The Best Healthy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe with Zucchini Noodles (2024)

FAQs

When should you add zucchini to soup? ›

Add the zucchini/courgette in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Slice the zucchini lengthways. Cut into triangular pieces. I find cutting the zucchini this way helps keep them in one piece in a soup where they may get overcooked when the soup is reheated.

Eating chicken noodle soup and other liquid-based foods may aid weight loss and help motivate people to make better long-term diet and lifestyle changes. However, this diet is ultimately not sustainable. Since the chicken noodle soup diet is only a week long, it won't help you lose weight over time.

→ Follow this tip: Adding noodles to the soup should be the very last thing you do before taking the pot off the heat. Wait until the soup is just about finished, mix in the noodles, and simmer until the noodles are about halfway cooked. The residual heat from the soup will continue to cook the pasta.

All those bits of carrot, celery, and onion commonly found in chicken noodle soup are a great source of vitamins C and K, as well as other antioxidants and minerals. “Not only does this help build a healthy immune system to fight off viruses, it also helps your body recover from illness more quickly,” Allonen says.

Salt and drain zucchini

This method involves liberally salting your sliced zucchini and allowing it to set in a colander (over a bowl) for at least 30 minutes, up to an hour, before patting dry with paper towels or a tea towel.

Known to all, chicken is considered to be a great source of protein and amino acids that are really good for the growth of muscles and other tissues. Hence, a bowl of chicken soup can be a great addition in your daily diet.

The diet plan centers around the cabbage soup, which is eaten throughout the week. In addition, it begins with a few days of fruit and vegetables and with little or no protein. Then, bananas and skim milk are added. Later in the week, beef or chicken and rice are added along with the soup.

Can I Boil Zucchini Noodles? Never boil your spiralized zucchini noodles! If you're serving the zoodles in a liquid or sauce, that's ok.

Add zucchini noodles. Toss with tongs and let the zucchini cook for just a minute or two. Remove from heat and add to sauce or add some salt and eat as is. Note: Don't salt the zucchini before you saute it; the noodles will release more water and they'll end up limp.

This is mostly up to your preference, but it is usually best to use a pasta that doesn't absorb a lot of liquid – which then leads to a mushy noodle. Egg noodles tend to be the top choice, and I love to use these homemade egg noodles. Other good pasta options include elbow, orzo, fettuccine, and linguine.

Can chicken noodle soup be healthy? ›

Rich in nutrients

Chicken noodle soup can be made with a variety of ingredients but the healthiest pots will have lots of vegetables and include whole grains. The chicken itself delivers protein, which is an important nutrient for satisfaction, immunity and your muscles.

And is it good for you? Indeed, chicken noodle soup is packed with a wide variety of nutrients — including protein, vegetables, and mineral-rich broth — that may prove helpful as your body fights off infection.

While chicken noodle soup can be nutritious, it's not a balanced diet on its own. It lacks a variety of essential nutrients found in other food groups such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and dairy or dairy alternatives.

For most vegetable soup recipes, this means the carrots, onions, and celery. Add the garlic just before adding the broth, so that it can infuse the whole soup as it simmers. Tender veggies with a higher water content, like green beans and zucchini, should be added towards the end of cooking and simmered briefly.

These are added for the final 4–5 minutes of cooking so that they're tender but nowhere near mushy. You get the sweet luxury of long-cooked vegetables and the freshness of crisp-tender ones.

Vegetables to Avoid When Making Vegetables Stock

Starchy vegetables like potatoes and turnips will make for a gummy, cloudy vegetable stock. Beets overpower their aromatic counterparts. Zucchini and greens beans become bitter when slowly simmered for as long it takes to make this stock.

Gather all ingredients. Combine tomatoes, chicken broth, tomato juice, carrots, celery, potato, green beans, corn, and water in a large stockpot. Season with salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.