John and I completed our first Whole30 in January. It was an enlightening experience that also made us both feel proud of our accomplishment and the fact that coming out of it, we felt totally in control of our nutrition and the way that we choose to eat. It helped us come up with creative, healthier solutions to our normal obstacles to eating well. During our January Whole30, I also had the unfortunate experience of a three day stomach bug. Like many people, my normal remedies for an upset stomach are sprite, plain crackers, and maybe toast. If you know anything about Whole30 you know that exactly ZERO of those options are Whole30 approved.

Enter in: my chicken and zoodle soup. Chicken noodle soup is a family favorite and we go through phases where we eat it almost every week. It’s simple to whip up on the stove or in the Instant Pot if you’re busy and can’t watch it, and you can pack it totally full of veggies to get in a good serving!

For this recipe, I’ve made some substitutions to the “normal” chicken soup we make. I’ve swapped out the chicken broth for bone broth. Whole30 enlightened me to the fact that they’re adding CRAZY CRAP to our food…even our chicken broth, God bless it! Many store-bought chicken broths have sulfites and added sugar…why?!

Bone broth has the benefit of protein, collagen (great for skin, hair, nails and joints), and many studies suggest that the gelatinous property of bone broth is great for healing a leaky gut. To keep the Whole30 compliance, I’ve also swapped zoodles for the regular noodles. This boosts your veggie content and eliminates the grains you must avoid when completing a Whole30. The garlic is not a sub — we always use lots of garlic in our chicken soup! Garlic is both immune-boosting and helps you overcome a cold even after you already have it!

Combine the following ingredients and you’ve got a superfoods soup!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
• 5 medium to large carrots, chopped
• 2 cloves fresh minced or finely chopped garlic
• 4 cups chicken bone broth
• 4 cups water
  • (Please note: if you’re using broth or stock instead of bone broth, double the broth or stock and omit the water!)
• 3 small to medium zucchini, spiralized into zoodles
• 1/2 tbsp onion powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. In a large stock pot over medium heat, place chicken breasts, chopped carrots, garlic, and bone broth. I used frozen bone broth and simply dropped it all in, allowing the bone broth to melt gradually.
2. When bone broth has liquified, add onion powder, salt and pepper.
3. Allow the mixture to boil until chicken has reached about 160 degrees.
4. Using tongs, pull partially cooked chicken and chop it before returning it to the boiling pot.
5. Add in zoodles and allow to cook until chicken reaches 165 degrees and zoodles have softened slightly.
6. Allow soup to cool a bit before serving.
7. Store in wide-mouth mason jars in the refrigerator for an easy packed lunch or a quick dinner to heat up leftovers with little to no spillage.

Be sure to give this recipe a try and share it with a friend. Better yet, drop some off to a friend in need! Show off your hard work using #biteswithbeth and tagging @bethannsbites on Instagram.