Now that we’re in the thick of winter, my kids have been asking for something hot at lunch to warm up their tummies. There’s nothing simpler or healthier than a hearty soup, which can be made beforehand and easily warmed up in the morning.

Here are a couple of mom tips that can be helpful plus two delicious soup recipes!

First – you can freeze lunch sized portions in glass mason jars for emergency days when you just don’t have anything great for lunch. Second – if you crockpot, simply throw in the ingredients before you head to bed and all you have to do in the morning is scoop soup into your container. What can be easier than that?

Easy Split Pea Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. dried split green peas
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
8 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup sherry
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Thoroughly rinse and drain the split peas. I usually repeat this 3 or more times until the water runs clear.
Combine everything into a slow cooker and set it on low for 8 hours.
For best results, turn off the slow cooker and uncover the soup when done cooking. Let it stand for 1 hour to thicken.

Butternut Squash Soup
Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash, roughly 3 lbs, cut in half with seeds and strings scraped out
Half an onion, diced
4 tbsp butter
Sage and thyme to taste
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat butter in large dutch oven. Add diced onions and cook until soft and translucent.
Add the squash scrapings and seeds, cook for another 3-4 minutes
Add 4 cups of chicken broth and 1 tsp of salt to the dutch oven. Place the steamer insert in the pot, and put the cut butternut squash face down
Cook, covered, until the squash is completely soft (about 30 minutes)
Turn off heat and remove the butternut squash. When it’s cool enough to handle, scrape the flesh into the soup and throw away the skin
Add more salt and pepper as needed. I like to sprinkle in a little sage and thyme – fresh is better!
Blend with a hand held immersion blender. Be careful – the soup will be hot!

Start sending your kids to school with hot soups in an OmieBox, the insulated lunchbox pictured above! Head to OmieLife Inc and enter the code OMIE-179795 at checkout for 10% off!

About the Author

Nancy Yen is the founder of OmieLife, and developed the OmieBox after realizing there must be a better way to pack lunches for her young sons. She enjoys challenging conventional wisdom, and is always looking for a better way to do things.

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