Favorite Plant-Based Freezer Foods
There are several foods that I always keep in my freezer. Freezing food can save time and money when done right. I’m not talking about frozen veggies but I try to keep those handy also. Here is my list of my favorite plant-based freezer food.
Cooked Whole Beans
I buy and cook dry beans in bulk then freeze them in individual or family size portions. When I’m out of beans I’m tempted to use canned, which may be ok but they are more expensive and often high in sodium and sometimes weird ingredients. If you’ve never bought and cooked dry beans is really easy, check out my How to Cook Dry Beans Guide.
Once your beans are cooked and cooled just chose a container, I sometimes use freezer bags or plastic container (I have little boys so I’m not ready to convert to glass), label and store. I’ve successfully stored several varieties of whole beans, including lentils. You can drain them or freeze them in the liquid, which ever you prefer.
Cooked beans can be added to a number of dishes or eaten plain. Next time you plan to cook beans just double it and freeze half.
Unfried Beans
If you have tried my Unfried Black Beans or Unfried Pinto Beans you know they are life changing! They also freeze really well, even more life changing. These are perfect for Nachos or Burritos (which are also great to freeze).
Grains
I often cook grains in bulk and sometimes it ends up being way more than we can eat. Simply choose a container, label and freeze. Some grains may lose their texture slightly. I prefer to use frozen grains in soups or casseroles because they usually need more liquid. Most of the time I freeze rice or quinoa since they are both gluten-free.
Muffins and Breads
Do you ever have company come over and need a snack for a crowd? Maybe you are doing to a birthday party and need an allergy-friendly treat for you little one. Freezing Breads and Muffins are the perfect solution. If you need gluten-free baked goods I recommend Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins (with or without chocolate chips), Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins, or Gluten-Free Apple Muffins.
If gluten isn’t an issue you simply must try my recipe for Worlds Best Banana Bread, this delicious Pumpkin Bread or my Blueberry Muffins.
Soups and Chili
I always try to save at least one serving of soup or chili but I love them so much it is hard to resist finishing it all. I usually store these in wide mouth containers so I can easily dump them in a pot to defrost. I don’t think I’ve tried freezing soups with noodles but I’ve been successful with several different veggie based soups including Potato & Broccoli Soup, Green Chili, Cilantro & Lime Soup, Enchilada Soup and Taco Soup. Chili also freezes really well. Try freezing it in individual portions so you can grab it quickly for lunch. Simply let it defrost throughout the morning then heat at lunch time.
Mashed Potatoes
One year we made way to many mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving but I learned a valuable lesson, Mashed Potatoes freeze really well. I prefer to store them in a containers that can easily be dumped into a bowl for defrosting. You could even whip up a big batch before the holidays to save time, just don’t forget to defrost the day before.
Chocolate Mousse
Although it’s a little too cool for frozen treats I can’t help but mention how delicious Chocolate Mousse is frozen. It’s perfect in Popsicle molds or even in a shallow dish.
What is your favorite plant-based freeze food?
Ohhh I clicked on about 5 links from this post – time to go explore!
Thanks Jessica! Freezing food makes my life so much easier. I prefer frozen to canned most of the time, just this weekend I used up most of my frozen black beans in chili!
Great tips Holly! I don’t typically ever freeze food, but I know I should. I do cook large pots of food and we eat off of it for a few days though.
I have to make a conscious effort to get stuff in the freezer but I’m always so glad I do. Especially beans!
I love to keep homemade pesto and marinara in the freezer. Such a lifesaver!!
Great idea! I have a monster basil plant that I need to get to work on. Freezer pesto sounds perfect!
I adore freezing beans. It makes life so simple. We got 25 lbs of garbonzo beans from Bountiful Baskets for just $19. I cooked them up. It took three crock pots 3 days to do, but they are put up and I am sure I will get a year out of them! 🙂
I wish I could find beans for that price!! Where I live we can’t get them cheaper than $1.19 a pound and we go through SO much!
Do you have anything like a Cash and Carry store? We have one, it is not a membership place and it sells beans 25lbs for $19-$21. I hope you can find a place because although $1.19 isn’t horrible-particulary when compared to meat prices-teh cheaper the better.
That is a lot of beans! I wouldn’t be able to fit them in my freezer!
I love your recipes. Usually I cook a big batch of food on Sunday and freeze about half of it. Then during the week it’s easy to find a variety of meals ready to go.
Ilene, sounds like you are doing a great job. I really need to focus on eating all of the food I have frozen because my freezer is full. I need to start over with a clean slate. 🙂