30 Freezable Soup Recipes That Will Keep You Warm All Winter Long

When the temperatures start to drop, meal prepping a bunch of freezable soup recipes is an easy way to ensure that you always have quick comfort food on hand. Rather than having to dice and slice veggies when your hands are still numb from outside, a frozen soup will be ready to eat (and heat you up) after just a quick spin in the microwave.

Soups are especially ideal for freezing because they contain a lot of liquid. As this liquid solidifies, it forms a protective layer for the other ingredients and prevents them from getting dried out or freezer-burnt in icy conditions. As long as the whole kit and caboodle is stored at below-freezing temperatures and in an airtight container, the USDA says that you can safely consume frozen soups and have them maintain the best quality for two to three months—basically all winter long!

Although some types of soup are better suited to life in an ice chest than others, the truth is that you can freeze almost any variety with the right tricks, from a hearty chili recipe to Crockpot vegetable soups.

For example, creamy soups may curdle if frozen and reheated, but you can work around this issue by simply making and freezing the soup base without cream and and adding the cream after heating it up. Similarly, you’ll want to avoid freezing any soups with noodles or rice in them as these ingredients can become mushy when frozen and reheated. Instead, throw them in just before you’re ready to eat so they’re perfectly al dente when you dig in.

But even soups that freeze well won’t necessarily taste correct if you don’t heat them up properly. For the best results, you should also transfer your soup to the fridge 24 hours beforehand so that it has enough time to fully defrost. If you forget to do this, know that all is not lost—but you may have to microwave or cook it on the stovetop for a bit longer than you thought.

So if you want to streamline your weeknight dinners, do yourself a favor and fill your freezer with one (or several) of these 30 freezable soups. Almost all of these ideas are also big batch soup recipes, so you can enjoy a serving or two for dinner directly when you make it and still have so much left over to freeze. With options for just about every dietary restriction, including vegan and gluten-free recipes, there’s something on this list for everyone.