Made a big batch of vegetable soup last Tuesday and I'm not sure if it's still safe to eat. I've been keeping it in a sealed container in the fridge the whole time. Should I just toss it or is there a way to tell if it's gone bad?
The smell test is honestly your best friend here. If it smells off or sour at all, that's your signal to toss it. With soup made last Tuesday, you're definitely in the risky zone if we're talking late August - most homemade vegetable soups start declining after day 3 or 4. Even if it looks and smells okay, at that point the bacteria count could have gotten pretty high.
One thing worth knowing: if you've been lifting the lid and using it multiple times (like ladling portions out), that introduces new bacteria each time and shortens the safe window. A sealed container helps, but it's not foolproof. If you're uncertain and it's been more than 4 days, I'd lean toward tossing it rather than risking it - soup's easy enough to make again, and food poisoning isn't worth it.
Don't rely on the date alone - homemade vegetable soup typically lasts about 3-4 days in the fridge, and since you made it last Tuesday you're probably past that window. The safest move is to give it a smell test first; if it smells off or sour, toss it. Also check for any visible mold or cloudiness, and if the soup looks or smells fine but you're still unsure, it's better to pitch it than risk getting sick. If you want to keep big batches longer, freezing in portions is the way to go - soup freezes great for months.
Three to four days is the general rule, but honestly it depends a lot on what's actually in there - if your soup is mostly vegetables with broth and no meat or dairy, you might squeeze out day five or even six if it's been sealed the whole time. The real test is the smell: open it up and take a whiff, and trust that instinct way more than the calendar. If it smells off or tastes sour when you try a tiny spoonful, bin it. One thing people don't always think about - you can freeze soup in portions before it hits that three-day mark, so next time you make a big batch you're not stuck with this decision.
The smell and appearance test is your best friend here - if it smells off, looks slimy, or has any mold growing on top, don't risk it. Given that you made it last Tuesday and it's now Wednesday, you're definitely pushing past the safe window for vegetable soup (that's about 9 days, way beyond the 3-4 day mark the others mentioned). I once kept soup that long thinking the sealed container would keep it fine, and when I opened it, the smell alone told me everything I needed to know. If there's any doubt whatsoever, toss it - soup is cheap to make again, but food poisoning isn't worth it.
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