup is allowed to sit in the fridge the more sour it will get.

Can you Refreeze Miso Soup?

No, it is not safe to refreeze miso soup. The soup can get damaged during the freezing and reheating process. Refreezing miso soup exposes it to possible harmful bacteria growth which can lead to food borne illnesses. It’s best to consume thawed miso soup the day it has been unfrozen.

Can I Freeze Soup With Tofu In It?

Of course you can freeze miso soup with tofu in it! Tofu doesn’t have a high water content so it freezes really well. The tofu won’t crystalize in the freezer so it’s soft pillowy texture will remain in tact through out the freezing and thawing process.

How Long Does Miso Soup Take To Go Bad?

Miso soup will last for up to 2-3 days in the fridge. But it’s best to eat the soup the same day it was cooked for the best flavor. Miso soup continues to ferment over time so it gets more sour.

Why Should You Not Boil Miso

You should not boil miso because it will kill off all of the good probiotics it contains. Probiotics cannot survive in hot temperatures. Boiling miso soup when you reheat it will kill off any live probiotics quickly. Live probiotic cultures are destroyed at around 115°F. So if you are cooking miso soup fresh you should wait until the end of cooking to stir in the miso paste.

When reheating soup the probiotics are already inside. So if you want to make sure you aren’t sabotaging your probiotic intake gently reheat the soup to 110°F maximum before you eat it.

Is It OK To Drink Miso Soup Every Day?

Of course it’s O.K. to drink miso soup everyday! In fact, I would recommend drinking miso soup everyday for anyone who wants to heal their gut health. Miso soup has tons of live enzymes, probiotics, and minerals.

How Long Does Miso Last?

According to Great Eastern Sun the manufacturer of Miso Master Miso Paste states that miso will last for up to 18 months in the fridge. I believe this. I love Miso Master’s products and always store them in the fridge – both opened and unopened for a very long time. I’ve even used miso paste over an 18 month period. Of course I always open the container to check for signs of spoilage, but I don’t see any. So I don’t think miso ever really goes bad.

two mounds of miso paste

Miso Will Degrade Over Time But It Won’t Spoil… Technically

If you leave miso long enough, of course you’ll see changes in the product. This doesn’t mean that the miso isn’t safe to eat. Changes in miso‘s texture and color over time are due to the naturally occurring fermentation process. Miso doesn’t stop fermenting just because you took it home!

Over time miso will:

  1. Dry Out
  2. Get Darker In Color
  3. Lose Sweetness

Miso will get more sour as it ages and turn into a rock but it won’t go bad. Don’t get me wrong, spoilage is possible. If you cross contaminate miso paste with another product, the newly introduced food product will rot in the miso

Can You Make Miso Soup Without Tofu

Of course you can make miso soup without tofu! If you are on an anti-inflammatory diet and are trying to avoid soy then its a great idea to avoid tofu. By making homemade miso soup without tofu in it you’ll get all of the health benefits of miso soup without the unwanted soy.

Is Miso Soup Gluten Free?

Miso soup can be gluten free, depending on if the brand of miso paste used in the recipe is free from gluten. Making your own miso soup is the best way to ensure that it is gluten free, as you have complete control of the ingredients.

If you’re out at a restaurant, verify with the chef if the miso paste used was made with gluten free grains like rice, amaranth, or millet. If you’re purchasing miso soup from the store, check the label to verify no gluten-containing ingredients were used.

Is Miso Soup Gluten Free?

Miso soup can be gluten free, depending on if the brand of miso paste used in the recipe is free from gluten. Making your own miso soup is the best way to ensure that it is gluten free, as you have complete control of the ingredients.

If you’re out at a restaurant, verify with the chef if the miso paste used was made with gluten free grains like rice, amaranth, or millet. If you’re purchasing miso soup from the store, check the label to verify no gluten-containing ingredients were used.

Is Miso Soup Keto Friendly and Low In Carbs?

Yes! Miso soup is keto friendly because it’s low in carbohydrates. Miso soup only has 7 grams of carbs per two teaspoons and 3-4 grams of net carbs per serving. Not only is keto low in carbs but it’s also low in fat. Making it a soup to eat if you are on a diet.

While high fat foods are recommended on a Keto Diet, eating miso soup provides the body with probiotics, and it’s free of ingredients that aren’t recommended on a Keto Diet. Miso is also low in sugar which is great because sugar intake is supposed to be limited on a Keto Diet.

Miso soup is a low fat healthy food but if you’re on a Keto Diet make sure to pair it with healthy fats like avocado or fish.

How to Make Miso Soup?

Making miso soup is easy as 123. All you have to do is saute veggies in sesame oil and simmer some broth! Add a bit of miso paste into the broth at the end of cooking and you’re done! For more detailed instructions on how to make delicious miso soup at home check out my recipe here!

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

What kind of miso paste is best to make tasty miso soup?

My favorite miso paste to use to make miso soup is white miso. I specifically use mellow white miso from Eastern Sun. But you can make miso soup with many different kinds of miso paste including red miso or shiro miso.

Where can I buy miso paste?

Miso paste is pretty widely available in both asian grocery stores and health food stores like Whole Foods. When you’re looking in a health food store check out the ethnic aisle. This is where miso paste usually lives.

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