Nourishing Turmeric No-Noodle Chicken Soup
This nourishing turmeric no-noodle chicken soup is simple, warming and delicious.

Right now I’m craving something warm, nourishing, and hearty.
If you are too, this soup will fit the bill and will fill you up without weighing you down.
It’s perfect if you’re fighting a bit of a cold or feel like you need a little boost.
I like to make a double batch and freeze the leftovers for another day.
I’ve also found that my two-year-old loves sipping this soup out of a mug for dinner.
If you have a child who doesn’t like cooked greens, try serving their soup prior to adding the spinach or arugula.
This recipe lends itself well to variations, too.
Add more veggies if you like.
Sometimes I throw in a handful or two of frozen peas along with the spinach.
For a vegetarian option, swap 2 (15-oz) cans of drained and rinsed chickpeas for the chicken and swap the vegetable stock for chicken stock.
You can also add pre-cooked brown rice or pasta before serving if you prefer.
And, if you’re looking for a pressure cooker or crockpot version, check out this instant pot nourishing turmeric chicken soup recipe with slow cooker directions!
this recipe is…
Dairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreePaleoWhole30

Nourishing Turmeric No-Noodle Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 2 small or 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 tablespoon turmeric
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 large carrots, chopped
- 3-4 celery stalks, chopped
- 32 oz chicken stock
- 4 boneless chicken breasts or 6 thighs
- 2.5 oz about two large handfuls spinach or arugula
- A few sprigs of parsley or green onions, chopped for garnish (optional)
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot or dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the onion and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sautee for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning.
- Add the turmeric and garlic. Stir to combine.
- Add the carrots and celery. Sautee for an additional 3-5 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock and chicken breasts or thighs. Cover, increase the heat to high, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Uncover and remove the chicken to a cutting board. Shred or dice into small pieces. Return the chicken to the pot.
- Add the arugula or spinach, stirring to wilt.
- Serve hot, garnished with parsley or green onion.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
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Scoured tons of chicken/turmeric soup recipes and this was the one I chose to make for dinner tonight – glad I did! Used a little extra garlic and added fresh lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and barley at the end. Thanks so much for the great recipe!
Kaylin, so glad you found the recipe! I love the idea of adding garlic, lemon juice, and red pepper. Barley also sounds lovely. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
This was perfection!
Sydney, so glad you enjoyed! 🙂
How many servings is this? Thanks!
Danielle, this recipe yields 4-6 servings.
Made this last night with homemade chicken stock, adding a bit more turmeric and a good amount of cayenne pepper. The soup tasted very good, but the chicken was pretty rubbery. I would cook the chicken for less time or pre-cook it then add to the broth for flavor.
Annie, glad you made this your own and sounds like great adjustments for next time!
Lovely. Thanks very much Robyn
So glad you enjoyed this one Ollie!
So easy. So delicious. My husband has a generic sort of cold/cough, so I wanted to make a tasty, aromatic chicken soup for him. And…I wanted a recipe with turmeric. This soup recipe was just perfect. I used thighs because they are more flavorful and husband likes dark meat better. Added fresh spinach at the end. He enjoyed thoroughly and a wonderful benefit…his nasty cough is tamed for a while!!
Coco, so happy to hear this one provided some nourishment to your husband. Hope he’s feeling better soon!
I made this recipe after my wife, not feeling well, needed to eat ‘clean’ soup and couldn’t do it herself. That was two nights ago. We both ate only the soup for dinner for two nights. It was easy to make, very tasty, and it goes on my folder of recipe favorites. Which means,I’ll be making it often.
I’m so happy to hear this one was a hit for you and your wife, Miles, and how nice of you to make it for her when she wasn’t feeling well! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
It’s delicious. I added a squirt of lemon juice to my bowl right before eating because I love lemon. I got food poisoning a couple of days ago, and I had not felt like eating any solid food until now. The turmeric in this recipe, I think, is what adds the perfect flavor to my recovering tastebuds. I’m glad I stumbled across this soup recipe. Thank you!
So wonderful to hear you enjoyed this soothing recipe, Sandi. Hope you’re feeling all better, and thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!