How can I reuse or recycle out of date packet soup?

Karen left a question on the Suggest an Item page:

Hi! I found out of date instant soup packets. Any ideas?

I presume by “out of date” Karen means its beyond the “best before” date – and if so, chances are, that soup is just fine and will be just fine for a good while after the marked date. (The UK government has announced they’re going to get rid of “best before” dates to reduce food waste – let people make their own judgements about whether stuff is fine to eat/drink or not, however long it is since it was produced. “Use by” dates on fresh food will remain but “best before” and “display until” [a stock rotation guide for shops] are disappearing. Anyway, back to Karen’s soup…)

If the soup is still good despite being “out of date”, then as well as being used as just soup, it could be used in place of stock in certain recipes – the flavour of the soup will obviously dictate where it can/should be used but it’s quite commonly used in casseroles and Google tells me that some people use (presumably beef-y, onion or mushroom) mixes to add flavour to meat when making hamburgers or tacos etc.

I know a lot of people reading this will prefer to make soups from scratch at home but does anyone have any other ideas for things Karen could do with the soup?

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5 Responses to “How can I reuse or recycle out of date packet soup?”


  1. K says:

    Some flavours of soup can be used to make dip, just mix it with sourcreme or whatever

  2. lizzie ault says:

    My granny used to make the best home-made vegetable soup and do you know what her secret was? She would often chuck a cup-a-soup in to enhance the flavour! You really couldn’t tell she’d used a ready-made soup. Perhaps Karen could try that?

    I am please to hear that best before dates are on the way out. I think it will make a big difference to the amount of food waste in the uk.

  3. Linda says:

    I concur with throwing it into a homemade soup or stew. If it’s beyond eating then dilute in a bucket of water and chuck on compost or to stock (if they need salt supplementation).

  4. Karen says:

    Hi! Sorry for the spelling mistake, I’m from Holland, that’s why. I like making my own soup but we bought some for a camping holiday. Thanks for the tips, I think using it in a home made soup is a good idea, as we don’t use it the normal way.
    Karen

  5. Olia says:

    Dilute in a bucket of water and feed the plants.



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