KETO CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
Everyone loves chicken noodle soup, especially on a cold day in the fall or winter. This healthy, low carb chicken noodle soup is the perfect alternative for this warm soup recipe. Healthy, low carb, but still your warm “comfort food.”
I love this recipe because it is a quick, easy, and makes very little mess. Instant pot recipes are great for that because not only are you sautéing the vegetables in the instant pot, but you are also pressure cooking the chicken in the same pot, then piecing the soup all together and boiling it for a few minutes, still in the instant pot. Quick clean up and easy to make!
Whether or not you count your macros, this is a very low carb soup recipe. Since you are substituting the typical noodles in the classic chicken noodle soup for zucchini spirals, there are hardly any carbs in this soup. There are a total of 7 net carbs, which come in trace amounts from the chicken and vegetables. Definitely fits in well to a keto meal plan, if that is your thing. I like the low carbs in this soup because that means I can balance it out with another one of my favorite carbs - whole wheat sourdough bread.
Tips for making this low carb chicken noodle soup:
One of the secrets to this keto chicken noodle soup is the touch of lemon. Some healthy chicken noodle soup recipes may not use a lemon, but I promise it is a deal breaker. Squeeze half of a lemon in with the pre-cooked chicken, but don’t forget to throw in the 1/2 of the lemon peel. This adds a little extra flavor and “zing” to your soup.
For this recipe, it doesn’t matter whether you do a quick release or a slow release when cooking the chicken. I always prefer to do a quick release if possible, since somehow it seems I am always in a hurry when cooking! Do whatever is best for you. It will turn out about the same - very tender!
Finally, the most important tip for this recipe is to follow step #8. You must add the zucchini spirals, then boil (on sauté mode) in the instant pot for another 5 minutes. The first time I didn’t do this and the noodles were crunchy and didn’t have much flavor. By boiling the zoodles in the broth it will improve texture and flavor.
My Favorite Spiralizer:
I can’t post this recipe without making a plug for my favorite spiralizer. This kitchen aid spiralizer attachment is one of my favorite tools. I have tried other cheap spiralizers from Walmart which weren’t nearly as good. I always found myself dreading using those because they were so tricky to clean and always seemed dirty.
It is so easy to work with, easy to clean, and fun to use! I also use it to make thick apple spirals for salads, or thin carrot spirals. Check out this sprialzier here, if you want to check it out on Amazon.
Keep it BALANCED
Don’t forget to balance this soup out with a slice of bread, a whole wheat roll, or your preferred carbohydrate. Your body needs those carbs!
INGREDIENTS
2 lbs chicken breast
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 large carrots, sliced into rounds
1/2 cup red onion, minced
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
3 medium size zucchinis (or 3 cups zucchini spirals)
1 tsp dry thyme (can substitute for fresh)
1 tsp dry rosemary
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry bay leaves
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 lemon, squeezed
INSTRUCTIONS
Turn the instant pot to ‘saute’ mode then add the oil. Let it preheat for 1-2 minutes.
Add the garlic, chopped carrots, and minced red onion. Saute for 2-3 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Turn instant pot to ‘off.’
Add frozen chicken breasts, thyme, rosemary, salt, bay leaves and pepper to the instant pot. Squeeze the 1/2 lemon, and throw into the instant pot.
Place the lid on the instant pot turn on high pressure and cook for 20 minutes. It should take 10 minutes for the instant pot to pressurize.
While the instant pot is going, make the zucchini noodles using a spiralizer, or peeling with a vegetable peeler if necessary.
When the timer goes off on the instant pot, release steam quickly and then shred the chicken using two forks. Remove the lemon peel.
Place the zucchini noodles in the instant pot with the soup, and turn on ‘saute’ model for 5 minutes. The purpose of this step is to let the soup boil and soften the zucchini noodles slightly. Ladle soup into serving bowls and enjoy!
NUTRITION
Makes 6 servings
341 calories
52g protein (64%)
9g carbs (9%)
10.5g fat (27%)
Hi, I’m Katie! Welcome to Simply Balanced You - a space created to help you reach your inner wellness goals and enjoy every part of your personal health journey. To learn more about me, click here!
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