When you have a craving for homemade chicken soup, it’s easy to go overboard and make more than you can eat in one or two sittings. You wouldn’t be the first one to double (or triple) an easy chicken and dumplings recipe only to find that your family has other commitments and won’t be around to help you eat it.
Now, what? You don’t want to throw the soup away because it is absolutely delicious, but you don’t want to risk someone getting sick if it sits around too long and spoils.
Keeping Extra Soup in the Fridge
Many folks believe that soups and stews taste better the day after they’re prepared, but there is a limit as to how long you can safely keep soup around. What you do with extra soup largely depends on how much you have left over and how many people in your house will eat it.
In general, though, don’t leave soup at room temperature for more than two hours. You also shouldn’t keep the entire pot of soup in the refrigerator, as it will take too long to cool. If the soup is still hot, you can cool it down by placing the pot in cold water or in an ice bath until it reaches room temperature.
Once it’s cool, divide the soup into individual or family portions in airtight containers and place them in the refrigerator, where they can stay for three or four days. These containers can be great for bringing soup to work for lunch or as a quick way to have a healthy snack!
Freezing Soup for Longer Periods of Time
If you don’t think you can finish the leftover soup within three or four days, freeze it. Use large freezer bags or freezer-safe containers to store the soup for up to three months. Leave some space in the container, though, because the soup will expand when it’s frozen and you don’t want it to make a mess when you defrost it later on.
However, if your chicken soup contains milk or cream, it can become grainy after being frozen. Pasta and rice in soup will be mushy after it’s defrosted, too. You might also not want to use flaky biscuits for the dumplings because they will get too soft and dissolve in the broth.
How to Reheat Your Soup
Before reheating the soup, take a whiff and make sure it doesn’t smell funky. If it doesn’t seem right for any reason, throw it away.
If you’re defrosting a batch, don’t leave it on the kitchen counter. Either put it in the microwave or give it time to defrost in the refrigerator, and only reheat what you’re going to eat.
If you don’t want to reheat your soup in the microwave, you can reheat it on the stove over medium to low heat until it’s warmed through. If it’s too thick, simply add some water or chicken broth until the consistency is more to your liking.
Chicken Soup Is Good for the Soul
Chicken and dumpling soup is so good, you’re going to want to save some for the next day or later in the week. We have plenty of recipes for hearty chicken soups that can be a meal on their own and something that will keep you feeling warm and satisfied for hours!
Looking for tips on how to know when dumplings are done? Don’t miss our latest post.
