Chicken Noodle Thermos Lunch Soup

This chicken noodle soup is easy to pack because the noodles are cooked separately and added to the thermos at the last minute. That keeps them from soaking up all the broth before lunch. Use cooked leftover chicken or simmer a small fresh breast directly in the soup.

Serves: 4
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 carrots, sliced into thin half-moons
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 6 ounces egg noodles
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method

1. Warm oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 5 minutes, stirring until the onion begins to soften.
2. Add garlic and thyme and stir for 30 seconds. Pour in broth, add chicken breast, and bring to a gentle simmer.
3. Cover partially and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until chicken reaches 165°F at the thickest part. Transfer chicken to a board and shred when cool enough to handle.
4. Meanwhile, cook egg noodles in a separate pot according to package directions. Drain and rinse briefly under cool water.
5. Return shredded chicken to the broth. Add salt, pepper, parsley, and lemon juice and simmer for 2 minutes.
6. For a thermos, preheat it with boiling water for 5 minutes, empty it, then add hot soup. Pack noodles separately and combine at lunchtime.

Variations

Use cooked turkey instead of chicken, or replace egg noodles with small pasta. Add frozen peas during the final 3 minutes. If the soup is for home rather than a thermos, cook noodles directly in the broth and add an extra cup of liquid.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate soup and noodles separately in covered containers for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat the soup until steaming and the noodles until hot, then pack according to the thermos manufacturer's instructions. Keep the thermos closed until lunch.

Read the lunchbox prep plan for a busy week and plan dinner leftovers as tomorrow's lunch for more ways to plan lunch. Add this recipe to the Lucru Home meal planner and list any missing ingredients before shopping.