Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Chicken Zoodle Soup (Low-Carb,Paleo,Whole30)

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.

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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)

• Author: Fit SlowCooker Queen
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 3 hours
• Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings

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

1. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker EXCEPT the zucchini zoodles. Stir to mix well.
2. Cook HIGH 2-3 hours, LOW 4-6.
3. 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.
4. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Instant Pot

1. Turn on the Instant Pot and select Sauté. Once Hot add oil to the pot.
2. Add onion, celery, carrot & garlic, and cook for a 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. 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.
4. Add chicken & all ingredients except the zucchini zoodles to the Instant Pot.
5. Select manual setting and set time for 10 minutes. Natural release for 10 minutes then quick-release pressure for remaining time.
6. 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.
7. 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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