Low-Carb Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

Have you ever tried Thai Chicken & Noodle Soup? This deliciously tangy, spicy and hearty soup will keep you warm on cold fall and winter days. And unlike the more traditional recipe, this low-carb soup skips the grains and uses zero-carb kelp noodles instead.

Recipe Tips

We are using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs because they will make this soup a lot more flavorful than boneless, skinless chicken. Instead of the thighs you can use chicken carsasses like I did here.

You can even use shrimp in place of the chicken, if you like. Just add them in the last 2-3 minutes of cooking. In this variation you could either use chicken stock or fish stock instead of the water.

Don't have the Instant Pot? If you don't have an Instant Pot, simply cook this soup in any pressure cooker or on the stove.

If you're using a pressure cooker, cook the chicken on high pressure for 30 minutes. If you don't have either, you can use a large pot and simply cook the soup on the stove. The chicken will take 45 to 60 minutes to cook under a lid on medium-low heat.

Preparation time

Hands-on:    30 minutes
Overall:      2 hours

Nutritional values (per serving, 2 cups/ 480 ml)

Total Carbs	8.4	grams
Fiber	1.8	grams
Net Carbs	6.7	grams

Protein	17.9	grams
Fat	21.3	grams
of which Saturated	16.6	grams

Energy	289	kcal

Magnesium	71	mg (18% RDA)
Potassium	565	mg (28% EMR)

Macronutrient ratio: Calories from carbs (9%), protein (25%), fat (66%)

Ingredients (makes 6 servings)

450 g chicken thighs (1 lb)
1.5 L water
2 tbsp virgin coconut oil (30 ml)
1 medium yellow onion (110 g/ 3.9 oz)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 small red chilli pepper
1 lemongrass
2 tbsp fish sauce (30 ml)
1 can coconut milk (400 ml/ 13.5 fl oz)
4 tbsp fresh lime juice (60 ml)
¹/₂ tsp turmeric powder
¹/₄ tsp black pepper
1 tsp sea salt, or to taste
1 ¹/₂ cups sliced brown mushrooms or Asian mushrooms (108 g/ 3.9 oz)
1 ¹/₂ cups broccoli florets (136 g/ 4.8 oz)
1 pack kelp noodles (340 g/ 12 oz)
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or spring onion
Optional to serve: fresh chillies and lime wedges

Instructions

Start by making the chicken stock and cooking the chicken. Place the chicken in your Instant Pot. Add 1.5 L of water and cover with the lid. Turn the valve to Sealing and cook on the Poultry setting. Cook until the program has finished and then let the steam escape naturally.
When done, use tongs to remove the chicken from the Instant Pot. Pour the stock in a saucepan and set aside. Shred the meat off the bones. Discard the skin and bones (or freeze and use to make bone broth).
Note: Check recipe tips above if you don't have an Instant Pot.
Chop the onion, garlic, ginger and chillies. Cut the lemongrass in half lengthwise. Slice the mushrooms and chop the broccoli.
Wipe clean your Instant Pot to cook the aromatics. Set your Instant Pot to Sauté. Grease with olive oil and add the onion, garlic, ginger, chillies and lemongrass. Cook for 3-5 minutes.
Add the fish sauce, coconut cream, lime juice, turmeric powder, black pepper, salt, mushrooms, broccoli and reserved chicken stock.
Bring to a boil over a high heat. Once boiling, reduce to medium and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until the mushrooms and broccoli are crisp-tender.
Switch off the Instant Pot and add the kelp noodles and shredded chicken. Discard the lemongrass.
Serve hot with freshly sliced chillies, cilantro (coriander) and lime wedges. To store, let it cool down and refrigerate for up to 4 days. This soup can also be frozen for up to 3 months.