Craving a comforting bowl of chicken noodle soup without the carbs? This Instant Pot Chicken Zoodle Soup is your answer! We build a deeply flavorful broth from scratch before adding tender chicken, crisp vegetables, and delicate zucchini noodles. It’s a healthy, satisfying meal that tastes like it simmered for hours, but comes together in under an hour thanks to the magic of the pressure cooker. Get ready to cozy up with your new favorite soup!
Ingredients
• For the Broth Base
• 1 chicken carcass (from a rotisserie chicken is great!)
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 2 medium carrots, minced
• 3 celery stalks, minced
• 1 medium tomato, minced
• 1 cup / 240ml tomato passata
• 1 cup / 240ml chicken broth
• 1 tbsp Italian herbs
• Water to cover
• For the Soup
• 2 cups diced chicken breast, about 1 lb / 450g
• 2 medium zucchini, spiralized into zoodles
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• Salt to taste
Instructions
1. Create the Broth Base: Place the chicken carcass, minced onion, minced carrots, minced celery, minced tomato, tomato passata, 1 cup of chicken broth, and Italian herbs into your Instant Pot. Add enough water to cover the .
2. Pressure Cook Part One: Secure the lid, set the steam valve to ‘Sealing’, and cook on the ‘Stew/Soup’ setting for 30 minutes.
3. Strain the Broth: Allow the pressure to release naturally. Carefully open the lid and strain the contents through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl or back into the now-empty Instant Pot liner. Use the back of a spoon to press the cooked vegetables against the sieve to extract all their flavorful juices. Discard the solids.
4. Add Soup : Return the rich, strained broth to the Instant Pot. Stir in the diced chicken breast, chopped carrots, and chopped celery.
5. Pressure Cook Part Two: Secure the lid again, ensure the valve is set to ‘Sealing’, and cook on the ‘Stew/Soup’ setting for 10 minutes.
6. Finish the Soup: Allow the pressure to release naturally once more. Carefully open the lid and season the soup with salt to your liking.
7. Cook the Zoodles: Stir in the spiralized zucchini. Place the lid back on the Instant Pot (no need to seal) and let it sit for 5 minutes. The residual heat will perfectly cook the zoodles until they are tender-crisp.
8. Serve: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and enjoy immediately.
Nutritional Information
• Per Serving (serves 10): Calories 280 | Total Fats 11g | Net Carbs: 7g | Protein 34g | Fiber: 5g
Pro Tips
• For an even richer broth, add a bay leaf and a few whole peppercorns to the first pressure cooking cycle.
• To prevent soggy zoodles in leftovers, store the soup and the spiralized zucchini separately. Add the zoodles to individual portions when reheating.
• Don’t skip pressing the cooked vegetables through the sieve! This step is crucial for creating a silky, intensely flavorful broth base.
• Feel free to add other herbs like fresh parsley or thyme at the end for a burst of fresh flavor.
FAQ
Q: Is this chicken zoodle soup keto-friendly
A: Yes, with only 7g of net carbs per serving, this Instant Pot Chicken Zoodle Soup is an excellent low-carb, keto-friendly meal.
Q: How do I keep my zoodles from getting mushy
A: To ensure your zoodles are perfectly tender-crisp, add them at the very end and let the soup’s residual heat cook them for 5 minutes. For leftovers, the pro tip is to store the soup and zoodles separately and combine them just before reheating.
Q: How long does this Instant Pot soup take to make
A: This entire soup comes together in under an hour. It involves a 30-minute pressure cook for the broth and a 10-minute pressure cook for the soup, plus the time for the pot to build and release pressure.
Q: What if I don’t have a chicken carcass
A: Using a chicken carcass is crucial for building the deep, flavorful broth from scratch as described in the recipe. A rotisserie chicken carcass is a great, convenient option for this.
