Making mason jar salads each week totally revolutionized my meal prep practice. But as much as I love a beautiful jar of salad, I found myself craving warm, comforting foods during the cold weather months. Out of those cravings was born the idea for these instant soup jars!
Instant soup jars are my new favorite thing, and they couldn’t be easier! You prep ahead all the ingredients you need for a perfectly nourishing and comforting bowl of soup, in this case Chicken Zoodle Soup, and then all you have to do is add boiling water. Wait a few minutes, stir well, and magically, your soup comes out flavorful and delicious every single time!
With this method, you can “make” a fresh batch of chicken zoodle soup anywhere you have access to boiling water. This is a perfect option for an office lunch if you have access to a kettle or water cooler with hot water functionality. No more waiting in line for the office microwave!
Okay, how do you make these Meal Prep Instant Chicken Zoodle Soup Jars?
Making these instant soup jars couldn’t be easier—you just layer the ingredients in a glass jar, pop a lid on it, and then stash it in the fridge until you’re ready to eat. You can prep bunch of instant soup lunches in just a few minutes.
How do you make instant chicken zoodle soup in a jar?
This is also super easy! Pour boiling water over the ingredients in the jar, stir well, and then cover. Let “steep” for a few minutes to soften the veggies, and then enjoy!
Do the veggies get tender?
The veggies get pleasantly crisp-tender during the steeping time. If you prefer softer veggies, you can cut them into smaller pieces or steep longer.
Does this taste like “real” soup?
This soup tastes great thanks to one magical ingredient—high-quality chicken bouillon. You can use either bouillon powder, bouillon cubes, or liquid/paste boullion base. I tested this recipe with Knorr Selects Bouillon Powder, which I like because it has recognizable ingredients and tastes wonderful. The strength and saltiness of bouillon varies wildly, so I recommend testing your particular choice and erring on the side of too little before making a whole boatload of jars. You can always add more bouillon later, but it’s nearly impossible to make soup less salty!
Hold up. Won’t a glass jar break when you pour boiling water into it?
Glass breaks when it goes from one extreme temperature to the other (think: a glass baking dish that just came out of the oven plunged into a sink of cold water—shatter city). But boiling water added to room temperature glass is just fine. We do recommend you let your soup jars come up to room temperature before filling with boiling water.
What’s the best jar to use for these instant soups?
My favorite jar for this recipe (and the one pictured in this post) is a Weck 742 half-liter jar. You can also use wide-mouth pint mason jars, although they are a touch smaller, so you might want to back off on the ingredients listed below just a dash, to leave room for stirring.
What’s the best way to serve this instant chicken zoodle soup in a jar?
I’m all about doing fewer dishes, so I eat my soup right out of the jar. But if you prefer, you can definitely pour the soup into a bowl.
How long will these soup jars last in the fridge?
I would eat these soup jars within five days of making them—you might be able to get away with a little longer than that, but in my experience, cooked chicken tends to go off right around the 5-7 day mark.
I hope these instant soup jars will bring a little bit of coziness and comfort to your winter lunch routine, just like they did for mine! Enjoy.
Chicken Zoodle Instant Soup in Jar Recipe
All you need to make our Chicken Zoodle Instant Soup in a Jar is boiling water! Make a bunch of jars in advance for healthy, hot lunches all week long.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
- 1/2 cup chopped cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken is great for this)
- 1/4 cup shredded carrot
- 1/2 cup spiralized zucchini noodles, cut into small noodles
- 1 green onion, finely sliced
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- Salt and black pepper, to taste (see notes)
Instructions
- Layer chicken bouillon, chicken, carrot, zucchini noodles, and green onion in a wide-mouth pint or wide-mouth half-liter jar. Seal and store in the fridge until ready to eat, up to 5 days.
- To make soup: Bring jar to the counter to come up to room temperature (a cold jar will shatter if filled with boiling water). Once the jar is warmed up, uncover jar, then pour boiling water in, stir well, and loosely cover the jar (with the lid or a saucer) and let steep for 4- 5 minutes, until the veggies are al dente.
- Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Chicken bouillon powder can vary dramatically when it comes to sodium content. Most bouillon powders will not require additional seasoning—so make sure to taste the soup before you add any salt!
- The zucchini and carrot get pleasantly crisp-tender from steeping in the boiling water. If you prefer softer veggies, you can cut them into smaller pieces or steep longer.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 387Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 1626mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 5gSugar: 5gProtein: 26g
At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.
