Chicken Zoodle Soup is a nourishing soup with rich homemade chicken broth and refreshing noodles made with zucchini. Even those who are not sick or counting calories will love this soothing soup.
Chicken soup is usually served when you don't feel well but you don't have to be ill to enjoy this rich and refreshing Chicken Zoodle Soup from "Low Carb Yum 5-Ingredient Keto" cookbook. This simple soup uses homemade chicken broth, cooked chicken, and zoodles so it takes no time to put it together.
What's In Chicken Zoodle Soup
This is a low-carb chicken noodle soup - instead of pasta, I used zucchini noodles.
If you are trying to limit how many carbs you eat per day, don't alter this recipe. One bowl has just 3 grams of net carbs. Every ingredient that you add will increase the carb count.
This soup has these very simple ingredients:
- Celery
- Chicken Bone Broth
- Chicken Thighs
- Zucchini
- Basil
- Sea Salt
- Parsley
Recipe From The Low Carb Yum 5-Ingredient Keto Cookbook
My friend, Lisa MarcAurele, a publisher of Low Carb Yum and the author of Low Carb Yum 5- Ingredient Keto shares over 120 easy recipes that use only 5 ingredients! How helpful is this cookbook for so many busy moms, eh?
I'm so honored that she let me share this recipe from her new book. This is one of my favorites because it's both filling and easy - my favorite combination.
This popular cookbook "is a perfect guide for keto and low-carb beginners. Each recipe includes helpful nutritional data, dietary notes (like dairy-free, egg-free, and paleo dishes), and macronutrient percentages." It's a perfect cookbook to start your keto diet if you want to understand how it works.
The cookbook has helpful guides and advice such as:
- A rundown of keto basics, with explanations of ketosis, daily macros, and calorie counting.
- Foods to eat and foods to avoid, making shopping and stocking one’s pantry even faster and easier.
- Common keto mistakes, like not restricting enough carbs, eating too many packaged foods, and going overboard with fat.
- A lesson in removing inflammatory foods, which may also be contributing to health issues.
- Sample daily meal plans for those who need some help during their transition to keto.
For Lisa,
...starting the low-carbohydrate lifestyle was personal. She turned to low-carb eating when treatments for Graves' disease, a thyroid autoimmune disorder, changed her metabolism and caused unwanted weight gain. The typical methods of counting calories and cutting fat just didn’t work for her, which led her to discovering the benefits of a low-carb diet. When she struggled to find cookbooks specializing in low carb, high fat meals, she began adapting some of her own favorite dishes into low-carb versions.
Low Carb Yum 5-Ingredient Keto
Whether you are just starting out on the keto diet or you want more easy recipe ideas, go check out her cookbook. You'll be so glad you did!
Chicken Zoodle Soup
I made my share of chicken soups in my life but I admit, I never paid attention to the carb count. But because my children are sensitive to wheat, I never include wheat noodles and instead, I always served rice on the side, which is still high in carbs.
Lisa's keto version, however, uses zoodles to reduce the carb amount, which reduces inflammation, especially, when you're sick to help your body heal faster! Plus, since this recipe uses already made homemade chicken broth and cooked chicken meat, it's a cinch to make, even when you are sick!
Recipe Questions And Answers
As simple as this recipe is, you might still have a question or two. If you do, let me know, I'm happy to help. Here are some common questions about it along with my answers.
Can You Make Chicken Zoodle Soup In The Slow Cooker
If you use cooked chicken, this recipe only take 20 minutes to cook on the stove. I know how easy a slow cooker can be to just set the food in and let it simmer all day.
Yes, this recipe can be made in the slow cooker. However, be careful. If you cook it too long, the zoodles will become overcooked and fall apart. I suggest cooking it no longer than 4 hours on low.
Can You Make It In The Instant Pot
I'm a huge fan of my Instant Pot! Before you buy one, read this. It has tons of details about the Instant Pot and how to use it.
In fact, if you are running short on time, I definitely recommend making this in the Instant Pot instead of the slow cooker. It's so much faster and easier. Here's how to do it:
- Add oil to the Instant Pot and use the saute function to saute the celery for a few minutes, until it's tender.
- Lay the chicken over the celery.
- Stir in the bone broth.
- Cover the pressure cooker with the lid and lock it.
- If you are using raw chicken, set your Instant Pot to "pressure cook" and set time for 20 minutes for breasts or 15 minutes for thighs. If you are using cooked chicken, set time for 10 minutes.
- Vent to release the steam.
- Shred the chicken and add it back to the Instant Pot with the zucchini noodles.
- Set Instant Pot to "Keep Warm" and let the noodles soften in the soup for about 5-8 minutes.
Can You Use Frozen Zucchini Noodles
Using frozen zucchini noodles will save you lots of prep and cleanup time. The only downside to frozen noodles is that after you steam them, they are incredibly soft and wet.
Some people prefer crunchier zucchini noodles. If you choose to use frozen ones, fully cook the soup first and then add the steamed zoodles at the very end.
What Other Vegetables Can You Add To The Soup
There are lots of vegetables that people love adding to their chicken soup. Remember, every veggie you add alters the carb count, which is important if you are tracking carbs.
Some of the best vegetables to add are cauliflower rice and carrots. Others love adding some garlic and onions for aromatic flavor too.
Can You Freeze Chicken Zoodle Soup
This makes a perfect low-carb freezer meal. To freeze this soup, let it cool completely and then pour it into a freezer bag.
If your freezer has shelves with slits on them, lay the bag of soup on a baking tray and let it freeze flat before putting it in on the shelf.
To reheat it, either let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator or just cook the soup on the stove over low heat.
What Other Spices Can You Add To The Soup
There are so many ways you can change the flavor of this soup with just a few spices.
Add a few teaspoons of turmeric. This is bursting with flavor and it has anti-inflammatory properties.
Other spices that add flavor to the soup are sage, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves.
Pro Tips
- It's best to use homemade chicken stock or broth but if you have a boxed chicken broth, that works just as well. As Ina said, "You don't have to make everything from scratch." and that store-bought is fine. I like her. And her quotes.
- You can make semi-homemade chicken broth by using carcasses from a roasted chicken. If you ever buy a roasted chicken from stores (Yes, you are allowed!), save the carcasses and freeze them until you have enough to make broth with them. They are already seasoned so the broth will be very flavorful.
- If you don't like zoodles, you can use radish or turnips.
Related recipes
- Italian Wedding Soup - another delicious soup for a cold day from the Instant Pot!
- Paleo Beef Noodle Soup - if you are watching your carb intake, leave out the noodles and use zoodles!
💌 I would love to receive more posts like these in my inbox! SIGN ME UP for FREE newsletters!
➡️ Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more recipes and tips. And follow @drkarensle on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and say "Hello!" 👋
Chicken Zoodle Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
- 4 stalks celery
- 4 c slow-cooked roasted bone broth
- 2 c cubed cooked boneless chicken thighs
- 2 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
- 1 med zucchini spiralized
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- fresh parsley (optional) garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat
- Add the celery and cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes
- Add the broth, chicken, and basil and bring to a boil over high heat
- Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Remove from the heat.
- Stir in the zucchini and cover the pot for about 10 minutes to let the zucchini soften before serving.
Notes
- Add a small turnip or radish, peeled and diced, for mock potatoes.
- Obviously, homemade chicken broth is the best but if you don't have it, you can make semi-homemade broth or stock with caracasses from roasted chicken. Or you can use quality boxed chicken stock.
