Chicken Zoodle Soup
All the flavors of classic chicken noodle soup but low calorie. Pasta noodles are swapped for zucchini noodles. They provide the same satisfying noodle texture with far fewer calories.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time25 minutes mins
Total Time40 minutes mins
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Low Fat
Servings: 10 1-cup servings (total yield: 10 cups)
Calories: 82kcal
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 3 medium stalks celery chopped
- 2 medium carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic diced
- 1 sprig sprig fresh rosemary chopped
- 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 medium-sized zucchini spiralized into noodles (4 ½ cups zoodles)
- juice from one lemon
- Fresh parsley leaves chopped for garnish
Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until tender. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Stir in garlic and rosemary. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and add bay leaves and chicken breasts; Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
Once the chicken is cooked, remove and chop or shred.
Stir in zucchini noodles and chicken; reduce heat to a simmer and cook until zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes.
Stir in lemon juice; season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately, garnished with rosemary, lemon slices, and parsley.
Spiralizing zucchini
We recommend using a sprializer with a ⅛-inch or 3mm noodle blade.
Alternatively fresh zoodles can be purchased at the grocery store. You'll need 4 ½ cups.
Variations and Tips
- Easily shred your cooked chicken in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Shredded cabbage is also a great substitute if you don’t want to use zucchini noodles.
- Try using leftover turkey from the holidays instead of chicken breast.
Optional add-ins: ground turmeric, fresh minced ginger, orzo, thyme, thin rice noodles, chickpeas, lentils.
- Make this soup vegetarian or vegan by omitting the chicken and using vegetable broth.
- Prep ahead: spiralize the zucchini and chop the vegetables up to 2 days in advance. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
Substitution ideas
- If using pre-cooked chicken instead of cooking chicken in the soup, add it to the soup when you add the zucchini noodles.
- Using a bag of frozen mirepoix (onions, celery, carrots) will reduce the prep time.
How to Store
Leftovers will store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Calories: 82kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 246mg | Potassium: 166mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2124IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 0.3mg