Zoodles lighten up this low-carb, paleo, and whole30 chicken soup recipe that can be made in your slow cooker or Instant Pot.
Soup season is here. This is another recipe that I have been thinking about for while now, pretty much since I made my Slow Cooker Meatball & Zoodle Soup. Like that soup, this one is low-carb, paleo, and whole30. The trifecta of healthy slow cooking.
You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs here. I know I usually preach about using chicken thighs when it come to slow cooking but this time I used chicken breasts. Because…that’s what I had. Use what you have! You can even use chicken legs.

before
The main difference between this soup and the meatball soup is when to add the zoodles – at the end of cook time like in this soup or at the beginning like in the meatballs soup. It all goes down to how you like your zoodles – soft or al dente. You can add the zoodles at the beginning of cook time in this soup if you want. The downside is that they’ll be very soft (notice I didn’t use the term mushy) but the plus-side is that tossing it all in together at the beginning will definitely simply things.
The chicken should be so tender when it’s done that it shreds easily with a fork. Keep cooking it until it’s that tender. Shred the chicken & put it back in. If you have leftover cooked chicken or turkey, you can add it now with the zoodles. How do you like your zoodles? I like mine soft so I let them cook a little longer. If you’re going to freeze this recipe, do so without the zucchini zoodles.

Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Chicken Zoodle Soup (Low-Carb,Paleo,Whole30)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 2 medium zucchinis (approx 1 lb), cut into zoodles
- 3 celery stalks, sliced
- 2 medium size carrots, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1–2 tsp salt (I used 1)
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp basil
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 2 bay leaves
- Fresh herbs (optional)
Instructions
Slow Cooker
- Add all ingredients to the slow cooker EXCEPT the zucchini zoodles. Stir to mix well.
- Cook HIGH 2-3 hours, LOW 4-6.
- Remove chicken from the slow cooker. Shred. Add chicken and zucchini zoodles to the slow cooker. Stir to mix well. Cook an additional 10-20 minutes.
- Remove bay leaves before serving.
Instant Pot
- Turn on the Instant Pot and select Sauté. Once Hot add oil to the pot.
- Add onion, celery, carrot & garlic, and cook for a 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the broth, and using a wooden spoon scrape well the bottom of the Instant Pot to remove any bits that stuck to it, make sure you scrape it well to avoid burning during cooking.
- Add chicken & all ingredients except the zucchini zoodles to the Instant Pot.
- Close lid and seal valve. Set high pressure and cook set time for 10 minutes. Natural release for 10 minutes then quick-release pressure for remaining time.
- Remove chicken Instant Pot. Shred. Add chicken and zucchini zoodles to the IP. Stir to mix well. Close lid and cook an additional 10-20 minutes on warm.
- Remove bay leaves before serving.
If this recipe looks familiar, it’s because that base of it is pretty much my Slow Cooker Chicken Soup recipe. To make my zoodles, I used my Inspirializer. I used a 3.5-quart slow cooker for this recipe.
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