Soup is the ultimate comfort meals.
It's an ever reliable food that is delicious and suitable, no matter the season.
Whether served hot or cold, the versatility of soup is what makes it so popular with so many of us.
Not only easy to cook, soup can be stored in the freezer for at least three months making it a great dish to make on any day and enjoyed for weeks to come.
However, learning how to freeze soup is not as simple as tossing your chicken soup in the icebox.
There are a few tricks to freezing soup that ensure it will taste just as good as it did when it was fresh.
Speaking to chef Paul Thinus Prinsloo of Waterkloof Estate, who is also Africa, and the Middle East regional winner of S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2019, below are ways he says you can try to freeze and reheat soup for the next day.
Soups are one of the ultimate comfort meals. Picture: Supplied
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If you intend on making soup to freeze, temperature control is an important factor. Cool the soup down as soon as possible to lower than 4°C to stop bacterial growth.
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Always use the right vessel for freezing and freeze in portion size instead of freezing in one big batch (airtight containers or a vacuum-sealed bag is even better).
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Don't keep frozen soup for longer than two months, the flavour will start to decrease.
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When defrosting soup make sure it’s done in the fridge a day before use so that the soup doesn't stand outside for a whole day, as bacteria or foodborne illness can grow when temperatures are warm.
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When reheating soup make sure to bring the soup higher than 65°C or to a boil so that if there are any bacteria present it can be killed. And always heat soup in portion size to prevent food wastage.