17 Comfort Food Thermos Lunch Ideas
Packing a Thermos lunch is a great way to save money, and the best lunches this time of year are lunches you can pack in a Thermos. With the days getting warmer but the nights still being a tiny bit chilly, it’s wonderful to have a homemade lunch that is both delicious and economical. Thermos lunches are totally portable and easy to eat at your desk if needed. You can pack extras if you wish, but all you really need is that Thermos and a spoon.
1. Easy Pasta Fagioli
If a warm thermos full of delicious Italian soup sounds like a great lunch, then give this easy pasta fagioli a try. Pack a side of garlic bread to go with it and lunch will be far more enjoyable than it has been in a while.
2. Hearty Fish Stew
A truly good New England-style hearty fish stew makes an amazing thermos lunch. Pack a green side salad and some garlic bread to round out the meal. This hearty meal is packed with delicious flavor you’ll definitely want seconds of.
3. Easy Black Bean Taco Soup
An easy lunch recipe is something we should all have in our back pocket. Something quick and simple we can throw together last minute for lunch the next day. This easy black bean taco soup is a great option. It’s rich, hearty, and filling. Serve with some tortilla chips or strips, piping hot from your thermos.
4. Spinach Lentil Soup
Healthier comfort food is something that needs to become way more popular than it is. It’s human to seek comfort from food. But if that food is healthy to boot, it becomes a win-win situation. This spinach lentil soup is a great example of just such a recipe. Pack a dinner roll or two to serve with this, and fill up on all that delicious fiber that will keep you full until dinner.
5. German Potato Dumpling Soup
Looking for a hearty and comforting soup that’s perfect for a comforting weekday lunch? Look no further than this delicious German potato dumpling soup recipe. The dumplings provide a satisfying heartiness, and the chicken will fill you up and keep you that way until dinner. This is great with a dinner roll on the side.
6. Sweet Potato Chowder
This sweet potato chowder with curry is a delicious, hot chowder that’s easy to pack in a thermos. It’s really hearty comfort food that warms your tummy with warming spices and delicious Eastern flavors.
7. Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Slow cooker white chicken chili is a comforting, brothy, delicious soup that you can make as mild or as spicy as you like. Add your favorite toppings right to the thermos, or pack them on the side. Pack some tortilla strips or corn tortillas to add last minute.
8. Southwestern Turkey Chili
Send the family to school or work with a bowl full of this Southwestern Turkey Chili. Pack a side of cornbread and a small green salad to round out the meal. This is a hearty dish that is protein-packed and quite satisfying.
9. Brothy Cheddar Broccoli Soup
This delicious soup is perfect for a thermos. Pack up this Brothy Cheddar Broccoli Soup with a side of garlic bread to complete the meal. This is a great soup for the lighter days of spring. It’s not thick, but it’s definitely full of cheddar goodness.
10. Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Soup
For a thermos full of homemade comfort, pack up some of this Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Soup. This soup is made using what’s left over from a rotisserie chicken dinner. It uses the whole bird, so nothing goes to waste. It’s homemade comfort food at its best.
11. Southwestern Butternut Squash Soup
If you love winter squash, this Southwestern butternut squash soup is a perfect lunch to warm your tummy. The southwestern flavors will warm you up while the squash fills your tummy with comforting warmth. It’s fantastic served with a side of cornbread.
12. Slow Cooker Lentil Soup
This Slow Cooker Lentil Soup is a super easy recipe because it will cook all day long, the day before you eat it. You don’t have to watch this one. In fact, this is a great dish to make for dinner and then use the leftovers to take for lunch the next day. It’s wonderful served with a dinner roll and a small green salad if you want a fuller meal.
13. Cherry Tomato Soup
This cherry tomato soup is a great way to use up a pound of small tomatoes. You can use cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes. Pretty much any tomato will work, but the small ones have the best flavor for a dish like this. Serve it hot from your thermos with a side of garlic bread for a delicious lunch.
14. Slow Cooker Tortilla Chicken Stew
This hearty slow cooker tortilla chicken stew is a stew the whole family will love. It’s delicious, satisfying, and definitely a treat to find inside your thermos. Round out the meal with a small green salad if you like, but this is truly a stand-alone dish, so you don’t need to pack extras.
15. Refried Bean Soup
Short on time but still want to pack a warm thermos? This refried bean soup is made in minutes with just three simple ingredients. All you have to do is whisk them together in a pot and warm the soup to the temperature you like best. Fill up your thermos, and lunch is ready to go. A side of cornbread would be amazing with this.
16. Taco Soup
Want to make sure everyone actually eats what you put into their thermos? Give them this taco soup for lunch, and those thermoses will definitely come home empty and scraped clean. Pick your favorite pasta shape for this one, and pack a few toppings on the side to add at lunch.
17. Potato Soup
Few soups satisfy or give comfort the way a good potato soup does. Pack up some garlic bread to go with it for a hearty and delicious lunch. Potatoes hold their heat easily, so this will definitely still be warm at lunch. This is a perfect recipe for any thermos, and you’ll love the home-cooked flavors this soup offers in abundance.
More From The Gracious Pantry
If you prefer sandwiches for lunch, I’ve got you covered there, too. Here’s a fabulous collection of healthy sandwich recipes that taste amazing.
This originally appeared on The Gracious Pantry.
