Lower-sodium

Lower-Sodium Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Name: Lower-Sodium Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1 medium onion; 2 large carrots; 2 ribs celery; 1 teaspoon salt-free poultry seasoning (check the ingredient list); 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour; black pepper (to taste); 6 cups unsalted chicken broth (or low-sodium broth; check the label); 1 bay leaf; 6 ounces egg noodles (measured dry); 2 cups plain cooked chopped chicken, prepared without added salt (½-inch pieces); 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley; 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, to finish

A hearty chicken noodle soup with tender egg noodles and fresh vegetables in a bright, deeply savory broth.

4servings

What changed and why

A lower-sodium version of the dish. 6 changes, each explained in full, and none of them lose what makes it the dish.

Unsalted chicken broth is the first choice for the whole pot.

The source already offers homemade or low-sodium broth. This version specifies unsalted broth first to avoid added salt in the liquid base; low-sodium broth remains an option, with the amount of sodium depending on its label.

On the plate: The soup tastes cleaner and lets the chicken and vegetables come forward. Build back savory depth with browning, herbs, and the lemon finish so nothing tastes flat.

A finish of fresh lemon juice brightens the bowl at the end.

The original leaned on salt to taste to make the soup read as seasoned. Acid stimulates the same sense of seasoning, so you need far less or no added salt to get there.

On the plate: Stir it in off the heat so it stays lively. Start with a teaspoon and add gradually until the broth tastes lifted rather than sour.

Unsalted butter starts the pot.

The source says butter without specifying salted or unsalted. This version makes unsalted butter explicit. It avoids added salt if the butter you would otherwise use is salted; if you already use unsalted butter, this is unchanged.

On the plate: No change to the texture or flavor of the softened onion, and it keeps the total seasoning in your control at the finish.

Browning the aromatics longer builds savory depth.

Letting the onion turn golden and the carrot and celery edges brown develops Maillard flavor, the roasted savory note that salt used to supply.

On the plate: The broth tastes rounder and more full-bodied. Keep the heat at medium so the vegetables color without scorching and turning bitter.

Added salt is omitted and the poultry seasoning is specified as salt-free.

The source adds salt to taste and does not specify the poultry seasoning blend. This version leaves out the added salt and specifies a salt-free blend so the seasoning does not add it back; black pepper and parsley keep the herbal flavor.

On the plate: The soup still tastes herbal and savory. Taste at the very end after the lemon goes in, since acid often makes extra salt unnecessary.

Plain cooked chicken prepared without added salt is specified.

The source does not say how the cooked chicken was prepared. This version makes plain chicken explicit to avoid adding salt through pre-seasoned meat; if your chicken is already plain and unsalted, this is unchanged.

On the plate: The same amount of chicken keeps the soup hearty without introducing another added-salt ingredient.

Ingredients

tap to check off

Unsalted butter starts the pot.
Unsalted chicken broth is the first choice for the whole pot.
Plain cooked chicken prepared without added salt is specified.
A finish of fresh lemon juice brightens the bowl at the end.

Steps

tap when done

Browning the aromatics longer builds savory depth.
Added salt is omitted and the poultry seasoning is specified as salt-free.

Take this with you

Acid added at the end makes food taste seasoned, so you need far less salt to get there.

BeSavored offers cooking help, not medical advice. Dietary needs vary; check changes with your care team.