Slow Cooker Chicken Zoodle Soup is your favorite classic soup with a zucchini noodle makeover! Less than 10 minutes of prep time and dinner will be ready when you get home. This healthy soup is the perfect comfort food. You can also throw this recipe in the Instant Pot!
It’s the season where soup recipes should be a part of your weekly routine.
Sit down, relax, and let’s settle in with a big bowl of chicken zoodle soup. Just what the doctor ordered! Feeling run down? This chicken soup will comfort you. Feeling great? This chicken soup is here to keep your momentum going. Feeling cold? This chicken soup will warm you up in the best way possible!
As a nutritionist, I know there is truly nothing healthier than a big bowl of chicken zoodle soup for lunch or dinner. This classic dish is getting a zucchini noodle makeover to make it the ultimate healthy soup, without using it’s charm. You won’t miss the noodles, I promise!
What makes this the Best Chicken Zoodle Soup?
If I’m being perfectly honest, chicken noodle soup is a little boring to me. So it’s not something that I get super excited about making. It needs some more flavor. So don’t worry, I took care of that for you in this version.
I’ve added a ton of fresh and dry herbs, some lemon pepper, and even apple cider vinegar for a little tang and for added nutrition benefits! As I always like to remind people, herbs count as vegetables. They are packed with nutrition, and such an easy way to add flavor to food without increasing things like salt, fat, and sugar.
How to make Chicken Zoodle Soup in the Slow Cooker or Instant Pot
- Prep your vegetables by dicing the onion, celery and carrots.
- Toss the chicken, vegetables (not the zucchini), herbs, broth, and vinegar into the slow cooker or Instant Pot. Set it and walk away!
- While cooking, spiralize your zucchini to create zoodles.
- Once cooktime is complete, remove the chicken and shred with a fork. Toss in the zucchini noodles and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can you use chicken thighs in place of breasts? Absolutely! In fact, it makes more tender chicken.
- Why use vinegar, can I omit? I love the additional tang of the vinegar, plus you get additional nutrient benefits. You can replace with lemon or omit it altogether.
- Can I use pre-cooked chicken (rotisserie) or turkey? I love this as an idea for using leftover Thanksgiving turkey! It easily breaks down into shredded pieces.
Other Instant Pot soups you will love!
- Thai Chicken Zoodle Soup
- Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Spicy Chicken Zoodle Soup
- Chicken and Dumplings
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Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Chicken Zoodle Soup
Set it and forget it with this super easy, comforting and healthy Chicken Zoodle Soup! You can make this in the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken breast uncooked
- 1 small white onion diced
- 3 stalks chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 48 oz chicken broth
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp lemon pepper
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1 tsp sea salt plus more to taste
- 2 medium sized zucchini spiralized
Instructions
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For the Slow Cooker:
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Place chicken and vegetables (not the zucchini), in the bottom of your slow cooker. Top with chicken broth and apple cider vinegar.
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Add in all the fresh and dry herbs. Cover your slow cooker and set heat to low. Cook for 6-8 hours on low (it can be done as early as 6 hours, but totally fine to leave it to 8 hours for the flavors to meld and chicken to soften).
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Break up some of the chicken with a fork so you have smaller pieces. Add zucchini noodles and cook for an additional 30 minutes (or until noodles are soft and easy to eat).
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Serve with additional salt and pepper to taste.
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For the Instant Pot:
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Follow the exact same directions above, but throw ingredients (up until zoodles) in your instant pot instead of slow cooker.
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Select manual, and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes (for thick chicken breast). If your chicken is smaller you can do 8 or nine minutes.
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Use a quick release. Once the venting process is complete, remove lid and stir in zoodles. Top with extra salt and pepper to taste.
I made this tonight and the spices, oh my, so flavorful! Thank you for such a great recipe.
You are welcome! So glad you enjoyed it!
I worried never heard of adding vinegar? Did you put the apple vinegar in the soup.
Hi Judy, the apple cider vinegar adds an element of tang giving the soup a slightly acidic flavor. I love tangy foods! You can omit, or start with just a few tablespoons to see how you like it.
Would this warm up well throughout the week? Looking at possibly making this for my lunches for the week!
Yes! It’s perfect to make on the weekend and re-heat throughout the week 🙂
This did not work out well at all. The cider vinegar curdled the broth and gave an acrid flavour to the soup.
First time I’ve ever made soup and it was so easy and it came out fantastic! I’ve been making variations of it twice a week haha.
All the recipes I’ve tried from you came out absolutely perfect, I’m in love with your recipes and thank you for brightening my days with great meals. Can’t wait to get my hands on your book this fall!
So happy to hear that!
Just made this and love it!!! Do you have the nutritional facts on it by chance?!
Yes, the recipe has been updated with nutrition facts!