Recipe: The Best Chicken Zoodle Soup

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound total)
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 quarts (6 cups) low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 medium zucchini, spiralized into thick spirals, then cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and spiralized into thin spirals, then cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/4 medium onion, thinly sliced
• Optional toppings: freshly ground black pepper, lemon wedges, fresh thyme or parsley leaves

Method

1. Step 1
2. Place the chicken breasts in a single layer on the bottom of a 3- to 4-quart Dutch oven or saucepan. Add the garlic, bay leaf, and salt. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, use a spoon or small fine-mesh strainer to skim off any white foam that appears. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165°F, 8 to 12 minutes.12 min timer
3. Step 2
4. Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board. Discard the garlic cloves and bay leaf. Once cool enough to handle, shred the chicken with 2 forks or cut into bite-sized pieces.
5. Step 3
6. Place the saucepan with the broth back over medium-high heat and bring back to a simmer. Add the zucchini, carrot, and onion, and simmer until tender, about 3 minutes. Return the chicken to the saucepan and stir to combine. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with black pepper, lemon wedges, and fresh herbs as desired.3 min timer