Hi Mavis!
I am in the process of planning a baby shower for a close friend, and I would like to do a big salad and a few soups as the lunch. But in an effort to plan ahead, I’d like to start making the soups now and freeze them, so that next month {shower time!} all I have to do is thaw and dump in a crock pot!
So that’s where I turn to you. You have so many recipes to pick from, but do they all freeze well? Some seem to be cream based, so I wouldn’t think so. Thoughts??? Suggestions???
Thank you from a very cold Michigan!
~ Megan C.
First of all, I love the idea of planning ahead to make setting everything up on baby shower day easier. Also, I think serving soup for a winter baby shower is a marvelous idea. Because seriously, who wouldn’t like a bowl of soup and some bread in the middle of February if they lived in Michigan? I know I would.
Soup is such a comforting food, plus serving soup and salad at a party is a nice change from the typical pickety bits or all dessert buffets people tend to set up while hosting parties at home.
Currently, my favorite soups are:
- Copycat Panera Tomato Bisque Soup
- Copycat Panera Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- 8 Can Chicken Taco Soup
- Leftover Mississippi Pot Roast Stew
We have frozen all of the soups listed above, and once thawed and re-heated, they all tasted great. But we all have our favorites, and I know there are some out there with dietary restrictions, so I am hoping by sharing your comment on the blog today, we’ll be able to get other members of The One Hundred Dollars a Month family to chime in and offer their suggestions and/or links to their favorite soup recipes as well. 🙂
Here’s to a great party,
~Mavis
Dear Reader,
If YOU have any soup suggestions {or awesome baby shower ideas} for Megan, please leave a comment for her on the blog today. 🙂
Mel says
Creamy soups can freeze just fine. They’ll often look broken or curdled when thawed, but they go back to normal once reheated. I freeze corn and cheese chowder and things like it all the time. Potatoes will change texture a bit if frozen, and green onions can taste awful after freezing, so you may want to add those after thawing, but I find cream, cheese, and roux-based soups to be freezer friendly.
I usually shoot for variety, so perhaps one brothy soup, one creamy soup, and one stew or chili-like soup. If you happen to know about guests with food restrictions, I’d make sure to have at least one soup work for them. If you don’t want to make sides, you could always get an assortment of crackers to serve and some fresh toppings (sliced green onions, grated cheese, chopped chives, sour cream, crumbled bacon, etc.).
For the salad, I would keep any foods that conflict with guests’ food restrictions separate (e.g., bacon on the side to accommodate vegetarians) so that you don’t have to make entirely separate versions of the salad. You could offer different dressings (bottled or homemade) to compliment the soups (e.g., cumin lime dressing for chicken tortilla soup).
Mavis posted my go-to list of freezer meals a while back, and there’s a section with soups that might be useful. I’ve actually already found more soups than are listed, but it’s a good start! https://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/mels-big-list-of-freezer-meal-recipes-and-freezer-meal-cooking-tips/
I’m sure your friend will love whatever you put together! If you notice she particularly likes any of the soup offerings for the shower, you could make and freeze another batch for her to have once the baby arrives.
Tracy W says
That is a wonderful idea for a freezer meal themed group gift for the Mother to be. Everyone bring a frozen meal or soup and a recipe card and Mom and family are set when the baby arrives. I’ll tuck that idea away for future use.
Thanks Mel!
Michelle Counter says
I am expecting baby #6 and I would totally love a baby shower with a fill the freezer theme. So very smart. I always decline showers since I have a big family and have most necessary baby items, but I will definitely keep this idea in mind for future showers for friends and family.
Gwenn Ferguson says
That is a great idea for a shower gift. My niece is having her first baby in June and loves to eat “from scratch” cooking. She’ll have plenty of stuff for the baby so a freezer full of easy meals would be great.
Brianna says
I have had success freezing bean based soups: ham and bean, chili’s, split pea, etc. I have not had good luck with any pasta or barely based soups: chicken noodle, minestrone, Scottish broth, etc. I have had good luck with Mediterranean style and Asian soups as long as the veggies are not overcooked and the leafy greens have not been added and the dumplings are frozen separately. In regards to cream based soups, we prefer to stir the cream or sour cream into them before we eat, so I freeze without the dairy component: chicken tortilla, loaded baked potato (the potatoes taste funny frozen), Etc. I am pretty new to freezer meals, so I have had more failures than successes.
I love your baby shower idea of soups and salad. My baby shower had a loaded baked potato bar and nacho bar and I remember the food as it was so different from the typical baby shower foods.
Bea says
Split pea soup with ham or diced kielbasa and chicken tortilla soup freeze well. I have frozen both and taken the soups to ladies retreats. Those are our favorite go-to recipes. Put them in a crock pot and I add just 1 potato (cubed, very small) to the split pea soup and by the time it’s hot the potato is cooked.
Serve soups with tortilla, corn bread/ mini muffins (made ahead and froze also), bread sticks or rolls. The breads can be made ahead and frozen or just picked up from the store the day before your event. Easy peasy.
Mel – great idea to make extra for the mom to be to take home. I’m sure that would be greatly appreciated.
Honeybee says
I have served Ina Garten’s Mexican Tortilla soup at many winter gatherings. It is easy to make and freezes well.
Good for you planning ahead and cooking ahead. This will allow you to enjoy the party too!
Joanne says
we just had a baby shower for my niece. We also did soups and a salad bar. The chili froze ahead beautifully. For the salad bar, we served a bowl of greens and all of the other ingredients were in separate bowls. Some of the fixings were mushrooms, tomatoes, cucumbers, chopped eggs, onions and croutons. It was a big hit
Grandma Loy says
This sounds like such a good idea. Here is a recipe for a great split pea soup without ham or bacon that would be good for vegetarians if you used vegetable broth instead of chicken. I have been making this for years. It is hubby’s favorite. He just had some from the freezer for lunch today. I freeze in single servings in zip-top bags which I lay flat so they can be defrosted quickly in hot water or the microwave.
Split Pea Soup from Woman’s Day
1 lb. split peas, green or yellow (2 1/4 c.) picked over to check for rocks, etc.
5 c. water
1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth
1 lg. onion, chopped
2 med. carrots, sliced
2 lg. cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. thyme leaves, crushed
1/2 t. pepper
3/4 t. salt
Put ingredients in a 4-qt. heavy saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil, simmer 90 min., stirring occasionally until peas are soft. Makes 4-6 servings.
Margaret Hudgins says
I do the same recipe, but I add a medium potato to the mix..
Gwenn Ferguson says
Jeffrey from Pressure Luck has a great recipe for minestrone soup. It is meatless and full of veggies (I’d add more veggies and skip the kidney beans, but that’s just me) and very satisfying. It’s kind of one of those soups that you can just add what you have and it would still be great.
It is currently crazy cold here on the western shore of Lake Michigan and now that we are talking about soup I feel the need to make this, with some herbie focaccia of course.
Gwenn Ferguson says
Edit to my comment…..they pasta would get yucky in the freezer, so that could be left out until service. Provide bags of cute pasta to go with the soul.