Vegetable-packed Gluten-Free Chicken Noodle Soup makes for a hearty, nourishing meal. This easy chicken noodle soup recipe comes together quickly, can easily be adapted using different vegetables and is comfort food at its finest!
Put it on repeat during the chilly winter months!
This post is sponsored by Stanley.
For me, there are few meals that make my belly smile more than a hearty soup or stew that is loaded with vegetables, some form of protein, and complex carbohydrate.
The protein is filling, the vegetables nourishing, the carbohydrate energizing, and the broth so comforting!
Although I’ve made my Crock Pot Chicken and Rice Soup and my Creamy Rosemary Chicken Soup with Rice more times than I can count, I only recently began making gluten free chicken noodle soup.
I couldn’t tell you why I waited so long, because it has been an amazing staple both at home and on my outdoor activities since the weather turned cold.
Which brings me to my next point:
Food On The Go:
This is one of the recipes I’ve been making in bulk and bringing with me on an outdoor adventure.
My partner and I spend a great deal of time outdoors – we go for hikes, mountain bike rides and trail runs and have no qualms about sitting still for a sunset.
One of the tactics I’ve used for years to keep my diet clean is simply making food ahead of time, packing it up, and bringing it with me. If you’ve followed me on Instagram for quite some time, you know I used to bring homemade Thai curry with me on flights!
I’ve found Stanley’s Food Jars & Storage to be incredibly helpful! Not only do they fit a great deal of food, but accessing said food is made super easy with the wide mouth.
Plus, the jars are super lightweight, which is ideal for bringing on long hikes or backpacking. The food stays warm, my body stays nourished!
We’ve been packing food like this chicken noodle soup into two jars and bringing them along with any other snacks (like mixed nuts or fat balls) in a Stanley lunchbox. Seriously, this makes the adventure even more fun because we know we won’t have to go searching for food, and the products are just so cool!
This chicken noodle soup is absolutely marvelous for keeping my energy level high and keeping the hangry monster tamed.
Let’s chat about the recipe!
Ingredients for Gluten Free Chicken Noodle Soup:
Avocado Oil: I use avocado oil, which is a high-temperature cooking oil, in order to saute the vegetables for the soup.
Vegetables: Onion, garlic, carrots, broccoli, and zucchini are my typical go-to vegetables for tossing in chicken soup. If you’re a fan of celery, cauliflower, tomatoes, and/or mushrooms, those go great in soup too!
Chicken: Both boneless skinless chicken breasts and thighs work great for easy chicken noodle soup! Chicken thighs will yield a bit richer of a flavor and will turn out more tender, and chicken breasts are the leaner option. I used chicken breasts on this particular round of soup.
Gluten Free Pasta Noodles: Pick your favorite gluten-free pasta noodle for this chicken noodle soup! I used spiral noodles made entirely of brown rice, which hold together marvelously during the cooking process and stay together after cooking as well. Some gluten-free noodles have a tendency to disintegrate, but I’ve had good luck with brown rice noodles.
Chicken Broth: The elixir that brings it all together! I use low-sodium organic chicken broth and then I salt the soup to taste. You can also use chicken bone broth!
Dried Herbs & Sea Salt: I always add dried herbs to my chicken soup recipes. To keep it simple for this recipe, I added Italian Seasoning, which is a mixture of many dried herbs. When I add individual dried herbs, I always go heavy on dried oregano and dried parsley.
Of course, sea salt is HUGE in adding flavor to soup! If you ever feel like a soup tastes bland, add sea salt a little at a time until the flavors begin to shine through for you.
Tip For The BEST Chicken Noodle Soup:
I find sauteeing the onion, garlic, and carrots for 5 to 8 minutes not only unlocks a plethora of flavor, but it also makes the cooking process go faster so that you don’t have to simmer the soup for a long period of time to get any flavor out of it.
After the onion has had plenty of time to cook, I add the chopped chicken just long enough to brown it on a couple of sides. From there, in goes the broth, noodles, and the rest of the vegetables.
At this point, you will only need to bring the soup to a boil and allow it to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Then, it’s done! Of course, you can always cook the soup longer for maximum flavor, but I tend to keep my soup making sessions a short affair.
Soup is always, always better the next day, up to 5 days after you make it! Keep this in mind if you like to meal prep, as this is a great recipe to make in advance and keep in the refrigerator to eat during the week.
How to Make Gluten Free Chicken Noodle Soup:
Pour the avocado oil to a large pot (I use my Dutch oven) and heat over medium-high. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until it begins to turn translucent, about 5 minutes.
Transfer the chopped carrot and garlic to the pot and stir well. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the carrot begins to soften.
Move the vegetables to one side of the pot and add the chopped chicken. Allow chicken to brown for a few minutes, then stir everything together. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, cover, and bring to a full boil.
Reduce the heat to a gentle boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until noodles and chicken are cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Taste the soup for flavor and add more sea salt to taste.
Does Chicken Noodle Soup Freeze Well?:
Noodles don’t hold up well in the freezer, so if you’re planning to make this recipe in advance and freeze it, do so without the noodles. When you thaw the soup, you can add it to a pot with noodles and cook them at that point. If you’d like to freeze this soup, allow it to cool before transferring it to freezer safe containers or bags.
And that’s it! Making this soup couldn’t be easier, and the end result couldn’t be any more gratifying!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large chicken breasts, chopped (about 1 to 1.5 lbs)
- 2 quarts chicken broth
- 2 cups gluten-free pasta noodles
- 2 medium zucchini squash, chopped
- 1 large crown broccoli, chopped into florets
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ tsp sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Pour the avocado oil to a large pot (I use my Dutch oven) and heat over medium-high. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until it begins to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chopped carrot and garlic to the pot and stir well. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the carrot begins to soften.
- Move the vegetables to one side of the pot and add the chopped chicken. Allow chicken to brown for a few minutes, then stir everything together. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, cover, and bring to a full boil.
- Reduce the heat to a gentle boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until noodles and chicken are cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Taste the soup for flavor and add more sea salt to taste.
Nutrition
Linda
Tuesday 26th of January 2021
Looks delish! But...does this freeze well or does the gf pasta fall apart with freezing?
Julia
Wednesday 27th of January 2021
Hi Linda,
In my experience, noodles don't freeze well. If you're trying to make the recipe ahead of time, you can cook the noodles in the soup when you reheat it. Hope you love it! xoxo