Chicken noodle soup – that warm, comforting bowl of goodness we all crave when feeling under the weather or just needing something soothing But if you’re watching your carb intake, you might be wondering exactly how many carbs are hiding in that innocent-looking bowl. Let’s dive into the details and find out!
The Carb Content of Chicken Noodle Soup
The carbohydrate content in chicken noodle soup varies depending on whether it’s homemade, canned, or from a restaurant. Here’s what you need to know
Typical Store-Bought Canned Soup
- Total Carbs: 8g per cup (245g)
- Fiber: 1g per cup
- Net Carbs: 7g per cup
Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup
- Total Carbs: 21g per can (10.75 oz)
- Fiber: 1.8g per can
- Net Carbs: About 19.2g per can
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- Total Carbs: Approximately 10g per serving
- Net Carbs: About 8g per serving
According to Carb Manager
- Total Carbs: 7.4g per cup
- Fiber: 0.5g per cup
- Net Carbs: 6.9g per cup
- Calories: 63 per cup
What Are Carbs Anyway?
Before we go deeper let’s refresh our understanding of carbs. Carbohydrates are one of the three main macronutrients along with protein and fat. They break down into glucose during digestion, providing energy for our bodies.
There are three main types of carbs:
- Fiber: Indigestible carbs that support gut health
- Starch: Long glucose chains found in potatoes, wheat, and corn
- Sugar: Simple carbs like sucrose, fructose, and lactose
When following a low-carb or keto diet, people typically track net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) since fiber doesn’t impact blood sugar levels.
Is Chicken Noodle Soup Keto-Friendly?
If you’re on a standard keto diet that limits carbs to 20-50g per day, a cup of chicken noodle soup would use up about 14-35% of your daily carb allowance. This means it’s not the most keto-friendly option, especially if you’re on the stricter end of keto.
Traditional chicken noodle soup contains noodles, which are the primary source of carbs. A standard bowl of chicken noodle soup typically contains around 24g of carbs with 3g of fiber, leaving 21g net carbs – which is a significant portion of a keto dieter’s daily allowance.
Making Chicken Noodle Soup Lower in Carbs
Don’t worry – you can still enjoy the comfort of chicken soup while keeping carbs in check. Here are some tips:
- Skip the noodles entirely – Focus on chicken and veggies only
- Use veggie noodles instead – Try spiralized zucchini, carrots, or cabbage
- Choose low-carb vegetables – Onions, celery, spinach, and mushrooms are keto-friendly
- Use bone broth instead of regular stock – Homemade bone broth has more collagen and fewer carbs
- Make it from scratch – Avoid pre-made soups with added sugars and thickeners
- Watch your portion size – Stick to 1 cup or less per serving
Nutritional Breakdown of Chicken Noodle Soup
Let’s look at the complete nutritional profile of a typical cup of chicken noodle soup according to Carb Manager:
| Nutrient | Amount per cup |
|---|---|
| Calories | 63 |
| Total Carbs | 7.4g |
| Fiber | 0.5g |
| Net Carbs | 6.9g |
| Sugar | 0.7g |
| Protein | 3.2g |
| Fat | 2.4g |
| Sodium | 662.8mg |
| Potassium | 55.4mg |
| Cholesterol | 14.5mg |
The soup also contains small amounts of various vitamins and minerals including iron, calcium, and B vitamins.
Benefits of Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
I’m a big fan of making chicken noodle soup from scratch, and here’s why you might want to try it too:
- Control over ingredients – You choose exactly what goes in
- Budget-friendly – Make a large batch that lasts for multiple meals
- Avoid artificial ingredients – No preservatives or questionable additives
- Nutrient-rich – Homemade bone broth is packed with collagen and minerals
- Medicinal properties – Research shows chicken soup can help fight colds and flu by boosting immune function and reducing inflammation
Making chicken soup from scratch results in a collagen-rich bone broth that’s great for gut health and digestion. It’s packed with nutrients in an easily digestible form, including vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes from the bones, cartilage, herbs, and vegetables.
Low-Carb Soup Alternatives
If you’re strictly watching your carbs but still craving soup, here are some lower-carb alternatives to try:
- Broccoli Cheese Soup – Skip the starchy thickeners
- Loaded Cauliflower Soup – With bacon and cheddar
- Taco Soup – Use ground beef, salsa, cheese, avocado, and zucchini instead of regular noodles
- Buffalo Chicken Soup – Shredded chicken, hot sauce, cream cheese, and ranch
- Italian Wedding Soup – Meatballs and spinach in broth
- Egg Drop Soup – Simple broth with whisked eggs
Homemade Keto Chicken “Noodle” Soup Recipe
Want to enjoy chicken soup without the carb overload? Here’s a simple keto-friendly version:
Ingredients:
- 1 whole chicken or 2 lbs chicken parts
- 8 cups water
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 medium zucchini, spiralized (as noodle replacement)
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions:
- Place chicken, water, vinegar, and bay leaf in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1-2 hours until chicken is falling off the bone.
- Remove chicken, let cool, then shred the meat, discarding skin and bones.
- Strain the broth and return to pot. Add celery, onion, garlic, and thyme. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add shredded chicken back to the pot and season with salt and pepper.
- Just before serving, add spiralized zucchini and cook for 2-3 minutes until just tender.
- Garnish with fresh parsley.
This keto version has approximately 3-5g net carbs per serving, depending on your vegetable quantities.
FAQ About Carbs in Chicken Noodle Soup
How many carbs are in a bowl of chicken noodle soup?
A typical bowl of chicken noodle soup contains about 24g of carbs and 3g of fiber, resulting in 21g net carbs.
How many carbs are in a full can of Campbell’s chicken noodle soup?
A full can of Campbell’s chicken noodle soup (10.75 oz) contains approximately 21g of total carbs and 1.8g of fiber.
Is chicken noodle soup high in carbs?
Yes, traditional chicken noodle soup is relatively high in carbohydrates primarily due to the noodles. However, there are ways to make lower-carb versions.
How many carbs are in one bowl of chicken soup without noodles?
Chicken soup without noodles has significantly fewer carbs – typically under 5g per serving, depending on the vegetables used.
Final Thoughts
Chicken noodle soup is a comfort food classic that contains a moderate amount of carbs – around 7-8g net carbs per cup for typical versions. While this might be too high for strict keto dieters, it can still fit into a moderate low-carb eating plan.
If you’re watching your carb intake but still craving the comfort of chicken soup, consider making your own version with veggie noodles or no noodles at all. The beauty of homemade soup is that you can customize it to fit your dietary needs while still enjoying that warm, soothing goodness.
Remember, proper homemade chicken soup isn’t just delicious – it’s good medicine too! The nutrients and compounds in chicken soup can help boost immunity, clear congestion, and reduce inflammation – making it the perfect comfort food when you’re feeling under the weather.
So go ahead and enjoy your chicken soup – just be mindful of the carbs if you’re counting!
Total carbs 10g, net carbs 8g
Preparing soup from scratch is a neglected art. But its worth it. There are so many benefits to making soup from scratch. For starters, it is easy on the budget. You can make a giant batch of soup to be shared with friends and family, and still have leftovers to freeze for another day. Another reason is that you can use high-quality, organic ingredients and avoid artificial ingredients. Making soup from scratch results in a collagen-rich bone broth that aids digestion and is good for gut health. Fresh, homemade soup is loaded with nutrients presented in an easily digestible form. Homemade chicken broth is extremely nutritious containing the vitamins and minerals of bone, cartilage, herbs and vegetables as electrolytes.
Chicken noodle soup from scratch ingredients:
Chicken
You need 1 whole chicken to make chicken soup from scratch. It doesnt matter how big the chicken is. You will be removing the cooked meat from the carcass and adding 4 cups of meat back to the broth at the end. It is likely that you will have meat to spare. Just set that aside for later. You can add it back for a bowl of keto soup or you can use it to make all kinds of recipes like chicken salad, pot pie or enchiladas.
Water
Use 2 quarts of water to make 8 servings of soup. You can add more water for more soup, but the broth will become diluted. At times I use a 12 quart stock pot to make soup enough for the 50 people we feed at a homeless food distribution that I serve. I use this same recipe in the same amounts, except that I add enough water to fill the pot. I adjust the amount of salt, meat, carrots and noodles to make sure that the soup is tasty.
Turmeric
Add a small amount of ground turmeric to the soup to give the broth a beautiful golden color. Be careful not to add too much turmeric or it will change the flavor of the soup. An ⅛-1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric is good. If you want a deeper golden color, taste the soup as you add more turmeric to decide when to stop.
Onion
Since the broth will be strained there is no need to chop the onion, just cut it in half with the skin on. The onion skin will give the broth a beautiful golden color.
Carrots
This recipe calls for 3 carrots, 2 of which are used for flavor and color, but will be strained from the broth.
Celery
This recipe uses celery for flavor. If you like slices of celery in your soup set some aside and add a few at the end of cooking to add interest.
Garlic
This recipe calls for 3 cloves of garlic. However, feel free to add as much garlic as you like. They wont add any significant difference to the final carb count.
Parsley
Parsley adds mineral ions to the broth. And, green leafy vegetables like parsley add loads of Vitamin K to any recipe. A cup of parsley adds 163% RDA of Vitamin K to a single serving of this recipe. Vitamin K has many health benefits including regulating blood clotting, improving skin condition and immune function.
Bay leaf
A single bay leaf adds great flavor. Bay leaves also have anti-microbial properties. Adding a bay leaf to soup helps the soup to keep much longer. Bay leaves contain enzymes that help breakdown proteins during digestion. Bay leaves are also a rich source of Vitamins A, C, iron, potassium, calcium and magnesium. They have also been proven to be useful in treating migraines. Fun fact: adding a bay leaf to a bag of flour prevents meal bugs from infesting your flour.
Black peppercorns
Are full of anti-oxidants, anti-inflammatory and help with blood sugar control.
Egg noodles (optional)
Egg noodles are pasta and all pasta are a significant source of carbohydrates. In moderate amounts, as they are in this recipe, they can be a part of a low-carb diet.
Salt
Add to taste at the end. Kosher salt or sea salt have the best flavor.
Variation
You can make an Asian-style chicken soup by using chicken, water, garlic, fresh ginger slices and scallions instead.
Soup pot and a ladle
You’ll need at least a 6 quart pot.