You can take cabbage soup in several ways, the tasty soup could be taken as extra veggies or as a part of your diet, and a lot of times, you will always make more than you will eat. Cabbage soup is a vegetarian meal that has primarily cabbage, various veggies, and some other hearty vegetable stock.
The bone of contention is to find out whether or not the soup and the vegetables will have the same taste after it has been frozen. You can your freeze cabbage soup and it is considered one of those meals that have almost the same taste after it has been frozen and defrosted. It can be perfectly frozen to be enjoyed later or when you have some leftovers. Usually, cabbage gets soften inside the freezer and the soup will become more tender after you have thawed and reheated it.
How To Freeze Cabbage Soup
It is very easy to freeze your cabbage soup and you don’t need much preparation to do it. Once the cabbage soup has been cooked, you may begin by preparing it for the freezer. Firstly, the cabbage soup should be allowed to become cool because if you place the hot soup inside the freezer, it will lead to the thawing of foods that are already frozen within your freezer after raising its temperature.
It is either you leave out your cabbage soup to completely cool or place the pot of soup inside a sink to have a bath in ice-water and you continually stir. The soup could also be divided into smaller different portions so that it can be cool faster. You can divide the soups to portions of small size bags so that you can get yourself quick fix meals and for you to avoid thawing a large batch that you would be unable to finish at once.
Ensure you use freezer bags that allow enough space to have the portion you desire and also give enough space to allow the expansion of your cabbage soup as it freezes. When you use freezer bags, you will get the chance to flat them to save yourself some space within the freezer.
Freezable air-tight containers can also be used to freeze your cabbage soup for any other kind of odors in the freezer to be kept away from your cabbage soup. This will allow you to use a microwave to reheat it when you are ready to use it. However, using airtight containers will not avail you of the space like what the freezer bags will give.
You should cook your vegetable al dente if you wish to cook your cabbage soup so that you can freeze it. Cook your cabbage together with the other ingredients as needed until they all are slightly tender as well as still crisp. After freezing and thawing, the vegetable will become slightly soften, so it is preferable if they are not cooked too much.
Remove your desired portion that you wish to freeze before you cook them through when you plan to cook cabbage soup to be eaten at dinner and that you will later freeze. You can then proceed to finish the one you are taking for dinner until your soup and the vegetables become tender.
Do not forget to label your air-tight containers or freezer bags containing the cabbage soup so that you can keep track of when you froze them and what you have placed inside the freezer. All you need is to write the date and use the recipe’s name to label the soup. You can also add some garnishing and reheating instructions that will help you when you want to eat the meal.
Thawing And Reheating Cabbage Soup
It is very important to know how you can properly defrost and reheat your cabbage soup. If you don’t do it correctly, then you can spoil both the texture and taste of your cabbage soup when you are undergoing the process of defrosting and reheating.
To get the best outcome, leave the frozen cabbage soup inside the refrigerator overnight to defrost so that it will gently thaw at the temperature that will not allow the rapid growth of bacteria.
After thawing, there are two methods you can use to reheat your cabbage soup, check them below:
Stove
Using a stove is the best method to use to reheat your cabbage soup, check how it is done below:
- Immediately the soup has been thawed overnight inside the fridge, put your cabbage soup inside a pot, and put it on your stove.
- Allow it to warm on low-medium heat as you stir regularly.
- Once your soup starts to steam and warm, you can then dish into your bowl.
- You may add some seasoning or more stock into your cabbage soup as you cook it.
Microwave
The fastest way to get your cabbage soup reheated is to use a microwave but you need to do it slowly and do not heat it straight away at the full power. Check how to do it below:
- Stir your soup and place it inside your microwave for about one minute at around power of 70%. Proceed to remove your soup from your microwave and then stir it before you allow it to cool for about a minute so that the heat will become evenly distributed in the soup.
- Put it back inside the microwave and allow another heat for 30 seconds but now with full power, then allow it to cool for up to 30 seconds.
- You can then taste your soup to check if it has become warm enough, if not, put it back into your microwave for 30 more seconds until it is done.
How Long Can I Store Cabbage Soup?
You can store cabbage soup both inside a refrigerator and a freezer. When storing it inside a fridge, allow it to be placed inside your plastic container that has been sealed and put it towards the back of your fridge. The soup can stay inside the fridge when stored this way for about five days and you may reheat it inside a microwave or use a stove to do the reheating.
If you have placed it inside the freezer, your cabbage soup could stay frozen for about six months. You can allow it to stay for a longer time, but it would not have the best quality. You should keep the soup constantly below a temperature of 0°F. Ensure you have placed the soup inside a freezer bag that has been tightly sealed or inside an air-tight container so that extra air, odors, or moisture will not come close to it.
You may leave the soup inside the refrigerator for about four days once it has been thawed from frozen. If you get your vegetable soup reheated after you have defrosted it, eat it immediately and do not refrigerate it again. You would know when your cabbage soup has a bad odor, sour taste, and if mold is growing on the soup. You should throw it away if you notice these.
Related Questions
Freezing Cabbage Soup
Cabbage soup is a very healthy meal and it is not an expensive dish to prepare at home and you can make it in large batches. You can cook it in advance and then freeze it in smaller portions inside the freezer leaving the soup to taste the same after it has been frozen and then defrosted.
Can you freeze coleslaw?
Vinegar-based dressings are usually used to make most coleslaw and you can freeze it. Al you have to do when you want to freeze it is to put your coleslaw mix inside the freezer bags and remove any excess air. Seal your bag and proceed to label it. This can stay inside the freezer for about three months and can be used perfectly for your side dish.
How can I freeze raw cabbage?
If you want to freeze your raw cabbage, first blanch it and then put it inside your freezer. When you blanch the cabbage, it will help it to remain crisp and will also help the flavor to be preserved. Blanching can be done by putting the raw cabbage into boiling water for up to 90 seconds and then put it inside ice water.
You will then pat your cabbage dry before you put it inside freezer bags or you may tightly wrap it in a cling wrap. Shredded cabbage can also be frozen but you wouldn’t need to necessarily blanch the raw cabbage before you freeze it. Put your shredded cabbage inside your baking tray before you allow it to freeze for some hours, after then, portion your already frozen shredded cabbage inside smaller freezer bags portions.
Can you freeze cooked cabbage?
You can keep cooked cabbage inside the refrigerator for about five days if you properly store it. For an extended shelf-life, place it inside an air-tight container or in a heavy-duty freezer bag and place it inside your freezer. You could also use freezer wrap or aluminum foil to wrap your cabbage before you place it inside the freezer. It will stay fresh with the properties intact for six months.
