Keto Chicken (no noodle) Soup

My cousin Nancy made me a pair of bowls for Christmas and I couldn't wait to use them. And since a cold front just blew through last night, it seemed like the perfect day for a warm bowl of Keto Chicken (no noodle) Soup! As the name suggests, there's no noodles in this dish... but it's just as warm and comforting. You won't miss them, I promise.

What to eat when you're sick

It's that time of year again: flu season. It seems like every year I get a bunch of inquiries about what to eat on the keto diet when you're sick. Since you can't have noodles, oatmeal, most fruits... it seems difficult to find those go-to comfort foods. But it's definitely possible to have some of those classic "help me, I'm sick!" foods without the carbs. Just... well... leave out the carbs. Here are some suggestions:

• Water! (make sure you stay hydrated)
• Bone broth
• Keto Chicken (no noodle) Soup
• Green Smoothie
• Tea with lemon, ginger and turmeric
• Fresh lemonade
• Eggs, including a quiche
• Unsweetened yogurt with live cultures
• Leafy greens with garlic, lemon and olive oil
• Spicy food can help with congestion, but avoid if you have a sore throat
• Keto oatmeal
• Don't force yourself to eat if you aren't hungry

Nutrition

Low-carb veggies + bone broth = good for your body

Bone broth has lots of vitamins, nutrients and collagen in it. It's a wonderful food to eat (or drink) at any time, but most especially when you're sick. Technically you could use regular chicken broth, but try to get bone broth if you can. If it's too expensive to buy two cartons of bone broth, get one carton of bone broth and one carton of regular chicken or vegetable broth. You could also make your own bone broth at home.

Tips & Tricks

• You could use whatever veggies you like, just try to keep them low carb. Broccoli, mushroom, parsnip, zucchini, spinach, kale and cabbage are all good options.
• If you are missing the "noodle" aspect, you could add spiralized zucchini to the pot during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
• If you are missing the "rice" aspect of chicken and rice soup, you could add riced cauliflower during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

• I get chicken thighs with the skin and bone because it's cheaper. You could buy skinless and boneless thighs, which would save you the hassle of de-boning the chicken pieces. This might be especially helpful if you're sick and don't feel like cooking (or just feeling lazy). However, since you won't get the fat off of the skin, you might want to add a bit of olive oil to your soup to keep it keto.
• Last but not least: don't worry about getting it perfect. Especially if you're sick. Soups are very forgiving.

📖 Recipe

Keto Chicken (no noodle) Soup

Whether you've got a cold or it's cold outside... there's nothing better than a warm bowl of chicken soup. Full of healthy ingredients, this keto-friendly classic will have you feeling better in no time!

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients

 

USAMetric

1x2x3x

• 10 celery stalks (8 inches long)
• 3 carrots (8 inches long)
• 1 onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley (or 2 teaspoon dried)
• ½ teaspoon psyllium husk powder (optional)
• salt and pepper (see notes)
• 4 chicken thighs (with skin and bone)
• 8 cups chicken bone broth (about 64 oz / 2 liter)
• 1 tablespoon turmeric

Instructions

 

• Chop the celery, carrots, onion and parsley into rough pieces. Mince the garlic.
• Add all ingredients except for the turmeric to a large pot. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for one hour.
• Take out the chicken pieces and set them on a cutting board or large plate. Remove the skin and bones and discard. Break the chicken into pieces with two forks, then return to the pot. Stir in the turmeric and serve.

Notes

Note: it is difficult to determine how much salt you should add because it depends on the broth you are using. If the broth has a lot of sodium, you might not need to add any salt at all. If you are using low-sodium broth or water, you may need to add up to two teaspoons of salt. The best thing to do is to start with only a small amount of salt, then taste the soup once the chicken is fully cooked and add more salt if needed. Remember, you can always add more, but once it's in you can't take it out (at that point the only thing to do is add more water). As for the pepper, that's a personal preference. However, to get the full health benefits of the turmeric you should put in at least a little bit of black pepper.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Keto Chicken (no noodle) Soup

Amount per Serving

Calories

156.7

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

10.1

g

16

%

Saturated Fat

 

2.6

g

16

%

Cholesterol

 

55.4

mg

18

%

Sodium

 

925

mg

40

%

Potassium

 

437.7

mg

13

%

Carbohydrates

 

5.9

g

2

%

Fiber

 

1.3

g

5

%

Sugar

 

1.8

g

2

%

Net Carbs

 

4.6

g

Protein

 

10.7

g

21

%

Vitamin A

 

3972.3

IU

79

%

Vitamin C

 

20.8

mg

25

%

Calcium

 

36.1

mg

4

%

Iron

 

1.4

mg

8

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition information is estimated. Amounts may vary depending on the specific brand and/or type of ingredients you use. Sugar alcohols and other sweeteners that typically do not effect blood glucose levels, including but not limited to erythritol and allulose, are excluded from the carb count.