Can You Freeze Potato Soup? How Long Does Potato Soup Last In The Fridge?

Who can resist a plate of creamy potato soup? I personally love it. It’s a great middle way between soup and cream soup, and preparing it is very easy!

It also has a curious story: In the 18th century, French pharmacist and agronomist Antoine-Augustin Parmentier promoted potatoes as a healthy food source during a great famine that struck Europe, and helped set up potato soup kitchens. To this day, the French variant of potato soup is called Parmentier soup.

Potato soup is deemed as a comfort meal during wintertime and usually contains milk, butter, spices, and herbs. It’s also a great source of calcium (provided by the milk), Vitamin C, potassium, and complex carbohydrates (considered more beneficial and durable than simple carbohydrates).

As much as you love potato soup,  you’ve made too much. And these questions may be on your mind. Can you freeze potato soup? How long does potato soup last in the fridge?

Can you freeze potato soup?

Potato soup can be frozen, although there is a caveat. Potato soup does not freeze too well. If you are planning on making a generous amount of potato soup for freezing, it would be better to refrain from adding milk until you decide to thaw it or cook it. You can alternatively use non-dairy milk, which freezes better than dairy milk.

How to freeze potato soup?

If you are making a smooth potato soup (meaning that there aren’t any large chunks of potato and vegetables,) you only need to pour the homemade potato soup into airtight freezer bags or containers (preferably single-serving sizes), wait a bit until they cool down, and place them in the freezer. As fluids expand upon freezing, it’s prudent to fill the containers or bags but leaving only a small space between the content and the seal or lid (approximately 1 inch), so that virtually no air is left inside and, at the same time, the integrity of the container is not jeopardized when the content is frozen.

If the mix contains large potato and vegetable pieces, it’s better to try to freeze them separately, or rather use them on other recipes if they’re not al dente. Completely cooked potatoes and vegetables won’t withstand freezing and will be disintegrated by ice crystals, so it’s suggested that the pieces are separated from the broth while cooking, as they start to get al dente.

Does freezing affect the taste of potato soup?

Regular potato soup doesn’t freeze well. Potatoes tend to accumulate water inside, and that water turns into ice crystals, which are known to destroy the cellular structure of food and alter its texture. Dairy milk also separates upon freezing, producing a grainy texture upon thawing.

There are ways to tackle this deficiency, but at times it involves twisting the original recipe, so you won’t be getting the exact same meal that you froze.

Can you refreeze potato soup?

Considering that the first freezing is already tricky, refreezing potato soup is no! You’d be better off eating it or throwing it away in that case.

How long does potato soup last in the fridge?

Potato soup can last up to 4 days in the fridge, set to 40º F or below. After that time, the soup will start showing signs of spoilage and should be avoided.

How long can you keep potato soup in the freezer?

In the freezer, potato soup can stay in acceptable conditions for up to 6 months, at a temperature of 0º F or below. Beyond that time, it’ll still be safe to eat, but its quality will decline considerably.

How to defrost potato soup?

To avoid an overly mushy soup, you should pull the container out of the freezer and leave it sitting overnight in the fridge. That way, the potato soup will slowly absorb moisture that is usually lost during thawing and the consistency will not suffer as much. Another way to thaw it is by using the microwave’s defrost function, but you’ll probably need to tweak the recipe by adding milk and stirring constantly. In that case, you need to first empty the frozen batch of soup in a microwave-friendly bowl (avoid using a plastic recipient in the microwave.)

How to cook frozen potato soup?

Some people recommend immersing the containers in warm water and, after the frozen potato soup has thawed partially on the sides, empty it in the pot over medium heat and stir constantly. It’s important in this case to add at least half an inch of water before placing the frozen content in the pot, to avoid scorching the bottom.