Thermos Ramen Noodle Soup

Looking for a homemade ramen noodle soup recipe so you can ditch the packaged type? You’ve found just the recipe, and in this post, I’ll show you how to turn it into a thermos ramen soup you can pack for lunch!

This is a budget-friendly recipe that’s just as delicious as the classic and much better for you! Let me show you how to make it with ingredients you probably already have on hand.

Healthier Ramen Noodle Soup at Home

What kind of thoughts comes to mind when I say Ramen Noodles?  Maybe college days?  

Late-night study breaks? Living on a tight budget? A styrofoam cup of hot soup filled with yellow broth and dehydrated vegetables? Yes, all those things come to mind when I think of Ramen Noodles too.

I’ll tell you what doesn’t come to mind… a healthy lunch in a thermos like this one! Or a quick dinner that takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish!

Related: Top 5 Thermos Containers We’ve Tested

It’s been quite a few years since I had a cup of Ramen, but the thing I probably remember most about them was their convenience.

As parents, we’re always looking for something that is easy to put on the table, but sometimes that can mean sacrificing good nutrition.

We all know the original Ramen isn’t too high on the nutrition scale, but then again, isn’t that kind of how it goes in college?

Today, I’m here to share a homemade version of Ramen Noodle soup. Although it requires a few more minutes in the kitchen than the original styrofoam cup variety, I can promise you it is worth the extra effort.  

The flavors are simple, and many of the ingredients are probably already in your pantry.  

Bring the kids in the kitchen to help while you make it, and maybe, share a few stories from your college days while you’re cooking.

Ingredients

With simple ingredients you can recreate the classic ramen soup at home in a way healthier version! Here’s what you need:

• Olive oil: for cooking.
• Aromatics: garlic, carrots, leek or green onions, and ginger (optional).
• Vegetable broth: made at home or store-bought.
• Water: along with the broth, it’s the liquid we need for the soup.
• Soy sauce: adds a classic Asian flavor.
• Frozen peas: no need to thaw them before cooking!
• Whole wheat angel hair pasta: this super thin pasta is perfect for homemade ramen. Spaghetti also works.
• Salt and pepper: for seasoning.

 For the ingredient measurements, check the recipe card below.

How to Make Homemade Ramen Soup

This Ramen Soup is not only easy to assemble, but it’s convenient to store and refrigerate for future meals and thermos lunches. Here’s the step-by-step:

1. Saute the veggies
   In a large pot, over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Saute garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add carrots and leeks (or green onions, if using). Continue to saute until leeks/onions are translucent.
2. Add liquid and peas
   Add in vegetable broth, water, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes. Add in frozen peas and continue to cook on a low simmer until peas are no longer frozen. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Cook the pasta
   In a separate pot, bring water to a boil and add angel hair pasta. Cook until al dente and drain. Pasta remains separate from soup to keep it from getting soggy during cooking and storage.
4. Combine and serve
   To serve, place a small serving of pasta in a soup bowl and ladle Ramen soup over pasta. Serve immediately.

How to Pack Ramen for Lunch

Now that you know how to make this soup let me show you how to pack ramen for lunch!

1. Preheat the thermos container with boiling water. This step is optional, but it helps.
2. Heat the soup in the microwave or stovetop to a piping-hot temperature.
3. Drain the water from the thermos.
4. Fill the thermos with the very hot soup.
5. Close the thermos container and pack it inside a lunch bag.

Having a double-insulated thermos container is key when it comes to packing hot lunches and leftovers. You can check out a few of my favorite options in this post.

Keeping the Noodles from Getting Soggy

If you’re packing noodles for lunch in a thermos, they won’t get soggy before it’s time to eat.

However, if you’re cooking up a big batch of this homemade ramen to last for a week’s worth of lunches you will need to take one extra step to avoid bloated noodles a few days in.

To prevent the noodles from getting soggy during storage, you’ll want to store them separately from the broth. That’s right, unlike your standard chicken noodle soups, this is one where you cook the pasta and broth separately and then combine the two before serving or packing for lunch.

You can even extend the shelf-life of this recipe and freeze the pasta and broth in individual portions. Both will keep up to a month in the freezer; when you’re ready to pack lunch, thaw the ingredients and reheat them in a microwave-safe dish. Easy peasy!

If you are doing a Whole30, Family KickStart, or on the Paleo diet, you can try this same recipe with zucchini noodles as I did with my Healthy Homemade Ramen Recipe with Zoodles.

I love how easy it can be to make simple ingredient swaps that help make old favorite recipes healthier! You and your family don’t have to sacrifice having your favorite meals in order to eat clean.

After a decade of creating meal plans and healthy versions of my kids’ favorite meals, I created the 101 Packed Lunches ebook, where you can find easy and healthy recipes like this soup to solve lunch fast. Grab your copy here!

Homemade Ramen Noodle Soup

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 5 minutes mins

Total Time: 10 minutes mins

Delicious, budget-friendly ramen noodle soup recipe that’s just as good as the classic and much better for you!

5 from 24 votes

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ inch ginger, minced (optional)
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 1 medium leek or 2-3 green onions, white part only, sliced
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 2-3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 lb package whole wheat angel hair pasta
• Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

• In a large pot, over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Saute garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add carrots and leeks (or green onions, if using). Continue to saute until leeks/onions are translucent.
• Add in vegetable broth, water, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes. Add in frozen peas and continue to cook on a low simmer until peas are no longer frozen. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• In a separate pot, bring water to a boil and add angel hair pasta. Cook until al dente and drain. Pasta remains separate from soup to keep it from getting soggy during cooking and storage.
• To serve, place a small serving of pasta in a soup bowl and ladle Ramen soup over pasta. Serve immediately.

To Pack in a Thermos:

• Preheat the thermos container with boiling water. This step is optional, but it helps.
• Heat the soup in the microwave or stovetop to a piping-hot temperature.
• Drain the water from the thermos.
• Fill the thermos with the very hot soup.
• Close the thermos container and pack it inside a lunch bag.

Equipment

101 Packed Lunches

Thermos

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 219mg | Potassium: 338mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 3829IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 4mg