Can Broccoli Cheese Soup be frozen?

Broccoli and Cheese Soup is great to enjoy on a cold afternoon.

Making a big batch of broccoli cheese soup is perfect for making sure you have some leftovers to enjoy later when you don’t feel like going through the whole process of cooking it from scratch.

Unlike broth-based soups, broccoli cheese soup is creamy and has a delicious richness. The dairy from the cheese and cream give it a boost of creaminess that makes this soup a favorite. However, the creaminess can prevent the soup from freezing well.

Can Broccoli Cheese Soup be frozen?

Broccoli Cheese Soup can be frozen up to 2 months. It is one of the most difficult soups to freeze, so let it cool down first and freeze it in an airtight container in the bottom of the freezer, with room for the soup to expand.

Broccoli cheese soup is difficult to freeze, especially because of the cream base and the other dairy products that the soup contains, such as a large amount of cheese.

When frozen, dairy products can separate into different watery layers, and this can be difficult to fix with reheating.

However, there are ways around it so that your reheated frozen broccoli cheese soup tastes almost as good as it did fresh.

How to Freeze Broccoli Cheese Soup?

Understanding how to properly freeze broccoli cheese soup is important to ensure it will withstand the freezing process and that the dairy content does not separate too much during freezing, thawing, and reheating.

Here’s how to freeze broccoli soup for the best results:

Step 1: Prepare the soup

The first step would be to prepare the broccoli and cheese soup. Follow your favorite recipe and cook the soup as you normally would.

Step 2: Let cool

Separate the soup you want to freeze. You have to let the soup cool to room temperature before preparing it and packaging it for freezing.

You cannot put hot soup in the freezer, as condensation will form in the container, which can degrade the quality of the soup, and will increase the internal temperature of the freezer and pose a risk to other frozen items.

Condensation buildup in the bowl from hot soup can also cause the soup to freeze unevenly, leading to ice crystals that degrade the quality and flavor of the soup more quickly.

If you want the soup to cool faster, you can divide it into smaller batches, or place the pot of soup in a bowl of ice cold water.

Step 3: Place in a container

Once the soup has cooled to room temperature, you will need to pour it into the freezer container. Remember that you should only freeze the amount of soup that you are going to consume at one time, since you cannot separate the soup once it is frozen.

If you are freezing the soup for a family meal, you can place it in a large container. If you are freezing portions for yourself to enjoy, you should freeze individual portions separately.

So you can defrost the right amount, without wasting anything.

Freezer Container Options

There are two freezer container options to choose from, each with their own pros and cons.

Plastic Freezer Containers: Plastic freezer containers are a good option if you are freezing a large portion of soup. Make sure the container is freezer-safe and can be closed tightly.

Plastic freezer containers are reusable and offer great protection in the freezer. However, they do take up a lot of space and are not good if you are going to use more than a few in the freezer.

Plastic freezer bag - You should consider using plastic freezer bags if you are freezing a lot of small portions. Plastic freezer bags can be laid flat and stacked on top of each other to save space.

The problem is that these freezer bags are not usually reusable and can cost quite a bit over time.

When pouring the soup into the containers, whether they are plastic freezer containers or plastic freezer bags, just fill them until there is about a ½-inch headspace at the top of the container.

The liquid in the soup expands when it freezes, and if the container is filled to the top, it could explode all over the freezer and make a big mess.

Step 4: Label and Freeze

Plastic freezer containers or plastic freezer bags must be labeled before placing them in the freezer.

You should label the containers with the name of the soup and the freeze date so that you can easily identify the soup and know when to eat it.

Place the broccoli soup in the freezer. You want to place the soup near the back of the freezer so there aren’t too many temperature fluctuations when you open and close the door.

It is also easier to stack the plastic freezer bags on top of each other on the back shelf of the freezer.

How long does broccoli cheese soup last in the freezer?

Broccoli Cheese Soup can be kept in the freezer for up to two months before eating.

Since the soup is high in dairy, it cannot be left in the freezer for much longer. Technically it will be edible after two months, but the quality will deteriorate rapidly.

Labeling the freezer container with the freeze date will help you know when to eat it, to ensure it is at its best possible quality.

You can also get lost with all the frozen meals in the freezer, so having the name labeled usually helps a lot too.

Reheat broccoli cheese soup well

When freezing broccoli soup, you have to be very careful to reheat it properly due to its high dairy content. Other soups can be thawed and reheated normally, but a little more care needs to be taken with a creamy soup like broccoli cheese soup.

When you are ready to enjoy the broccoli soup, you have to take it out of the freezer and let it thaw completely.

The best way to thaw broccoli cheese soup is to leave it in the fridge overnight.

It’s the safest way to thaw soup without letting it reach temperatures that could cause it to spoil. If you don’t want to wait that long, you can leave it out at room temperature to thaw.

When it has completely thawed, you can pour the thawed soup into a saucepan on the stove. Set the stove to medium heat.

While the soup is heating up, you have to stir it often. Whipping helps re-incorporate the dairy and water that have separated during freezing.

The heating time for the soup will depend on the amount of soup, but it should take about 20 minutes total if you are feeding the whole family. Be sure to beat enough so that all the ingredients are mixed well.

When the broccoli soup has heated through, add some queso fresco and salt and pepper to bring back some flavor, and serve!

Related questions

How long can you keep broccoli and cheese soup in the fridge?

Broccoli Cheese Soup can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.

However, it is important to note that this is for broccoli cheese soup that has been stored in an airtight container, has not been left out at room temperature for too long, and has not been in contact with other food.

Can I refreeze Broccoli Cheese Soup?

You should not refreeze broccoli and cheese soup . The general rule is that you should not refreeze any food. This will only destroy the quality too much and put the feed at risk of bacterial growth.

You may be able to refreeze broccoli cheese soup if you’ve left it in the fridge to thaw, and it still has some ice crystals in it. But this is not recommended.

Can I refrigerate broccoli cheese soup that has been thawed and reheated?

No, you cannot refrigerate broccoli cheese soup that has already been thawed and reheated. You should only reheat the amount of broccoli and cheese soup that you will eat at one time.

Once the soup is reheated, if there are any remains, they must be discarded. There are too many possibilities for bacterial growth.

Freeze Broccoli Cheese Soup - Review

Broccoli Cheese Soup, while one of the hardest soups to freeze, can be frozen.

You just have to pay extra attention when reheating the soup to make sure you re-incorporate the ingredients, as the creamy base tends to separate during freezing.

This shouldn’t deter you from cooking up a whole batch of broccoli cheese soup and having a good stock in the freezer for some quick and easy lunches or dinners.