How Long is Soup Good for in the Fridge: 2 Simple Ways to Store Cooked Soup

Depending on the quantity of soup you plan to make, should determine how long it’s safe to keep it refrigerated before consuming it. The key factors when figuring out whether your refrigerated soup is good enough to eat would be its taste and texture. If the taste is different to what it was when you had initially made and eaten it, then at that point it’s more than likely not suitable for consumption. Generally, soup can remain edible when refrigerated for up to 3 days, but you should always do a taste test before planning to reheat it. So if you’re wondering how long is soup good for in the fridge, then keep reading!

Table of Contents

• How Long Can Soup Last in the Fridge?
• How to Safely Store Your Soup?
• What are the Common Signs of Bad Soup?
• How to Reheat Soup?
• Types of Soups
• How Long Does Chicken Soup Last in the Fridge?
• How Long Does Homemade Soup Last in the Fridge?
• How Long Does Vegetable Soup Last in the Fridge?
• What Happens to Soup Left Out Overnight?
• Best Soup Recipes
• So How Long is Soup Good For in the Fridge?
• FAQs

How Long Can Soup Last in the Fridge?

The shelf life of soup in the fridge depends on the type of soup it is, whether it is a chicken or vegetable soup. For a vegetable soup with tomatoes, the acidity is fairly high meaning that the soup can last for up to a week in the fridge. For chicken based, the shelf life reduced to 3 to 5 days in the fridge. Although it is important that you taste the soup before reheating to avoid food poisoning.

A tomatoey soup with a thin liquid consistency, or made with any other acidic ingredient, will have an extended shelf life. Creamy soups can be kept for up to 3 days in the fridge, and soups made with seafood will last for 2 to 3 days in the fridge.

How to Safely Store Your Soup?

Your soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week depending on the ingredients used to make it. The important thing is that the soup tastes the same as it did when it was freshly made. There are two ways to store your cooked soup:

• Fridge
• Freezer

Fridge

Any type of soup will remain fresh and delicious when stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days on average. If you wish to extend it’s shelf-life, then store your soup in an airtight container, maintaining a steady temperature of 2C. Store your soup in single portions so that its easier to reheat.

Freezer

Freezing your soup is a great option, if you intend to extend its shelf-life. If stored correctly soups and stews will have preserved their freshness in the freezer for up to 6 months. Additionally, if you keep your temperature consistent at 0 degrees then the soup will remain fresh and edible infinitely.

What are the Common Signs of Bad Soup?

If you have stored your soup in a container, then you can make a judgement based on the appearance of your container. If the container appears to be swollen or bulging slightly, then its likely that your soup has spoilt, with no point in tasting it. Normally the smell is the first indication if there are no other obvious signs, that the soup has spoiled. The smell will be of a sour, or moulded scent, instantly putting you off from reheating.

How to Reheat Soup?

While reheating your soup, you should bring it to a boil once or twice to destroy any harmful microbes. If the soup had cream or flour in it, boiling it might make it thicker and saltier, and in some cases its best to check whether you soup is safe to eat judging by its odour and overall appearance. Here are a few methods you could use to reheat your soup:

• Stovetop
• Microwave
• Refrigerator
• Water-Bath

Stovetop

Transfer the soup to a pot and allow it to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes on the stovetop or bring it to a boil a couple of times. If the soup was a clear broth, you could adjust the liquid lost through boiling the soup, with more water.

Microwave

If the soup was frozen or refrigerated in a glass, then you can reheat it in the microwave at a low power. Bear in mind that microwaving soups that had been stored in anything other than a glass container is not recommended.

Refrigerator

Consider thawing your soup in the refrigerator overnight. After it has been defrosted, transfer its contents to a pot or saucepan and let it come to a boil or medium-low heat. Turn the heat down and allow it to simmer. You can adjust the liquid by adding more water if you feel necessary. Or if you plan to add some fresh vegetables or noodles to your broth.

Water-Bath

This is a good method, especially for creamy or vegetable soups. Indirectly heating your soup will not damage the texture of the cream or milk present in the soup. Put the container inside a hot water-bath, which is essentially a pot of hot water. Heat the bath on medium-low heat.

Types of Soups

There are several types of soups that are categorised based on their consistency. Bouillon, broth, and consommé belong to the “clear soup” category. Whereas bisque, cream, and potage are a part of what we call “thick soup.”

Clear soups do not contain any types of thickening agents and are enriched with distinct flavours. On the other hand, thick soups are thickened with flour, corn-starch or vegetables.

• Bouillon and Broth
• Consommé
• Bisque
• Cream
• Potage

Bouillon and Broth

Stock, broth, and bouillon are all the same and are categorised as clear soups. They are made by heating bones, from meat, chicken or fish, as well as incorporating different vegetables such as, tomatoes, leeks, celery, onions, mushrooms and carrots. Broths thicken when the temperature drops due to the gelatine that attaches itself to the liquid from the bones.

Consommé

Consommé is a classic type of clear soup that is made by heating minced meat, tomatoes and egg whites in a broth. This soup has a vibrant amber hue. While it simmers in the pot, the fat and impurities are stripped off its surface.

Bisque

Bisque is made by extracting flavours from crabs, lobsters, and shrimp by simmering. When it is made like this, ground shellfish are used to thicken the liquid and enhance its flavours. Rice can also be used for thickening, as the starches released from the white grains thicken the broth perfectly.

Cream

The base of a cream soup is the roux, which is later combined with milk or cream for a thinner consistency. Tomato soup, mushroom soup, and chicken soup are some of the famous cream soups.

Potage

Potage is made by simmering meat with vegetables until all the ingredients slacken, and appear mushy and palatable. You’ll notice that the broth will have thickened considerably.

How Long Does Chicken Soup Last in the Fridge?

Once you’ve cooked and eaten your chicken soup, allow it to cool down before placing it in an airtight container and storing it into the fridge. It’s best to use the refrigerated chicken soup within 3 to 4 days, or to preserve it for longer try freezing it for up to 6 months. Bear in mind that the quality of chicken deteriorates quite rapidly, usually within the first couple of days, so you’re probably better off freezing your chicken soup, instead of letting it sit in the refrigerator. There’s nothing worse than planning to eat that yummy leftover chicken soup, only to find that it now carries a distinctly unpleasant smell, enough to have you throw the entire thing away!

How Long Does Homemade Soup Last in the Fridge?

Generally speaking, soup can be stored in the fridge, safe to consume for up to 3 days, though you should always taste your soup before attempting to reheat it. A clear, vegetable-based soup with some acidity from tomatoes, might last longer. Chicken soup usually lasts three to five days, whilst creamy soups will most likely last for three days. You might be surprised to know, that some soups can remain edible for almost an entire week when kept refrigerated. As long as the temperature of your fridge is kept at 2C. The storage length depends on how well the soup was cooled down, and what was in the soup.

How Long Does Vegetable Soup Last in the Fridge?

Vegetable soups, with some type of acidity, generally derived from tomatoes can be stored for up to 3 to 4 days. To maximise the shelf life of cooked vegetable soup, refrigerate the soup promptly in an airtight container. Alternatively, to further extend the shelf life of cooked vegetable soup, freeze it in an airtight container and it will remain preserved for about 4 to 6 months, but it can remain safe beyond that time. On the other hand, cooked vegetable soup that has been frozen and thawed in the fridge can be kept for an additional 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator before cooking.

What Happens to Soup Left Out Overnight?

While many have managed to keep their soup inside their cooking pot overnight, and have lived to tell the tale. Food that has been left out of the fridge for more than 2 hours should be thrown away. At room temperature, bacteria is prone to grow rapidly and can make you sick. Therefore reheating soups that have been sitting out for longer than 2 hours won’t be safe from bacteria. Sometimes the smell of the soup may remain the same as it did to begin with, and many may take this as an indication for the soup to be safe for consumption.

Best Soup Recipes

Many soup lovers like to experiment with all sorts of ingredients and flavours to add to their favourite soups. Whilst others prefer the classic vegetable or chicken soups to enjoy with their favourite sides like rice or bread. Let’s take a look at some delicious soup recipes for you to try:

• Chicken Soup
• Creamy Vegetable Soup

Chicken Soup

Chicken soup is a great evening meal to have, especially during colder nights. You can add some of your little twists of ingredients, to steer some of the flavours into your own hands. Flavours from garlic or ginger, and fresh herbs or onions, can create an overall impact on the potency of delicious flavours. Chop up your favourite vegetables, and allow them to simmer with bits of shredded chicken so that your soup will emerge, thick creamy and bursting with flavours. Add a dash of turmeric for that gorgeous herbaceous flavour, that’ll seep into your bread when dunked into its warm depth. You can most certainly try this recipe out for yourself, though I must warn you, the results might have you seemingly addicted!

Creamy Vegetable Soup

A warm bowl of freshly cooked, creamy vegetable soup is a cosy, comforting choice on one of those chilly evenings. From the simple ingredients living in your household, consisting of potatoes, frozen corn and peas, you’ll have this soup simmering in no time. This healthy vegan soup, gets its delicious creaminess from oat milk, but you can opt for some grated cheese and regular milk, if you’re not vegan. This recipe is quite reliant on the aromatic aspects of this soup. Paired with potent ingredients like garlic which is great for bringing forth heavily appreciated flavours!

So How Long is Soup Good For in the Fridge?

Judging by the type of soup you have made, chicken soup should be refrigerated 2 hours after it has been made, and is safe to consume within 4 days. Vegetable soups that have ingredients like tomatoes are acidic, allowing them to remain perfectly edible when refrigerated for up to 3 days. You might choose to freeze your soups, so that you can enjoy them for longer, but as long as the temperature of the fridge or freezer remains consistent, they should be perfectly safe to enjoy.

FAQs