There’s nothing like a bowl of soup when it’s a little chilly, when you need a little comfort, or you’re just plain not feeling well. Soup is, as they, say, good food. It also happens to be one of the simplest things you can do if your meal prepping.
What Are the Benefits of Meal Prep?
- Save time! You cook once, and reheat the rest of the week. So easy and fast! You don’t have to waste time trying to figure out what to make every night. Or every day for lunch. Or breakfast!
- Save money! If you’re buying only what you need in order to make your meals, it’s easier to stay within your budget. It helps you to avoid impulse buys at the grocery store or costly takeout when you haven’t already planned. (See the first point about saving time!)
- Healthier eating! When you’re cooking at home, you already know what goes into your food. The best soup recipes include whole, nutritionally dense, ingredients that you get from your local store or farmers market.
How to Meal Prep Soup
You can assemble the components of your soup separately if you want, or do some batch cooking to help prep speed up the process. You can also make a double batch of soup and then freeze it–this is also helpful for those busy weeknights when you’re pressed for time after work. It just takes a little planning ahead of time..
Basically, meal prepping soup typically involves combining a few different types of ingredients:
- Veggies (all different kinds work)
- Protein (chicken, pork, shrimp, beef)
- Plant-based protein (lentils, beans)
- Grains (pasta, rice, barley and pseudo-grain like quinoa)
- Herbs/spices/seasonings
- Dairy (milk, cream, cheese)
Tips for Meal Prepping Soup
- We like to use Souper Cubes for soups that are going to right to the freezer! But you can prep with them, too if you like.
- Soups with a LOT of heavy cream in them or other dairy don’t tend to freeze as well as those without. The soup may “break” when you reheat it, resulting in a grainy texture that’s unappetizing.
Related: How to Reheat Frozen Soup in the Microwave
If you’re not sure what to do with all of those ingredients, try one or all of these 5 different recipes and see which ones work best for you for meal prepping!
Meal Prep Soup Recipes
Homemade Tomato Soup With Lentils
Tomato soup is perhaps the ultimate comfort food. This recipe involves lentils, which definitely turns a lighter soup into a more substantive meal, and skips cream (unless you want it–if you opt for cream, just know this soup won’t freeze and reheat as well). Ultimately, this soup is made for dipping bread or a grilled cheese sandwich into.
Cozy Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
Fun fact: lots of soups are vegan, but this one in particular uses nondairy milk for a creamy taste. Expect lots of delicious veggies, some chickpeas for added protein and six servings–which means you can freeze some very easily!
Broccoli and cheddar are totally made for each other in this meal prepped soup that works equally well with broccoli or cauliflower. We love this for lunch or dinner with some crusty bread and a big salad.
Chicken tortilla soup is great with some leftover chicken in it! It’s loaded with veggies like corn, bell pepper, tomatoes, and onions. But honestly it’s all about what you top it with. Cheddar cheese? Sour cream? Avocado? Yes to all of it, please, and serve with some tortilla chips, of course.
The Best Slow-Cooked Beef Chili Recipe
Let this one simmer for a long time on the stove. You know how chili is; the longer it sits, the better it tastes. Ground beef, some spices, tomatoes, and you’ve got chili for days until of course you’re ready to freeze it. Chili freezes very well.
Naturally, when it’s time to reheat that soup, you’re going to want to microwave it. We even have preferences about the best microwave soup bowl. It makes a difference, it really does!