Cozy Asian Soup Recipes I Keep In My Freezer
The busiest seasons are also often the coldest season, and when the weather’s changing, sometimes you just need some Cozy Asian Soups ready in the freezer. When you’re feeling under the weather or just completely exhausted after a long day, the last thing you want to do is chop vegetables or wait hours to eat. Having a stash of homemade healing Asian broths, creamy veggie soups, and braised stew bases frozen and ready to go is an absolute game-changer. Now, I can have all the labor-of-love dishes when I actually need it, ready in a few minutes. It’s the ultimate sick or busy day hack. So, here are the cozy Asian soup recipes I LOVE keeping in my freezer for cold weather season!
Flavorful and Healthy Vegetarian Soups
Curry Lentil Soup
This hearty curry lentil soup is so perfect for batch cooking! Since Dom is always hungry at night, this is the type of soup we always make so we can reheat for a quick late night bowl of soup that’s healthy and filling. Cook up a huge batch and let it cool before freezing it in soup blocks or airtight quart containers. When you’re ready to eat, just drop the frozen block straight into a pot with a tiny splash of water, cover, and let it melt over medium heat. Serve with some croutons for extra crunch!
Spicy Soft Tofu Stew
Korean Spicy Soft Tofu Stew is so so comforting. Freezing soft tofu actually changes its texture a little, turning it super spongy. But, it drinks up all that spicy, garlic-chili kimchi broth like magic. Freeze the whole stew together, then thaw and reheat in a pot whenever you’re ready to eat. Once it’s bubbling, just crack a fresh egg right on top, or add any extra ingredients you’d like: spam, mushrooms, fish balls, or more fresh veggies. Then, garnish with scallions for that authentic Korean diner vibe at home.
Vegetarian Hot and Sour Soup
Hot and Sour Soup is such a nostalgic Taiwanese classic that warms you up from inside out! This classic freezer staple is packed with wood ear mushrooms, tofu, and bamboo shoots, and it thaws like a total dream! Freeze the fully cooked soup as-is. When you reheat it in a pot on the stove, the heat will naturally mute some of the tang. So, serve with a fresh splash of black vinegar, a drizzle of sesame oil, and a pinch of white pepper to bring back that bright, fiery kick!
Miso Roasted Cauliflower SOup
This Miso Roasted Cauliflower Soup is the ultimate freezer hack because it freezes as smooth as silk! I actually love meal prepping with this recipe. Roast, blend, and freeze the soup base in portions. When you reheat it on the stove, give it a good whisk as it warms up. You can also stir in a fresh splash of cream or milk to bring back that rich, velvety finish. Serve with a slice of freshly toasted bread, and it’ll be the coziest meal!
Light and Nourishing Sick Day Broths
Korean Chicken Soup
This super simple Korean Homestyle Chicken Soup is my absolute go-to whenever I feel a cold coming on. It’s so easy, even Dom can make it perfectly when I’m sick in bed. Shred the tender chicken meat right into the broth and freeze them together so the meat stays juicy. Reheat it covered on the stove until steaming hot, then top with a mountain of fresh green onions. Every time I take sip, I can feel myself getting revived!
Hainanese Coconut Chicken Soup
This Hainanese Coconut Chicken Soup is light, naturally sweet, and so soothing! This yummy chicken soup naturally rehydrates and nourishes you on days when you just need a boost. Freeze the coconut chicken broth with the chicken pieces inside. When you’re ready for a bowl, gently melt it down in a pot over medium heat. Keep it at a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil so the coconut flavor stays light and fragrant. You can add a splash of water or coconut water to help it melt!
Korean Daikon Oxtail Soup
Having this Korean Daikon Oxtail soup in the freezer anytime will save you on sick days. This is another classic Korean sick day soup that has everything you need for low appetite days. Skim the fat off the top of your chilled broth for an even lighter flavor. Then freeze the rich beef soup along with the melt-in-your-mouth oxtail and daikon radish. Reheat it on the stove until piping hot, and serve it with fresh scallions, black pepper, and a side of hot rice for the ultimate sick-day cure.
Tom Yum Soup
When my nose is all stuffed up and I can’t taste a lot, sometimes what I need is a spicy, sour bowl of Tom Yum Soup. The spices and heat helps me open up my sinuses and sweat it all out. Freeze this fiery lemongrass and galangal broth with all its deliciousness, but don’t add the lime juice yet. When you’re ready to eat, reheat the broth at a gentle simmer on medium heat to prevent over cooking the shrimp. Or, you can freeze your leftover soup without the shrimp, then drop in fresh raw shrimp for just 2 to 3 minutes until pink. Squeeze in fresh lime juice right before eating for that bright tartness!
“Just Add Noodles” Weeknight Dinners
Instant Pot Taiwanese Beef Noodles
When I’m homesick, nothing is cozier than a bowl of Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup. With this easy Instant Pot recipe, I can make a ton of the beef and broth base, and reheat whenever I feel that nostalgia. Slice the braised beef shank, and freeze the braised beef shank in the rich, spiced broth together in portions. When cravings hit, heat the beef and soup in one pot and add some vegetables, while cooking noodles in another. Combine them in a bowl, and you’ve got night-market quality noodles in 10 minutes!
Instant Pot pho
This Instant Pot Pho makes it so easy to have this delicious bowl of noodles in minutes anytime with the broth in the freezer. Make the broth in the Instant Pot, then strain spices, cook the tendon and beef balls, then freeze in portions. To serve, bring the broth to a scalding, rolling boil on the stove. Then get your rice noodles and sliced raw beef in a bowl, and pour in your hot broth right over the top. Serve with fresh herbs, and you’ll skip the hours of cooking when you’re REALLY craving it!
Easy Wonton Noodle Soup
If you’re like me and always have broth in the freezer, then this Easy Wonton Noodle Soup will be super easy. Trust me, have a wonton wrapping weekend where you can wrap and freeze A TON of wontons. Freeze your raw, homemade wontons flat on a baking sheet. Once they’ve hardened, toss them into a zip-top bag. When it’s dinner time, heat and season the broth in one pot, boil your frozen wontons (and fresh noodles!) in another pot of water, and assemble your bowl. It’s faster and better than takeout!
Rich and Hearty One Pot Homestyle Stews
Hong Kong Style Borscht
This cozy Hong Kong Style Borscht is one of those magical dishes that actually tastes better after being frozen and reheated! As the stew freezes and thaws, the tomatoes, beef shank, and sweet cabbage have extra time to break down and meld together, making the broth richer and the beef even more tender. Freeze it in individual portions, then melt a block down in a saucepan with a tiny splash of water over medium heat until piping hot!
Tofu Shrimp Ball Stew
This Tofu Shrimp Ball Stew is my favorite Grandma-approved recipe to make anytime! But, sometimes I just don’t have as much time to make it from start to finish. Start with making the tomato shrimp broths, and freeze the broth in portions. Make the raw shrimp balls, and freeze them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once hardened, move them into zip lock bags to store.
When you reheat the stew on the stove, reheat the broth on a simmer. Toss in soft tofu and frozen shrimp balls, and cook until the shrimp balls are pink and fully cooked. Optionally, add in noodles, or a handful of fresh baby bok choy or napa cabbage during the last 3 minutes so you can get extra veggies with every bite!
Taiwanese Cabbage Stew
I know, this Taiwanese Cabbage Stew isn’t exactly a soup. But, it’s one of my favorite soupy comfort food that is super easy to freeze. Braised napa cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, and fried tofu hold up amazingly well in the freezer. Freeze in portions either flat in freezer bags or in soup containers for easy stacking. Reheat in a pot with a little extra water. Sometimes, I also like to add glass noodles for a little extra substance!
