The Dos and Don'ts of Brown-Bagging Soup For Lunch

POPSUGAR Photography | Anna Monette Roberts
POPSUGAR Photography | Anna Monette Roberts

Salads, especially those of the mason jar variety, might win out in a popularity contest, but soup is just as good a brown-bag lunch option. Most recipes reheat well, are hearty without inducing a food coma, and are easy to pack, provided you follow a couple of simple guidelines:

  • Don't pack your soup in any old resealable container. The potential for messy spills in your bag is too high. Do bring soup to work in a pint or half-liter mason jar or a container with a locking snap-on lid.
  • Do bring garnish items like fresh herbs, grated cheese, or croutons in a separate container, adding them to the soup after reheating so as to maintain their fresh flavor and texture.
  • Don't reheat your soup in one go, as it will heat unevenly, leaving gummy, overcooked edges. Instead, pour the soup into a microwave-safe bowl and heat in one-minute intervals, stirring between, until hot.