Gluten Free Chicken Noodle Soup

Jump to Recipe

Homemade Gluten Free Chicken Noodle Soup is loaded with carrots, kale and gluten free brown rice noodles. This gluten free soup is so quick and easy to make. You won't ever miss the regular noodles!

Why I make Gluten Free Chicken Noodle Soup

Whenever I hear that someone is sick, I immediately want to make them chicken soup. It's what I have always eaten when not feeling well for as early as I can remember.

When I found out one of my neighbors was under the weather, a hearty bowl of chicken soup was in order. My friend follows a gluten free diet, and this Gluten Free Chicken Noodle Soup was a perfect choice and so easy to make.

I was a little short on time so I took some help from Trader Joe's and went with their stock instead of making my own. While homemade broth or stock is always the best, Trader Joe's makes a darn good prepared one that was the perfect stand-in for this gluten free soup.

Ingredients Needed for Gluten Free Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Stock – Use homemade if you have it but storebought stock saves time and tastes great. Learn how to make homemade with my chicken stock recipe from scratch.
Carrots – Peel and chop the carrots into bites sized rounds or cubes. The key is to cut evensized pieces for even cooking.
Chicken – I prefer to use chicken tenders cut into bite size pieces but you can also use boneless skinless chicken breasts, thighs or leftover chicken from baked bone in chicken breast. I also make boiled chicken legs often and use the meat in this soup.
Kale – I used chopped baby kale. You could also use spinach.
Parsley – A small amount of dried parsley adds flavor and a nice contrast in colors.
Gluten Free Pasta - I cooked brown rice fusseli noodles according to the package instructions.
Salt and Pepper – Season the gluten free soup to taste.

Steps To Making Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

This soup is easy-peasy to make. I used different colored carrots and baby kale for vegetables but you could vary it to what you have on hand. Celery, onions and peas all would work well. I like to cook the pasta separately and add it to the soup at the last minute. If there are leftovers stored in the refrigerator, it is best to not add the noodles until you are ready to eat it.

Pour stock into a medium size sauce pan over medium high heat.
Stirr in the carrots and the raw chicken and bring the stock to a boil. Add the chopped kale.
Simmer the soup for 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked and carrots are tender.
Stir in the cooked noodles.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.

Gluten Free Chicken Noodle Soup is pure comfort food even if you are not sick. And the best part is that it can be on the table in under 20 minutes.

Chicken Soup Cooking Tips

Always read labels to make sure each ingredient is gluten free.
Chop or slice the carrots to an even thickness so they cook evenly.
Cut carrots at least ¼ inch thick to prevent them from becoming soggy.
Remove kale leaves from the stems before chopping.
Make sure the chicken is cooked all the way through. The chicken sould be cooked to 165 degrees F.
Easily halve or double the recipe as needed.
Like creamy soup? Replace 1-2 cups of stock with milk.

Storing and Reheating Gluten Free Soup

In the fridge, your soup will last 3 to 4 days.
If you want to store it in the freezer for extra longevity, it will be good for up to 6 months. If you freeze it, leave out the noodles and make them when reheating the soup.
From the refrigerator, you could either microwave your soup or place it back into a pot and heat through.
If your soup is frozen, you have a few options. First, you could allow it to sit in the fridge for a day or two in order to properly thaw, then follow the same instructions listed above.
If you’re in a rush and need the soup to thaw in a pinch, you could place it in a warm water bath in its container.
Finally, you could remove the frozen soup from the container and pop it right into the pot and heat until it’s heated all the way through.

FAQs

Can I make Gluten Free Chicken Noodle Soup ahead of time?

Absolutely! It’s so easy to make a double or even triple batch of this (if you’ve got a big enough pot) then refrigerate or freeze the extra to reheat during a busy night or for a dinner when you don’t have the energy to cook!

How do I buy the best chicken?

It’s important to look at the “best by” date, but also pay attention to the color. Your chicken should be a nice, healthy pink hue.
For the amount of chicken, this recipe calls for tenders, so it’s best to buy only as much as you’ll need for your chicken noodle soup. If you have to buy more but don’t plan on using the excess chicken right away, you can store it in the freezer for up to nine months.
If you’re storing chicken in the fridge, you should try to use it within 1 to 2 days.

How do I buy the best kale?

Look for kale leaves that are a rich, dark green and have a bit of a crisp texture to them. If they’re in a bag and you can’t feel the leaves, try to ensure that the color is uniform and none of the leaves look slimy or wilted.
Kale that is packaged typically lasts for 3-4 days, so long as you don’t wash it before you store it.
Consider rinsing/washing your kale leaves to be certain there’s no excess dirt or other grime left behind.

How do I buy the best carrots?

The best carrots will be plump and have a vibrant orange color. Their surface should be smooth and free of any cracks.
Try to avoid carrots that have strings dangling from their bottoms (but if these are your only option you could cut them off).
If you can, look for carrots that are in bunches (that still have the leaves at the top). You can use the leaf color to determine the age of the carrots–a faded green or yellow means they might be too old.
Carrots will last several weeks in the fridge but will start to lose flavor and nutritional value, so try to use or eat them within a week of buying.

Best noodles to use for gluten free chicken soup?

I used the brown rice pasta fusilli from Trader Joe's. It is really good and there were no issues with the texture. You can use your favorite gluten free pasta or replace the pasta with cooked rice, zucchini noodles or noodles made from chickpeas or other gluten free sources.