An easy Low Sodium Chicken Noodle Soup is possible with the right ingredients. This delicious soup contains only 164 mg sodium per cup. Soup’s on!
Soups can be tricky for those of us living a low sodium lifestyle. Most are made with broths that are notoriously high in sodium. One cup of standard chicken broth can contain more than 800 mg of sodium per cup. A simple switch to low sodium ingredients, and this Low Sodium Chicken Noodle Soup clocks in at only 164 mg of sodium per cup. A two-cup serving, which makes a nice-sized bowl, is still under 400 mg of sodium.
I’ve shared tips on turning any recipe into a low sodium recipe, and soups are no exception. By identifying the ingredients highest in sodium, you can easily ditch the high-sodium versions and replace them with healthier, lower sodium options.
Check the labels of your dried herbs and spices to ensure they’re salt-free or have the least amount of sodium available.
Low sodium or unsalted chicken broth or stock is key in reducing the sodium in soups. I consistently use the Simply Nature Organic Chicken Bone Broth from Aldi with tasty results. One cup contains only 90 mg of sodium! Check your grocery stores for the broths with the least amount of sodium.
Freshly-squeezed lemon juice, not the stuff in the plastic lemon, is a secret weapon in adding flavor to foods without adding salt. Like salt, fresh lemon juice enhances the flavors in food. I stir the juice from half a lemon into this soup for a fresh burst of flavor when it’s finished cooking.
Mise en Place – What You Need to Make This Recipe
Chicken Thighs
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Paprika
Salt Free Seasoning
Ground Black Pepper
Onion
Carrots
Celery Stalks
Garlic
Low Sodium or Unsalted Chicken Broth
Italian Seasoning
Bay Leaves
Tomato Paste
Lemon Juice
Egg Noodles or Pasta
Tools
Souper Cubes – Optional
How to Make Low Sodium Chicken Noodle Soup
Soup is one of the first things I learned to make in cooking school. It’s simple, forgiving, and almost impossible to mess up. Making this Low Sodium Chicken Noodle Soup in the slow cooker simplifies the process. Here’s how to make it.
Season chicken thighs with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, your favorite salt free seasoning, and pepper.
Place onions, carrots, celery, and garlic in slow cooker. Place seasoned chicken on top.
Add broth, salt free seasoning, Italian seasoning, bay leaves and tomato paste.
Cover and cook on high for 3½ hours or low for 7½ hours.
Remove chicken from slow cooker and remove skin. Discard skin and shred chicken.
Return shredded chicken to slow cooker and stir in noodles.
Cover and cook 30 minutes more, until noodles are tender.
Stir in juice from half a lemon and serve or freeze.
Can You Freeze Low Sodium Chicken Noodle Soup
My husband loves having this soup for lunch, so I freeze half of every batch to have on hand. Once the soup has cooled to room temperature, I ladle it into 1-cup SouperCube freezer containers, cover it, and pop it in the freezer. (If you don’t have SouperCubes you can use a freezer-safe glass or plastic container or a freezer bag.)
Once frozen, I remove the frozen cubes from the container and place them in a plastic freezer bag. I love SouperCubes because they make it easy to thaw out only what you need. Don’t forget to label them!
Make sure your soup has cooled to room temperature before placing it in the fridge or freezer. Hot soup in your freezer will raise the temperature of your freezer, and other freezer items may begin to melt.
To thaw, remove frozen soup cubes from the freezer and place them in a bowl in the fridge overnight or place frozen soup cubes in a pan and gently thaw them over medium-low heat, stirring frequently.
Variations on a Delicious Soup Theme
I love making this soup with egg noodles, but I’ve also used whatever pasta I’ve had on hand, like rotini or farfalle, with excellent results. I add less pasta than egg noodles. Pasta bulks up more as it’s cooked. I use about 1½ cups of pasta for each batch of soup.
One way to mix this soup up is to use different spices to season the chicken. I use Tony Chachere’s No Salt Cajun Seasoning for a slightly spicier version. If you want to spice it up, stir in a minced chipotle in adobo.
Another tasty option is to use my No Salt Taco Seasoning as your salt-free seasoning to season the chicken and the soup.
Low Sodium Chicken Noodle Soup FAQs
Can I freeze this soup with the noodles in it?
I regularly freeze this soup with the noodles without a loss of texture. Some argue freezing the noodles makes them soggy or too soft when the soup is thawed and reheated.
Can I make this soup without a slow cooker?
Absolutely! If you don’t have a slow cooker, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the chopped onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables begin to soften, 3-4 minutes. Stir in spices and bay leaves and cook for an additional minute. Add chicken thighs, tomato paste, and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. Cover and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 35 minutes.
Remove chicken from pot and discard chicken skin. Use two forks to shred chicken from the bone. Return the shredded chicken to the pot along with the egg noodles. Cook until noodles are tender, about 12-15 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and remove bay leaves before serving.
Can I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs?
Yes, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Skinless thighs will add less fat to your soup, but be sure to check the label. About ⅓ of all fresh chicken sold in supermarkets is injected with a mixture of water, sodium, and other additives to increase moisture and tenderness, and this can cause boneless, skinless varieties to contain extremely high sodium levels.
Watch the web story here!
Low Sodium Chicken Noodle Soup
An easy Low Sodium Chicken Noodle Soup is possible with the right ingredients. This delicious soup contains only 164 mg sodium per cup. Soup’s on!
Ingredients
- For Chicken:
- 2 1/2 -3 lbs chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoon salt free seasoning
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
- For Soup:
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 medium carrots, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 8 cups low sodium or unsalted chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon salt free seasoning
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 cups wide egg noodles
- Juice of half a lemon
Instructions
- Season chicken thighs with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, your favorite salt free seasoning, and pepper.
- Place onions, carrots, celery, and garlic in slow cooker. Place seasoned chicken on top. Add broth, salt free seasoning, Italian seasoning, bay leaves and tomato paste.
- Cover and cook on high for 3½ hours or low for 7½ hours.
- Remove chicken from slow cooker and remove skin. Discard skin and shred chicken. Return shredded chicken to slow cooker and stir in noodles.
- Cover and cook 30 minutes more, until noodles are tender.
- Remove bay leaves. Stir in juice from half a lemon and serve or freeze.
Notes
If you don’t have a slow cooker, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the chopped onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables begin to soften, 3-4 minutes. Stir in spices and bay leaves and cook for an additional minute. Add chicken thighs, tomato paste, and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. Cover and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 35 minutes.
Remove chicken from pot and discard chicken skin. Use two forks to shred chicken from the bone. Return the shredded chicken to the pot along with the egg noodles. Cook until noodles are tender, about 12-15 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and remove bay leaves before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Low Sodium Chicken Noodle Soup
Serves: 12 1-cup servings
|
Amount Per Serving: 1 cup
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 321 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 17.6 | 26.2% | |
| Saturated Fat 5.3 g | 25% | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | ||
| Cholesterol 104.2 mg | 34.7% | |
| Sodium 164 mg | 6.8% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 16.3 g | 5.3% | |
| Dietary Fiber 2.6 g | 8% | |
| Sugars 3 g | ||
| Protein 23.1 g | ||
| Vitamin A 360.7% | Vitamin C 6.6% | |
| Calcium 3.5% | Iron 8.3% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Did You Make this Recipe?
Let me know how much you loved the recipe by leaving a rating or comment down below. Share a picture of this recipe on Facebook or Instagram with #SaltSanity.
so you have a cook book Ima having problems with taste. my soup taste watery, can you help
Hi Judy,
I don’t have a cookbook yet. All of my recipes are on this website and more will be coming weekly. Add some of your favorite spices to your soup to help with the taste. I also add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to soup if the flavor is a little flat. Hope this helps!
This looks really good. I can’t wait to try it!
I hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think after you try it!