How Long Does Soup Last in the Freezer and Fridge?
If you’re trying to decide the right place to store soup leftovers, you should first get familiar with the basics of how long soup lasts in the freezer and in the fridge.
When refrigerated, soup that contains vegetables or meat will stay good for 3–4 days. If you’re freezing soup containing vegetables or meat, you can expect that to last for 2–3 months in the freezer.
Tips for Freezing Soup
When you want to keep leftover soup longer than a few days, freezing soup is the way to go. But before you begin the process of freezing soup, be aware: not all soup reheats to its original quality when frozen. If your soup contains things like dairy, pasta/grains, or chunks of potatoes, you might want to think twice about freezing it — your soup may change texture or lose quality when reheated. For more info about storing either tomato or potato soup, check out our food protection pointers for storing tomatoes and storing potatoes.
Another thing to consider when freezing soup is that liquids expand when they freeze — so you’ll need to account for that when filling your storage bags or containers by leaving a bit of extra room.
One last pro tip for freezing soup: make sure to accurately date and label your soup leftovers so you’ll be able to identify them at a glance and so you’ll know when to use them by.
To learn more about freezing and storing leftovers, check out this Glad® guide to how long leftovers last.
How to Freeze Soup So It Lasts Longer
Curious about how to freeze soup so it stays as tasty as the day you made it? Here’s everything you need to know about how to freeze soup properly in just a few easy steps.
When you’re ready to freeze a batch of soup, the first step is to cool it. A big pot of soup will take a long time to cool, which invites bacteria to multiply. To avoid this, divide soup into smaller portions to allow it to cool more quickly before going in the freezer.
If you’re using storage containers to store soup, leave about an inch of space between the soup and the lid to leave room for your soup to expand as it freezes. Then, place a layer of Glad® Press’n Seal® or Glad® FreezerWrap on top of the soup to create a barrier. Finally, place the lid on your container and make sure it’s tightly sealed before placing it in the deepest part of your freezer.
Saving Space with Soup
Trying to save on freezer space? Here’s how to freeze soup in storage bags instead. Ladle soup into an airtight bag like Glad® FLEX'N SEAL™ Freezer Quart Bags, leaving an inch or so of space. Squeeze out any air before tightly sealing and laying bags flat in the deepest part of your freezer. Once the bags’ contents are frozen, you can stack them on top of each other to save space.
Are your tastebuds ready to revisit the soup you stashed in the freezer? The best way to thaw soup is to move it from the freezer to the fridge, then let it thaw gradually before you reheat it. Ensure previously frozen soup reaches 165°F when it is reheated.
How to Store Soup in the Fridge
When you’re planning to finish your leftover soup within a few days, the fridge is an easy storage option for the short-term. Here’s how to store soup in the fridge to ensure quality.
Depending on the amount of soup you have and the portion size you want to store it in, you may choose to store soup in either a storage container or in food storing bags.
If you’re using a storage container, first ladle the desired amount of soup into the container. Then, place a layer of Glad® Press’n Seal® directly on top of the soup to create an airtight barrier. Finally, put the lid on the container and make sure it’s tightly sealed before storing it in your fridge.
Prefer to store your leftover soup in bags instead? Ladle the soup into an airtight bag such as Glad® FLEX'N SEAL™ Food Storage Quart Bags, then squeeze out any air before sealing. To make this easier, place the empty bag in a bowl with the edges cuffed before ladling soup into the bag. When you’re finished, lay bags flat in a single layer on the bottom shelf of your fridge.
