Keto Chicken Soup with Egg Noodles

I wanted a bowl of chicken soup that actually had noodles in it. Not just broth and chicken floating around with some celery. Regular egg noodles add 20 to 30g of carbs per serving, and most store bought low carb options are not much better. So I made my own egg noodles from almond flour and xanthan gum, and they hold up in hot broth without falling apart.

The keto egg noodles take a few minutes to mix and bake for 15 to 20 minutes while the soup simmers. I roll the dough out on parchment paper, cut it into strips, and slide them into the oven at 200F. I bake them at that low temperature on purpose (higher heat dries them out and makes them brittle once they hit the broth). By the time the soup is ready, the noodles are done. The whole bowl comes in at 3.2g net carbs and 22.5g of protein with the noodles included.

Why I Use Bone Broth

I use homemade bone broth instead of regular stock and the difference is noticeable. Bone broth has a richer, deeper flavor because it simmers longer and pulls collagen from the bones. It also gives this low carb soup a slightly thicker body without adding any thickeners or starch. If I don’t have a batch on hand, a good quality store bought version works fine. I check the label for added sugar or maltodextrin and skip anything that has them.

A Soup My Whole Family Eats

The base is simple: celery, onion, carrot, bay leaf, and chicken simmered in broth. I use cooked chicken most of the time (leftover rotisserie chicken is the fastest option), but raw chicken works too and gives the broth a little more flavor since it simmers in the liquid. The soup base is also naturally dairy-free if you swap the butter for olive oil, which I do when I am cooking for friends with sensitivities. This is the soup I make when someone in the house is not feeling well or when I want something warm and filling without a lot of effort. My kids eat it without knowing it’s keto, and my husband goes back for seconds.

If you want to round out the meal, try my keto chicken and dumplings for a similar comfort food approach with a thicker, biscuit-topped broth. For another hearty option, my white chicken chili uses a similar hands off approach but with a completely different flavor profile. I also love my keto Italian wedding soup when I want something with meatballs instead of shredded chicken.

How to make keto egg noodles for soup

The egg noodle dough comes together in about 2 minutes. I mix almond flour, xanthan gum, salt, and onion powder in a bowl. The xanthan gum is what gives the noodles structure and a slight chew so they hold up in hot broth instead of dissolving. I whisk in hot water and one egg until it forms a sticky dough.

I roll the dough out on parchment paper and cut it into strips. I cut mine about a quarter inch wide, but thicker strips work too if you prefer a heartier noodle. Bake at 200F for 15 to 20 minutes. The noodles are done when they feel firm but still slightly pliable. I make a double batch and store extras in the fridge for up to 3 days. They work in any soup, or toss them with butter and garlic for a quick side. I also use this same dough concept in my keto spaghetti.

Low carb noodle options for soup

If you want to skip the homemade egg noodles, I have tested several low carb noodle options in this soup and here is what I found.

Shirataki noodles are the most common keto swap, but they have a rubbery texture and a distinct smell straight out of the package. I rinse and dry fry them for a couple minutes before adding to the soup, which helps a lot. Zucchini noodles are milder in flavor but they soften fast, so I add them in the last 2 to 3 minutes. Cabbage cut into thin strips holds up better than zucchini and adds almost no carbs. Hearts of palm noodles (like Palmini) have a neutral taste and a texture close to regular pasta. They are my go-to store bought option. Spaghetti squash works but adds a few extra carbs per serving (about 4.9g net carbs).

Kelp noodles are another option if you can find them. They are nearly zero carb but have a crunchier texture that not everyone likes in soup. After testing all of these, I still prefer my homemade almond flour noodles because they taste the closest to real egg noodles.

Can I make this soup without noodles?

Yes, and I do this sometimes when I want an even faster dinner. The bone broth, chicken, and vegetables make a complete meal on their own. Without the noodles, the carb count drops to about 2g net carbs per serving since the remaining carbs come from just the celery, onion, and carrot.

When I skip the noodles, I add diced daikon radish (it softens like potato but with fewer carbs), extra celery, or a handful of spinach stirred in at the end. You could also increase the chicken to make it more protein forward. If you want another low carb soup without noodles, my keto chicken rice soup uses cauliflower rice instead.

Is Campbell's chicken noodle soup keto friendly?

I looked at the label and Campbell’s has 8g of carbs per serving, and the serving size is just half a cup. Most people eat 1 to 2 full cups, which means 16 to 32g of carbs from a single can. The noodles contain wheat flour (not gluten free), the broth is a basic chicken stock with minimal nutritional value, and the sodium is high relative to what you get.

My homemade version gives you a full bowl at 3.2g net carbs with real bone broth, actual chicken, and noodles made from almond flour. I make it in 35 minutes and I control every ingredient.

Raw chicken or cooked chicken for this soup

I use either depending on what I have on hand. Cooked chicken is faster (leftover rotisserie chicken is what I reach for most), but raw chicken works too and gives the broth more flavor.

If I am starting with raw chicken, I skip the store bought broth and make my own stock from scratch. I add chicken thighs, breast, or a whole chicken to 4 cups of water with a few teaspoons of salt, bring it to a boil, then let it simmer uncovered until the chicken is tender and falling off the bone (about 1 to 1.5 hours). I separate the chicken from the bones, strain the broth, and use that as my soup base. Then I follow the rest of the recipe as written.

The shortcut I use most often is pre-cooked shredded chicken or a rotisserie chicken. I just shred it and add it directly to the broth. Instant Pot shredded chicken works perfectly here too. And my keto turkey soup uses a similar from-scratch broth approach if you want to try it with turkey.

How to store low carb chicken soup

I store the soup and noodles separately. The egg noodles absorb broth if they sit in it overnight, and they lose their texture. I keep the noodles in an airtight container in the fridge and add them to each bowl when I reheat.

The soup base (broth, chicken, vegetables) keeps in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days and freezes well for up to 3 months. I freeze mine in individual portions so I can thaw one serving at a time. To reheat from frozen, I thaw overnight in the fridge and warm on the stove over medium heat. The noodles are best made fresh, but leftover noodles keep for 2 to 3 days refrigerated.

Slow cooker method

I have made this in the slow cooker and it works well for busy days. I add the chicken (raw is fine here since it cooks slowly), diced vegetables, bone broth, and bay leaf to the slow cooker. I cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. About 30 minutes before serving, I shred the chicken directly in the pot.

I make the egg noodles in the oven separately and add them to each bowl right before serving. Do not add the noodles to the slow cooker because they break down in the liquid over time. If you enjoy slow cooker meals, my keto beef stew uses the same low and slow approach with a completely different flavor profile. For another soup option, my keto lasagna soup is a hearty one-pot meal I make when I want something with Italian flavors.