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Low Sodium Chicken Soup Recipe - Heart Healthy

If you’re watching your sodium intake — whether for high blood pressure, heart health, or a doctor’s recommendation — you might think chicken soup is off the menu forever. Low sodium chicken soup proves otherwise. Clear golden broth, tender chicken, sweet crisp vegetables — all without p
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Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Calories: 120
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 chicken breasts (about 300g, bone-in if possible)
  • 1 carrot, cut into chunks
  • 2 celery stalks, cut into pieces
  • 1 medium onion, cut into large pieces
  • 2 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 3 slices fresh ginger
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns (or ½ tsp ground black pepper)
  • 2 scallions (white parts for soup, green parts for garnish)
  • ½ tsp kosher salt (reduce to ¼ tsp for stricter low-sodium diets)
  • 1 tbsp fresh dill or parsley, chopped (optional garnish)

Method
 

  1. Step 1: Prep Chicken and Vegetables: Rinse the chicken breasts. If bone-in, keep the bones — they’re your flavor source. Peel and cut the carrot into rolling chunks, slice the celery, quarter the onion, smash the garlic, and slice the ginger. Nothing needs to be precise here — everything will simmer soft.
  2. Step 2: Blanch the Chicken: Place the chicken in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat — you’ll see gray foam rise to the surface. This foam is coagulated protein and blood that will make your broth cloudy and fishy-smelling. Remove the chicken, discard the water, and rinse the pot clean. This step is called blanching, and it’s the secret to crystal-clear broth.
  3. Step 3: Add Vegetables and Water: Return the blanched chicken to the clean pot. Add the carrot, celery, onion, garlic, ginger, black peppercorns, and scallion whites. Pour in 8 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
  4. Step 4: Simmer Gently for 40 Minutes: Once boiling, reduce to the lowest heat. Cover with the lid slightly ajar. Simmer for 40 minutes — the surface should barely ripple, not roll. Gentle simmering is the secret to clear broth: high heat emulsifies fat and protein, making it cloudy. Low heat lets impurities sink and keeps the broth golden and transparent.
  5. Step 5: Serve and Garnish: After 40 minutes, pierce the thickest part of the chicken with chopsticks — it should go through easily with clear juices. Remove the chicken, let it cool slightly, then shred into bite-sized pieces. Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve into another pot (this removes vegetable debris and keeps the soup pristine). Return the shredded chicken to the broth. Taste, and add salt if needed (¼ teaspoon for low-sodium diets). Ladle into bowls and garnish with scallion greens and fresh dill.