This Chicken Soup Without Noodles is made by sautéing onions, fresh ginger, and garlic, building on that aromatic base with slowly simmering chicken, and rather than noodles adding carrots, celery, potatoes, and beans at the end.
What makes this chicken soup stand out is the grated ginger. It’s not an ingredient you often find in chicken soup, and the smell of it cooking is so unexpectedly soothing, especially if you’re making it on a cold day or for someone who is under the weather.
The ginger, garlic, and onion along with the fat from the chicken create such a satisfying broth, which is then topped with diced chicken, veggies, and beans. I add a large sweet potato because it adds a subtle sweetness to the broth. The beans and red potatoes give the soup an extra heft.
It's not always easy to figure out how to craft a soup to make it filling. In this recipe, it's done with potatoes, chicken, and beans, but it can be done by adding lentils, like in this Italian Lentil Soup, or by adding pasta like in this Creamy White Cheddar and Vegetable Soup, or even with meatballs in this Potato Leek Soup.
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🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe
No Noodles: It has all the things you love about Chicken Noodle Soup but without the noodles for fewer carbs.
Ginger: The broth is extra aromatic and delicious with the addition of freshly grated ginger. So Soothing.
Slow Cooked Chicken: Bone-in skin-on chicken pieces are used which add fat and flavor and result in super tender shredded chicken.
🥕Variations
This Chicken Soup Without Noodles is a very flexible recipe. You can serve it over rice or egg noodles. Though we usually serve it on its own. You can add or remove vegetables or even add lentils. We tend to make the version below, but if we have extra vegetables on hand (broccoli, cauliflower, peas, corn, etc.) we’ll toss them in too.
🛒 Ingredients
Below are a few notes on the ingredients needed for this Chicken Soup Without Noodles.
- Olive Oil: Use extra virgin olive oil if possible.
- Yellow Onion: Diced small so that they disappear in the soup.
- Fresh Ginger: This is a key ingredient. Be sure to use fresh ginger. Peel it, and use a grater to grate it.
- Garlic: Part of the aromatic base.
- Chicken: Use either a whole chicken or bone-in skin-on pieces, which I find easier than using a whole chicken.
- Chicken Broth: Use low-sodium chicken broth.
- Carrots: You can use large carrots, or baby carrots, whatever is more convenient.
- Celery: Adds subtle flavor.
- Potatoes: I use red potatoes, but almost any variety will work.
- Sweet Potato: Adds a subtle sweetness and vibrant color.
- Beans: You can add either kidney beans or black beans, or I often do both. This combination of beans is also great in this Dutch Oven Chicken Chili.
I add the carrots and celery towards the end rather than at the beginning so that they have a firmer texture. The soup gets plenty of flavor from the garlic and ginger, so I use the celery and carrots as added vegetables rather than using them at the beginning to add flavor to the broth.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
📝 How to Make Chicken Soup Without Noodles
Below are the step-by-step instructions and photos for how to make Chicken Soup Without Noodles.
But first things first, ditch the noodles. This recipe uses chicken, potatoes, and beans to create a hefty soup all without the extra carbs from noodles.
*Note: The recipe card with instructions, ingredient list, and quantities is included further below these step-by-step photos.
Step 1. Aromatic Base: Bring a large Dutch oven or pot to medium heat. Add the olive oil and the onion. Cook stirring occasionally until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the freshly grated ginger and garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes.
Tip: The smaller you dice the onion, the more it will disappear into the soup. If you prefer noticeable pieces of onion in your soup, dice them bigger. If you want them to more or less disappear into the broth, dice the onion small (this is my preference).
Ginger: You can peel ginger using the edge of a spoon. I find this more time-consuming than just using a knife, but you preserve more of the ginger this way.
Step 2. Cook the Chicken: Arrange the chicken pieces in the pot, or if using a whole chicken simply place the chicken in the pot. Cover with the chicken stock and 2 cups of water. Add extra water (or stock if you have it) if needed to ensure that the chicken is covered.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Simmer for 1 hour covered, or until the chicken has cooked through and starts to easily fall off the bone.
Remove and set the chicken aside. Skim off any extra fat from the top.
Tip: Check the chicken a few minutes before the hour mark. If the chicken does not easily come apart with a fork in the pot, then it needs more time. Add 5-10 more minutes and check again.
Step 3. Add the Vegetables: Add the carrots, celery, and red potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes. Then add the sweet potatoes and cook for another 10 minutes.
Step 4. Shred the Chicken: Meanwhile, shred the chicken on a cutting board.
Tip: Do not let the shredded chicken sit out for an extended period of time or it will dry out. If you're waiting for the soup to finish you can cover it with a little bit of broth and wrap it in tin foil to prevent it from drying out.
Step 5. Add the Beans and Chicken: Add the kidney and/or black beans to the soup along with the shredded chicken. Stir and allow to warm through. Add salt and pepper to taste.
🍽️ How to Serve, Store, and Freeze:
- To Serve: Serve the soup warm in bowls. Or with a side of bread or crackers if you like.
- To Store: Store any leftovers in the Dutch oven or pot in the fridge, or in reheatable sealable containers for up to 1 week. To reheat, bring the pot up to a simmer, or microwave individual portions.
- To Freeze: Store individual portions in a sealable freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
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If you tried this Chicken Soup Without Noodles or any other recipe on my site, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I would love to hear from you!
Chicken and Vegetable Soup with Ginger
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 whole chicken, or an assortment of bone-in skin on chicken pieces
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 3 large carrots, sliced
- 3 stalks celery, sliced
- 3 medium red potatoes, diced (1 lb potatoes)
- 1 large sweet potato, diced
- 1 15oz can kidney or black beans (or both)
Instructions
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven to medium heat. Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add the chicken, chicken broth, and 2 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Ensure that the chicken is submerged in the broth. Reduce to a low simmer and cover.
- Simmer for about 1 hour or until the chicken is completely cooked and no longer pink. It should be falling off the bone and easily torn apart with a fork. Remove the chicken or chicken pieces from the pot and place on a plate or cutting board to cool.
- Skim off any extra fat from the top of the broth.
- Add the carrots, red potatoes, and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Then add the sweet potatoes and cook for another 10 minutes or until fork tender.
- Meanwhile, remove the meat from the bones and shred it into small pieces. Discard the fat and bones. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot. Add the kidney and/or black beans and allow to warm through.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and serve warm in bowls.
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