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
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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What to Pack 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
- Cookie Dough Bites
- No-Bake Blondies
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 some great options in this post.
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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