Can I freeze soup greens?

[123LuckyMom]

I'm making a from-scratch chicken soup today. My supermarket had no packaged soup greens this time, so I had to buy a bag of parsnips, a bunch of leeks, etc. since I'm not planning to make another batch of soup for a while, can I freeze the leftovers so they'll be ready for another soup down the road. I'd be freezing:
celery
carrot
onion
turnip
leek
parsnip
parsley
dill
All are raw. I'd prepare them the way I would to make a soup and bundle them in cheesecloth, then freeze in a container. Could I then just chuck them frozen into a pot with the raw chicken and water the next time I want to make a soup?

[Percycat]

I think it is an excellent idea - especially since you plan to use them in cheesecloth for seasoning. I freeze vegetables and herbs to use all winter. I've not cooked much with turnip or parsnip, but don't really see why they would present a problem.

[123LuckyMom]

I think it is an excellent idea - especially since you plan to use them in cheesecloth for seasoning. I freeze vegetables and herbs to use all winter. I've not cooked much with turnip or parsnip, but don't really see why they would present a problem.

Thanks! I know if you freeze sweet potatoes they can get mushy. That might happen to the parsnips and turnip, but I don't know if it will matter since we won't actually be eating them.

[Liziz]

If you're just using them for the broth, then yes, go for it! I keep a bag in my freezer at all times that I fill with any and all vegetable scraps or leftover veggies I have, and then I use that to make broth...it works great and if you're not actually eating the veggies, it doesn't matter. Taste will still be awesome!

[123LuckyMom]

If you're just using them for the broth, then yes, go for it! I keep a bag in my freezer at all times that I fill with any and all vegetable scraps or leftover veggies I have, and then I use that to make broth...it works great and if you're not actually eating the veggies, it doesn't matter. Taste will still be awesome!

Fantastic! I'm going to put all the extras in the freezer today and liberate my veggie drawer for all the greens that are hanging out in the regular fridge for lack of space. Thanks!

[vludmilla]

Can you post your recipe?

I make homemade broth and chicken soup regularly but I've never added leeks, parsnips, etc. to the broth, but I'm intrigued. Do you add these extra veggies more for taste or nutrition?

[123LuckyMom]

Can you post your recipe?

I make homemade broth and chicken soup regularly but I've never added leeks, parsnips, etc. to the broth, but I'm intrigued. Do you add these extra veggies more for taste or nutrition?

This is my grandmother's recipe, and it was probably her grandmother's, so I just follow it blindly! The broth is really lovely and flavorful, though, so I have no intention of messing with it!

I tie in cheesecloth:
An onion, no skin, quartered or in large chunks
A large carrot, peeled, cut to fit
A stalk of celery with leaves on, cut to fit
A purple turnip, peeled, cut in large chunks
A parsnip, peeled, cut in large chunks
A leek, cut to fit
A lot of fresh dill
A little fresh parsley

I put that at the bottom of a big pot with a cut up chicken (a kosher pullet is best, but I usually just use a supermarket fryer and take it to the butcher to cut it. I don't use the giblets.) I fill the pot with cold water to cover the contents and heat to boiling skimming the scum off the top.

Simmer for one hour covered. Meanwhile cut up a bunch of carrots. I do it in disks. After the first hour, I add the cut carrots and salt. Simmer for another hour covered (so 2 in total). Then I remove the chicken and the veggie bundle from the pot leaving the carrots in there. I let the chicken and bundle cool until I can get all the meat off the bones. I save the driest white meat for other stuff and put the rest back into the soup. Then I squeeze all the juice out of the veggie bundle. All that juice goes back into the pot. The pot goes in the fridge overnight. I skim the fat off the top in the morning and freeze most of the soup for later.

This soup is just clear broth, carrots, and chicken. I often add matzoh balls or noodles. For veggie heavy, hearty soup, I make soup from the carcass of a roasted chicken, but this broth is just delicious on its own.

ETA: These veggies and herbs are, I think, pretty standard for soup greens. They often come packaged together in the supermarket produce section.