Somehow, just like that… Fall is upon us. And while I appreciate the beautiful colors and smell of cool, crisp air in the morning… Fall is also reminder of the coming months of bitter cold and snow and the stress and pressure of preparing for the holidays. But it’s also an opportunity to break out soup recipes! I usually only make soup seasonally in the fall and winter, and it’s always fun to add these recipes back to my rotation. I’m going to share some of my favorite soup hacks with you!
Hack #1: Save containers from store bought soup to store your homemade soup leftovers!
I love that a soup recipe usually feeds my family for two meals, or leaves enough leftovers for lunch for one or two. I also always buy a two pack of broccoli cheddar soup at Sams Club to have on hand for quick dinners. (Bonus hack – this tastes nearly the same as Panera’s broccoli cheddar!) When I empty the containers, I don’t recycle them. I remove the label, wash, and save for later! These containers are more space saving than some of my other large containers, and I know if one is full, it’s the perfect amount for one meal for our family of 2 adults and 2 littles if I serve with a salad, grilled cheese, bread, or cheese and crackers.
These containers are also great for our summer monarch rearing (read more about how to do that yourself here)
Hack #2: When you cook chicken by boiling on the stove or in the instant pot, save the water to use as broth in your next soup.
I always add some herbs and seasoning (usually rosemary, black pepper, salt, bay leaf, garlic or garlic powder, and occasionally a sprinkle of cumin) when I cook chicken. Once you remove the chicken, run the remaining water full of the juices and flavor through a strainer to catch any big particles. Let it cool and then measure out into freezer bags and label, date, and freeze! Pull out the morning you are going to make soup to defrost. I also have no shame in subbing canned chicken in my soup when I’m short on time – It shreds so easily. If you do buy broth – look for the variety with less sodium. You can always add salt if needed but you likely won’t miss it.
Hack #3: Use reusable ice cubes to cool soup for littles
My kids refuse to eat anything that’s too hot… I hate watering down soup with regular ice, so instead we use the plastic water filled reusable cubes like these. Plus the fun colors and shapes they come in make eating soup more fun for the kiddos… A win for everyone. Also works for adults who don’t like their soup too hot… No judgment here!
Hack #4: Make your soup recipe go farther
I usually measure most soup ingredients with my heart. It’s pretty easy to sneak in some extra veggies or add more broth than the recipe calls for and make that recipe last for more meals. Especially if the soup has noodles – the leftovers tend to soak up the liquid and sometimes you have to add more broth when you reheat or you’re eating goulash.
What are some of your favorite hacks and tricks for making soup? Do you make it seasonally or all year round? What are some of your favorite recipes? We would love to hear in the comments below!
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