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What better way to pack a hot lunch than homemade chicken noodle soup in a thermos? It’s cozy, inviting, and an easy lunch you pack in less than 5 minutes with leftover soup.
Thermos Chicken Soup for School Lunch
Chicken soup always tastes better the next day, which is why packing it for a thermos lunch is a great idea! Not only do you save time, but it’s a great change of pace from the usual sandwich and wrap.
My homemade crockpot chicken noodle soup recipe yields 6 to 8 servings, so you should have plenty to make for dinner one night with enough for 1 or 2 lunches. Just cook it as directed, serve, and allow the remaining soup to cool down completely before refrigerating.
There are so many ways to fill a thermos container, and you can find some more delicious ideas like this in my lunch-packing guide:
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How to Pack Chicken Noodle Soup in a Thermos for Lunch
Now, it’s time to see how to pack this soup and any other recipe so it will still be hot when lunchtime rolls around:
- Preheat
Add enough boiling water to fill the thermos container to the fill-rim. Close. and allow it to sit for 5 minutes before draining. - Reheat
Meanwhile, add a portion of chicken soup to a microwave-safe dish and microwave until boiling (212F or 100C). It needs to be HOT. - Pack away
Use oven mitts to transfer the soup into the drained thermos container. Seal and pack the thermos in a lunch bag with desired snacks and an ice pack.
Looking for a good thermos container so you can pack ideas like this without the food going cold? You’ll find my top thermoses for school lunches here.
What to Pack for Lunch with Thermos Chicken Noodle Soup
To make this a balanced meal, add one or two of these healthy snack ideas to the bag. I’ve also included a video on how to pack hot foods with cold ingredients, so everything stays fresh.
- Sliced fruit
- Berries
- Applesauce packs
- Homemade Fruit Cups
- No-Bake Blondies
Chicken Noodle Soup in a Thermos
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound chicken breasts or thighs, boneless, skinless
- 4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 ½ teaspoon dried)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 leaf bay
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock/broth
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups uncooked pasta, wide egg noodles, spaghetti, or fusilli
Instructions
- In a large (6 quart) crockpot, place all the ingredients except the pasta. Cook for 6 hours on low heat or 4 hours on high.
- After 4 or 6 hours (depending on temperature), remove the chicken and chop into bite-size pieces. Place the chicken back in the crockpot.
- Add in the pasta, turn the heat up to high, cover, and cook for another 15-20 minutes, until pasta is tender.
- Discard the bay leaf, and serve the soup immediately.
To Pack in a Thermos
- To pack for lunch, preheat the thermos container with boiling water.
- Drain the water and fill the thermos with hot soup.
- Seal the container and pack it into a lunch bag with desired snacks and an ice pack, if needed.
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