Miso soup is a traditional Japanese dish that’s often served alongside, or before, other foods. If you’ve ever been to a Japanese restaurant before you’ve likely had it. So, you’re probably aware of the deep, delicious, umami flavor that it has. It’s also quite a healthy food too and can improve gut health due to the high amount of probiotics it contains.
While miso soup is usually served alongside other foods, it can also be used as a stock for other dishes, which makes it quite a versatile soup.
When you make it you may either want to eat it immediately, refrigerate a smaller batch that you plan on using within a few days, or you can also make a large pot and freeze it.
By freezing a large portion you can have miso soup always available to either eat as a standalone meal, as a part of a larger meal or as a base for another dish. Whatever the reason is, it can very convenient to keep a bit of miso soup stored in the freezer.
Read on for our complete guide to freezing miso. I’ll explain exactly what happens to the probiotics when you freeze it, as well as how to safely and effectively thaw it.
Can Miso Soup Be Frozen?
So, can you freeze miso soup? Yes, miso soup certainly can be frozen! In fact, freezing is the best way to keep miso soup fresh for a long period of time. If you only have miso paste, you can freeze that too. Miso paste can be frozen for even longer than miso soup (one year versus six months).
There is one caveat, however. While miso soup will still be very good after being stored in the freezer for six months, the taste and texture might not be quite as good as when it’s freshly made. But that’s no different than many foods. Generally, food is tastiest when it’s cooked fresh and eaten immediately after.
Benefits of Freezing
Whilst it may not be quite as good as when it’s fresh. Miso soup that’s been defrosted will still be very delicious. By freezing miso soup, you can not only extend the life of miso soup, but you can also prevent food waste if you cooked too much that you won’t be able to finish within a few days.
You can also save time for yourself in the future by freezing it so you don’t have to fully prepare a batch of miso soup later on; you simply just need to defrost it and reheat it.
However, there are some important things that you should keep in mind in this process for the best results and to protect the probiotics that are in the miso.
Does Freezing Miso Kill Probiotics?
Probiotics are live microorganisms and/or yeasts that naturally live in your body – they are a part of the “good” bacteria that live primarily in your digestive tract. While many bacteria are considered “bad”, there are, in fact, many types of good bacteria that live symbiotically with us in our bodies, and probiotics are some of these. Probiotics are made of good bacteria that help to keep our bodies healthy and working well, maintaining a healthy balance.
Since they are live microorganisms, they can be affected by usual things that can help any live organism live or die. One of the most influential factors is temperature extremes. However, the difference between hot and cold temperatures has wildly different effects on probiotics. It’s only at extremely hot temperatures – the boiling point of water (100 degrees Celsius or 212 degrees Fahrenheit). But freezing doesn’t kill probiotics. Instead, when something like miso soup, which has many probiotics, is frozen, the bacteria are also frozen or “deactivated”. But they aren’t dead. Once they are defrosted (but kept below the boiling point) then they are active again.
In short, freezing miso doesn’t kill probiotics, and probiotics are killed when they are boiled. So, when cooking your miso soup it’s important to add it to water that’s not boiled, nor will it be boiled. Or else the probiotics will be killed.
How to Freeze Miso Soup
Freezing miso soup is very easy and doesn’t require much preparation. Here is how you do it:
- First, allow the miso soup to cool to room temperature.
- Next, pour the miso soup into the desired amount of freezer-safe bags (impermeable ones that won’t leak) or freezer-safe containers. Make sure to leave about one inch of headspace to allow for it to safely expand.
- Label the bag(s) or container(s) with the date and place them in the coldest area of the freezer.
Note, if you plan on storing the soup in freezer bags, first, make sure that they don’t leak. Secondly, label them before you add the soup as it’s much easier that way.
How Long Can You Freeze Miso Soup For?
Miso soup can be stored in either the fridge or the freezer. If it’s stored in the fridge it should be used within two or three days. Freezing it, on the other hand, will allow it to stay good for much longer. If you store it correctly, that is, in an airtight container, then miso soup can be frozen for up to six months.
How to Thaw Miso Soup
The majority of people like to make big amounts of miso soup to use as a stock in a variety of recipes.
Now that you know how to properly preserve miso soup, you’ll need to know how to properly defrost the frozen soup.
You may select from a variety of alternatives to find one that best matches your needs. Here are some of the best ways to thaw miso soup.
In the fridge
Place the frozen jar or container of miso soup in the refrigerator overnight to defrost before using it in any dish or eating it by itself. It may take a full day for the frozen material to entirely defrost.
After completely thawing, use the soup within 1-2 days. Refreezing is not advised since it may alter the flavor and taste.
On the stove
If you’re in a hurry, reheat frozen miso soup in a pot over medium heat to defrost it. To thoroughly defrost it, wait until it reaches a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you refreeze the soup after it has cooled to room temperature, the taste will be gone.
Running under cold water
Place the frozen miso soup container in a big mixing bowl and set it in your kitchen sink. Fill the dish halfway with cold water.
Ensure that the frozen soup container or plastic bag is thoroughly immersed.
Adjust the faucet so that the cold water flows smoothly over the frozen soup rather than rushing out. The soup may take one hour or more to thoroughly defrost.
Heating in a microwave
First, put the frozen soup into a microwave-safe bowl.
Then, make a few slits in the frozen soup package for ventilation. If you’re going to use a jar, make sure the lid is microwave-safe or leave it off.
Set the microwave to ‘defrost’ or ‘low’ and cook for about 1-2 minutes. If it’s not defrosted, continue at 30-second intervals until it’s thawed.
How to Reheat Miso Soup
Miso soup is best reheated in a small pan on the stove. Fill a chilly saucepan halfway with leftover miso soup and gradually reheat it over low to medium heat. To keep the miso soup from boiling, gently increase the heat. On the burner, reheat miso soup in around 5-7 minutes.
The stove is a quick and easy way to cook. You have a lot of control over how quickly the miso soup warms up, so making sure it doesn’t boil (which ruins the probiotics) is simple. This is how you do it:
- Fill a small pot halfway with miso soup.
- Warm the soup in the pot over a low heat setting.
- Gradually increase the heat to medium, being careful not to let the miso soup boil.
- Reheat for a further 5-7 minutes, or until the miso soup reaches a temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Serve right away.
Can You Refreeze Miso Soup?
No, you shouldn’t refreeze miso soup if possible. It may still be safe to eat assuming you didn’t leave it out at room temperature for too long.
But, the more times it’s defrosted and refrozen, the more the taste and texture will likely change.