Resolution of the week: eat more color.
We’re starting with this vibrant chicken zoodle soup.
After two weeks of mostly beige food—think bread, cookies, and all the comfort classics—I’m ready to bring color back to our plates. It was indulgent and satisfying, but now I want dinners that are bright, fresh and packed with vegetables.
My aim this year is to make dinners super colorful—not just for me but for Max and eventually Emilia. I want them to grow up expecting vegetables as part of every meal. Ideally, he’ll start asking where the green food or the salad is on his plate.
Soup isn’t Max’s favorite, especially brothy soups. He prefers heartier bowls like chili or chicken and dumplings. Hot liquids can be tricky for him—when I offered hot chocolate after ice skating he barely managed a sip. Still, I’m hopeful a bright, flavorful soup like this zoodle version might win him over.
I love the idea of taking inspiration from my favorite Thai curry shrimp noodle bowls and making a chicken-forward soup that’s light, fragrant and filling. Zoodles make it fun—spiralized zucchini are playful to eat and add fresh texture without weighing the soup down.
In this recipe I don’t pre-cook the zoodles. Added to the hot broth they soften slightly while retaining a pleasant bite, so they don’t end up mushy.
This is also a perfect leftover-friendly recipe: shredded cooked chicken works beautifully. Use rotisserie chicken or leftovers from another weeknight meal. If you prefer to cook fresh chicken, quickly broil or poach a couple of breasts and shred them.
You can also adapt the soup with other proteins—shrimp or pulled pork both work—or keep it vegetarian and load up on extra vegetables. It’s flexible, fresh, and nourishing.
Take a peek at my video for chicken zoodle soup!
Thai Chicken Zoodle Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1/2 sweet onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup baby carrots sliced into rounds
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1/3 cup sugar snap peas
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 14-ounce can full-fat or light coconut milk (your preference!)
- 1 cup cooked and shredded chicken breast
- 1 or even 2! zucchini squash, spiralized (more or less depending on how many you want!)
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
- 2 green onions sliced
- lime wedges or halves for spritzing
Instructions
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Heat a large pot over medium-low heat and add the coconut oil. Stir in the onions, garlic, peppers, carrots and ginger with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables have slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the curry paste and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom.
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Add the chicken stock, coconut milk, snap peas and shredded chicken. Increase heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
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Toss in the zoodles made from one or two zucchini—add as many as you prefer. Serve immediately topped with green onions and cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
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Note: this reheats well, but the zoodles can become soft. Store zoodles separately in the fridge and add just enough to the hot soup when reheating so they stay crisp.
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P.S. You can always add bread for dipping—sourdough is my favorite.