How to Freeze Lentil Soup
Does somebody know how to freeze lentil soup? So you’ve made a huge pot of lentil soup. Or if you’re like me and you’ve been testing a lot of lentil soup recipes, you’ve made 3 pots of lentil soup. Now what? You have to freeze it.
It’s not like you can eat all of that lentil soup before it goes bad. Lentil soup is so filling it’s hard to eat a lot of it at once!
If you’re a budding home cook or simply have never frozen a ton of lentil soup before, fear not. In this post I’m going to teach you exactly how to freeze lentil soup. I’ll also address common questions and concerns like, “can you refreeze lentil soup?”
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Table of Contents
- Meal Prep: How to Freeze Lentil Soup The Right Way
- Do Cooked Lentils Freeze Well?
- How Do You Defrost Lentil Soup?
- Can You Refreeze Homemade Lentil Soup?
- What is the Best Way to Freeze Soup?
- Why Can’t You Freeze Hot Soup?
- Can You Freeze Homemade Soup in Mason Jars?
- Why Do I Feel Bloated After Consuming Lentils?
Table of Contents
- Meal Prep: How to Freeze Lentil Soup The Right Way
- Do Cooked Lentils Freeze Well?
- How Do You Defrost Lentil Soup?
- Can You Refreeze Homemade Lentil Soup?
- What is the Best Way to Freeze Soup?
- Why Can’t You Freeze Hot Soup?
- Can You Freeze Homemade Soup in Mason Jars?
- Why Do I Feel Bloated After Consuming Lentils?
Meal Prep: How to Freeze Lentil Soup The Right Way
No matter what type of lentil soup you’re enjoying, chicken and lentil soup, Moroccan lentil soup with carrots, salmon and lentil soup or plain vegan lentil soup, you can freeze it.
Step 1: Pick An Appropriate Container
Soup will only freeze as well as the container allows. Some containers work better for freezing lentil soup than others. When it comes to soup containers there are plenty of options. You can use BPA-free plastic pint sized containers, freezer bags, super cubes, ball jars and glass containers.
I personally like BPA-free plastic containers the best. They’re affordable, durable and safe. They also freeze soup at the perfect portion size so that you don’t have to waste thawed out lentil soup.
Step 2: Make Sure the Soup Is Cool Enough to Handle
Once the soup has been cooked, remove the pot from the stove and place it on the counter. Allow the soup to cool to room temperature. This process takes about 2 hour. If you want to cool it off faster without risking bacterial growth, you can put the whole pot of soup in the refrigerator.
If you place the soup in the refrigerator the soup should be cool enough to touch in 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Keep in mind that you cannot leave soup out at room temperature for too long. Leaving food temps above 40 degrees and below 120 degrees exposes it to bacterial growth. Safely the soup must cool from 140 degrees to 70 degrees in two hours and from 70 to 40 degrees F in no more than four hours according to the University of Minnesota.
Step 3: Divide and Conquer
Figure out how many containers you need to freeze individual soup servings. If you use the 1 pint BPA-free plastic containers I recommend they hold 16 fluid ounces of soup. This is enough for a big serving and a little left over.
Fill the containers two thirds the way to the top for the perfect portion size and to make sure that the containers don’t open while the soup freezes. Soup expands when it’s frozen so if you fill the containers all the way to the top they will open. Even if the container opens slightly this can expose your lentil soup to freezer burn or bacteria.
Step 4: Don’t Forget to Label your Lentil Soup!
If you become freezer obsessed like me, you’ll have to label your soups. If you don’t write down the type of soup and the date you froze it you’re likely to run into a huge mess in your freezer. You won’t know which soup is which or if it’s still safe to eat.
Keep in mind that lentil soup will last in the freezer for up to six months. Not more!
Do Cooked Lentils Freeze Well?
Yes, cooked lentils freeze really well! If anything they will become more tender after frozen. Frozen lentils wont look as pretty once they have been defrosted. Since the liquid in the lentils will expand when they freeze, the lentils will break apart. This appearance doesn’t affect the taste at all.
How Do You Defrost Lentil Soup?
The best way to defrost lentil soup is to let it thaw out naturally. You can do this a few ways depending on how much time you have.
If you have plenty of time you can thaw the soup out by placing the soup in the fridge for a day or two. Once it’s fully thawed out you can reheat it on the stove.
No time? Put the soup container in a bowl of warm water. Or you can run the plastic container under the tap for a few minutes. Then pop the soup out of the container and into a small pot. Reheat the soup on the stove top for 10 minutes on medium low heat. Stirring often.
Soup always becomes thicker when you freeze it so you may need to add some more liquid in. Thin the frozen soup out with half a cup of broth or water.
Can You Refreeze Homemade Lentil Soup?
No you cannot refreeze homemade lentil soup. Once soup has been frozen you can never freeze it again. Refreezing soup exposes it to risk of bacterial growth which leads to food borne illness like food poisoning. Freezing the lentil soup also lowers its quality. While it’s fine to freeze it once, freezing lentil soup a second time will degrade the soup too much to be safely consumed.
What is the Best Way to Freeze Soup?
The best way to freeze soup is the safest way. After waiting for the soup to cool to room temperature so that it’s safe to handle and doesn’t raise the temperature of your freezer. Store it in non breakable single serving containers like BPA-free plastic pint size containers.
Make sure to label the containers with the type of soup inside and the date you froze it.
Why Can’t You Freeze Hot Soup?
While it may be tempting to throw that hot soup in the freezer without waiting for it to cool off. I advise you to cool your jets and wait for it to cool off to room temperature before you stick it in the fridge!
If you put hot soup in the freezer it’s going to raise the temperature of your freezer. Raising the temperature of the freezer will cause frozen items already in the freezer to defrost. Defrosting your frozen items exposes them to potentially hazardous bacterial growth that can lead to food borne illnesses.
Can You Freeze Homemade Soup in Mason Jars?
Yes you can freeze homemade soup in mason jars. Make sure to only fill the jars 2/3 the way to the top so that when the soup freezes in the glass jars they don’t crack.
Place the jars safely in the freezer. Do not sore them sideways. This is important to avoid having a jar accidentally roll out of the freezer and break on the floor.
Why Do I Feel Bloated After Consuming Lentils?
Eating lentils makes you feel bloated because they have a ton of fiber in them. Not only are they rich in fiber but lentils are high in starches and proteins. That means that they digest as both a carb and a protein. This slows down the rate at which they digest and leads to feeling fuller longer and more gas.
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