Chicken Zoodle Soup with Pasta

Top down view of chicken noodle soup in black bowl with spoon on red-and-white checkered cloth with dill and parsley on cutting board in top right corner.

This delicious, versatile chicken zoodle soup is made from scratch and contains a mixture of vegetable noodles and wheat vermicelli. So it is not only full of goodness but also satisfying. It's the perfect healthy comfort food!

Course Lunch

Cuisine low carb

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Total Time 50

Servings servings

Calories 146kcal

Author Monika Dabrowski

Equipment

Spiralizer
Large pot

Ingredients

3 chicken thighs skinless
1 medium carrot peeled
1 small zucchini
1 piece of celeriac/celery root the size of a medium potato, peeled
1 small piece of turnip/swede the size of a small potato, peeled
5⅘ cups vegetable stock adjust the amount to suit your taste
3 thin vermicelli nests or equivalent amount filini pasta
1 bay leaf
2 whole allspice or ⅕ teaspoon ground allspice
⅓ teaspoon turmeric powder adds colour (optional)
Handful of fresh parsley
Sea salt and pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large pot combine the chicken with the water (add a little less than the recommended amount to start with), cover and bring to boil. Once bubbles start appearing lower the heat to a simmer, skim foam, add the stock cubes, a handful of fresh parsley, bay leaf and allspice, cover and continue simmering for 30 minutes.
In the meantime boil the vermicelli in salted water (approx. 3 minutes), strain and set aside.
Spiralize the celeriac, carrot, turnip and zucchini (place the spiralized zucchini in a separate bowl) and set aside.
After 30 minutes of cooking remove the parsley (do not remove the soup from the heat), place the chicken on a plate/cutting board, separate the meat from the bone and put the meat back in the pot.
Add the turmeric (optional), celeriac, turnip and carrot, cover and continue simmering for 5 minutes (you might have to bring the soup to the boil again after you've added the vegetables and then lower the heat to a simmer). Add the zoodles (zucchini), stir and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, top up with more water if required and adjust the seasoning.
If you plan to serve the soup straight away add the vermicelli into the pot. Alternatively add small amounts to individual soup portions (if you leave the vermicelli in the pot it will become soft and mushy). Serve with a garnish of fresh herbs.

Notes

I do not recommend using chicken breast in this recipe (it will get tough after prolonged cooking).
It is important to add the spiralized zucchini into the soup towards the end and cook for only 1 minute (zucchini needs less time to cook than other vegetables).
Adjust the amount of water to suit your preference. Start with a little less than the recommended amount and top up later if needed.
The vermicelli should be boiled separately (so it doesn't become mushy), not in the soup. Add the pasta into the soup just before serving or add small amounts into individual portions.
Use 1-2 tablespoons of cooked pasta per serving.
You can omit the pasta and use more zoodles instead.
Adjust the seasoning just before serving - you may not need to add any salt, only pepper to taste.
I used turmeric for colour but this is optional.
Keep refrigerated (without adding the pasta) for up to 3 days.
Freeze individual portions without the wheat pasta for up to 3 months. Defrost and heat up then boil the pasta and serve with the soup.
Substitutions: You can use less vegetables than I have or swap them for different ones. Butternut squash or sweet potato would be good alternatives for carrot (though using both might make the soup too sweet). You could also use different herbs for garnish. I used parsley and dill but chives or cilantro would work well too.

Nutrition