Cold weather or not, soups are always a great idea to pack for lunch! They can be made ahead of time, served for dinner, and the leftovers packed for lunch later in the week. Plus, soup is always better the second day.
In this post, I am going to share with you my family’s favorite soups to bring to school and the office; and therefore, they are my best soups to pack inside a thermos for lunch!
What is the Best Thermos Container for Hot Soup?
If you want your soup to stay warm, you will NEED a durable thermos container to pack any of these delicious soups or hot lunch. Check out my top thermos picks to see which one is the right fit for your family.
Now that we got the “technical” out of the way, let’s talk about the recipes.
The best soups to pack in a thermos for lunch, in my book, are simple recipes that incorporate ingredients that I keep a stock of in my fridge or pantry.
That’s another reason I love using the Weekly Meal Plan for my family. The recipes always help me incorporate ingredients we love and leftovers make terrific thermos lunches!
Thermos Soup Recipes
Easy Chicken and Rice Lunch Soup
Easy chicken and rice soup recipe that’s full of veggies, tender rotisserie chicken, and rice.
Enchilada Soup – The Perfect Thermos Lunch!
Looking for a new soup to add to your winter meal rotation? Warm your family with the familiar flavors of cumin, chile powder and smoky paprika with this Enchilada Soup Recipe that comes together in minutes.
Veggie Mac and Cheese Soup Thermos Lunch Idea
Your kids are going to love this cheesy veggie mac and cheese in their thermos!
Grilled Cheese Dippers with Tomato Soup
Homemade grilled cheese dippers take an easy dinner idea & transform into a fun school lunch kids will love. Plus, an easy dippable veggie tomato sauce.
Thermos Ramen Noodle Soup
It’s like the packaged version we all know but so much better with fresh veggies and whole wheat pasta in a savory broth. Toss in leftover chicken for a little extra protein.
Chicken Noodle Soup in a Thermos
This list wouldn’t be complete without the classic Chicken Noodle Soup. It’s comfort food at it’s best. I recommend purchasing a rotisserie chicken, using half for another meal, and the rest to make this soup even more effortless.
Tomato Tortellini Soup in a Thermos
This creamy tomato tortellini soup is a quick and easy meal you can make for dinner or pack for a hot thermos lunch!
Lasagna soup
All the flavors of lasagna in a warm, hearty soup! Pack with Garlic Parmesan Rolls for dipping.
Mexican Bean & Veggie Soup
This hearty, robust soup is a great way to use up all those lone veggies in your fridge and pantry. Make it on the stove-top for a quick meal or set it in the slow cooker overnight, to pack in the morning.
These recipes also yield 6 to 8 servings, making them an excellent option for dinner one night and the leftovers for lunch. It’s all part of our meal plan routine, which includes recipes, prep tips, and a completed shopping list because we know that having a plan sets you up for success, especially when it comes to preparing meals and lunches.
How to Pack Soup in a Thermos
When packing soup for lunch, it’s important that you keep everything hot! Make sure that the soup is piping hot before placing it in the thermos. While the soup is heating up, you can preheat the thermos as well. I’ll walk you through the process step-by-step in the video below so you can pack hot soup lunches all winter long.
How to Freeze Soup for Future Lunches
Go for it! These recipes are 100% freezer-friendly. Place the chilled soup into a large freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months for a family-sized meal.
For a thermos serving, transfer 1 cup to 1 ½ cups of chilled soup into a quart freezer bag. This will vary by thermos but a 1 cup is a decent lunch serving.
To use, thaw in the fridge before heating and enjoying.
Which one of the soups above will you make first?
Christy
If making soup, my son likes lipton chicken noodle from box, I make the soup in am and then add to thermos how do u do it so the noodles r not mushy?
MOMables-Laura
Hi Christy, I can’t really provide any tips to prevent the Lipton noodles from getting mushy. Soup mix pasta has a different, softer texture than dried noodles used in homemade soup.