My Grandmother’s Old-Fashioned “Soup Bag” Trick I Still Use Every Day

Growing up, I would spend every summer at my grandmother’s house. She was a fabulous cook, had seemingly infinite tricks up her sleeve, never wasted food, and could quickly whip up nutritious and delicious meals in a jiffy. A few years ago, she decided to share some of her best cooking tips with her grandchildren. That’s when she showed me her “soupmania” freezer trick, the secret to all her lip-smacking soups. 

My grandma taught me about a brilliant, old-school trick that makes sure no produce or protein goes to waste. The trick was simple: Instead of throwing away edible odds and ends while you’re prepping a meal, this hack turns them into a future meal via broth, stock, or soup itself.

The trick involves keeping a designated “soup stock” bag in my freezer. Whenever I have vegetable scraps (like onion peels, carrot bits, or celery ends), or a leftover portion of a protein that I can’t use within a week, they go straight in the bag. After a few days, I have all the ingredients I need to make a delicious and hearty soup without having to buy anything.

Back home, I decided to give it a try. I began the process by picking a basic Ziploc slider bag and making it my “soup stock” storage vessel. You can choose the size of your bag or container depending on how much space you have and how much you’ll want to store at any given time.

Initially, I had to remind myself to save all the scraps from my cooking, as I was so used to tossing everything in the compost. I live with my husband, so I had to get him on board as well. The first few attempts required a little extra effort, but after a while, it became second nature. We started by saving scraps of onions, tomatoes, green chilis, spinach, and other veggies, then started adding small pieces of chicken and turkey, too. 

Before we knew it, a soup from our “soup stock” bag became our regular meal every Monday night! It’s perfect for when we’re too tired to cook but still want something nutritious — and it’s been tasty every single time.

The reason why the “soupmania” freezer trick works is because it’s both simple and flexible. We cook every day, and it just adds a few extra seconds to our cleanup time (if any), and it reduces our waste output. And when we’re making the soup, we don’t need to follow a recipe; we just use what’s in the bag. Sometimes, when there isn’t any protein in the bag, we pair the bag with fresh chicken. 

The financial and time-saving benefits were visible immediately. Instead of spending $15 to $20 on ingredients for a healthy veggie or chicken soup, our meal is basically free. And if you’re worried about any leftover produce smells, the freezer totally contains them. So it’s a win-win-win!

Additionally, with this trick, there isn’t a question of what to make for dinner. If there’s something left over, it simply goes into the bag, and we pretty much always have something in it. We don’t even have to think about it! Over time, our “soup stock” bag has become a savior against takeout costs, food waste, and decision fatigue. My grandma would be so proud!