This Soup Prepping Trick Will Save You Oodles of Time in the Kitchen
Winter is the most wonderful time of year for a multitude of reasons – enjoying a plethora of cozy soups is certainly one of them. Soups are easy to whip up in a pinch and they always impress, even with the simplest ingredients. They're also the ideal solution for a fridge clean out when you have odds and ends of fresh ingredients to use up.
When it comes to meal prepping, soups are also an easy go-to lunch or dinner that require minimal freezer space. But figuring out how to freeze that liquid gold concoction is a whole other challenge. What is the best container for freezing stock? Plastic bags or storage containers? Ice trays? Let's be honest, the plastic ice tray trick was always a pain.
I was doing a bit of soup meal-prepping research the other week and stumbled upon a method that several home chefs have shared with the internet: Freezing soup or stock in silicone ice molds.
It's genius, really. No more ladling into plastic bags and praying that they won't burst as the soup freezes, and no more running out of storage containers because your whole supply is hosting your frozen leftovers.
The best part is that this freezing stock method is also the safest method because food-safe silicone is a better storage option than plastic, even BPA-free containers. Silicone can withstand heating and freezing without leeching off harmful chemicals into your food, according to Kate Harrison, a former contributor for Forbes. Silicone is also easier to clean, stain-resistant, and hypoallergenic, Harrison says.
When it's time to freeze your leftover soup or stock let it cool, just as you normally would, before dishing it out into the silicone tray.
Place the tray in the freezer. It's a good idea to place it on a paper towel in case any of the soup spills out as you're arranging the trays. Once the soup is completely frozen, you can easily pop it out of the ice molds and into a reusable silicone bag. Be sure to label the bag with the day that you made the soup as a freshness reference.
Portioning off soup and stock is a breeze with this method because you can add more frozen cubes to your pot for reheating if you're feeling especially hungry or if you have more people to feed. When it's time to reheat your soup, just pop as many frozen cubes as needed into a pot on a stovetop set on low-medium heat. In about 10 minutes you'll have a cozy bowl of homemade soup!
Kootek Ice Cube Trays 4 Pack
BUY IT: $21.99; amazon.com
This set of trays comes with lids so that you can be sure your soup is stored well while it's freezing into convenient cubes. They're also made from food grade silicone so it's safe to freeze your stock in them.
Stasher Platinum Food Grade Reusable Storage Bag
BUY IT: $15.99; amazon.com
Keep your freezer tidy with this reusable storage bag made from food grade silicone. Consider your single-use gallon bags a thing of the past.
