Low Sodium Slow-Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
It seems that since the dawn of time (or at least the early 1200s) Chicken Soup has been touted as being good for your soul and also apparently for whatever ails you. In 1934 the Campbell’s company added noodles to their soup and the legendary soup began. The problem is that those canned soups may indeed be good for the soul, but they are terrible for the heart. A half cup serving of their Classic Chicken Noodle is 850 mg of sodium. So in order to keep chicken noodle soup in our repertoire of healing soups, here is my low sodium slow-cooker chicken noodle soup.
An Old Wive’s Tale?
Every major culture and cuisine in the world has some variation of a chicken noodle soup. In Japan it is known as torijiro, in Indonesia, sayur sop, and in Mexico it is called caldo de pollo. Since the 1200’s, Ancient philosophers and physicians claimed chicken noodle soup can heal everything from the common cold to leprosy. But does it really heal?
According to Wikipedia: In 2000, scientists at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha studied the effect of chicken soup on the inflammatory response in vitro. They found that some components of the chicken soup inhibit neutrophil migration, which may have an anti-inflammatory effect that could hypothetically lead to temporary ease from symptoms of illness. However, since these results have been obtained from purified cells (and directly applied), the diluted soup in vivo effect is debatable. The New York Times reviewed the University of Nebraska study, among others, in 2007 and concluded that “none of the research is conclusive, and it is not known whether the changes measured in the laboratory really have a meaningful effect on people with cold symptoms.”
So, there is no conclusive proof. Yet, millions of mothers and grandmothers will swear that this soup is good for what ails you. I tend to agree. What could be more perfect when it is chilly outside (or if you are a bit sniffly)!
Making Soup At Home
Soup is probably one of the easiest thing to make as it is simply chopping up ingredients and tossing them in a pot or crockpot to simmer and cook all day long. Maybe some of the healing power comes simply from the aromas that fill your house as you make it. It screams comfort food!
Low sodium tips for soup is to make sure you can find the Swanson’s Unsalted Chicken Broth. It is the lowest sodium I have found anywhere. 45 mg of sodium for 1 cup. The traditional German version of this soup has spaetzle noodles, which are egg noodles. We found fresh that had only 8 mg per cup of noodles.
This soup will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. You can freeze leftovers in an airtight container for 4 to 6 months. I will also tell you, if you absolutely don’t have time to cook, Campbell’s has a low sodium chicken noodle soup, but it has none of the taste of home made and has to be doctored up with spices.
From The Cookbook
This recipe is in my new cookbook on page 91 – The Easy Low Sodium Diet Plan & Cookbook. It is available on Amazon or in Barnes and Nobles Stores. You can also ask at your local book store for them to order it.
The Recipe For Low Sodium Slow-Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
Low Sodium Slow-Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts fresh & not frozen
- 6 medium Carrots peeled and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
- 1 medium Yellow Onion finely chopped
- 4 stalks Celery thinly chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil Extra Virgin
- 1 cup Water
- 1 tsp Thyme dried
- 6 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
- 1/2 tsp Sage dried
- 1/2 tsp Rosemary dried & crushed
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1/4 tsp Celery Seed finely crushed
- 1 tsp Black Pepper fresh ground
- 2 cups Egg Noodles wide, uncooked
- 1/4 cup Fresh Parsley chopped
Instructions
- Add the chicken, carrots, onion, celery, and garlic to the slow cooker. Drizzle the olive oil over ingredients and mix to coat with the oil.
- Add the chicken broth, water, thyme, rosemary, sage, celery seed, bay leaves, and black pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours on low heat.
- Remove the cooked chicken and let it rest for 10 minutes, then dice or shred into bite size pieces. While the chicken is resting, add the noodles and parsley to the pot, cover, and cook on high for the ten minutes the chicken rests.
- Return the diced chicken to the soup and mix in. Serve the soup warm.
Nutrition