Dairy Free Crack Chicken Noodle Soup (Instant Pot & Stove Top Directions)

If you have a Pinterest account, you’ve probably ran into the Crack Chicken Noodle Soup. But, it’s loaded with gluten and dairy, so I just HAD to remake it so it was more allergy friendly. This is such a fun twist on the classic chicken noodle soup with the addition of ranch, bacon and a creamy base. My kids love to slurp the gluten-free noodles and you will too! Perfect for cold winter nights, enjoy this Dairy Free Crack Chicken Noodle Soup that is also free of: gluten, egg, fish, shellfish, peanuts and tree nuts. I also have directions to pressure cook it or make it in a stockpot on the stove top.

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Why I Love This Dairy Free Crack Chicken Noodle Soup

I’ve always loved chicken noodle soup. It’s a classic and it’s beloved. But this is NOT your typical chicken noodle soup, I repeat it is NOT.

I kept seeing “crack chicken noodle soup” all over Pinterest. Did I dare try to improve upon something already so wonderful? And, how would it be with multiple allergy friendly substitutions? I’m glad to say it’s great, and I’m sure glad I tried it. It’s nice to have a fun little twist so that you don’t get in a soup rut. If you have long winters like we do in Idaho, variety is the key so that you can enjoy soups all season long without eating the same one too many times. Your whole family will love this–even picky eaters!

What is “crack chicken” anyways?

Crack chicken refers to recipes that use the combination of: chicken+bacon+ranch+cream cheese+cheddar cheese..retty much a combination of all the best things.

How do you make crack chicken noodle soup dairy free?

Really, there’s only two ingredients you have to worry about: the cream cheese and the cheddar cheese and still get a creamy soup. Just because you can’t have dairy, doesn’t mean you don’t want a slurpable soup.

• FOR THE CREAM CHEESE: I substitute in a dairy-free cream cheese. I use Tofutti, but I also hear Violife is highly recommended. Both have soy, so if you have a soy allergy, use one made of coconut like Daiya. In a pinch, I’ve also used Tofutti’s sour cream when I’ve been out of the cream cheese too.
• FOR THE SHARP CHEDDAR CHEESE: For the cheddar cheese substitution, you can go two ways: you can use dairy-free cheese shreds. I honestly haven’t found one I particularly like, and don’t feel they melt that well. But, some people like them (albeit they are very expensive.)
• So, I went with my old staple: nutritional yeast. Some people don’t like nutritional yeast, but I find it a very close cheese taste mimicker. Plus, because it’s a powder, I think it helps thicken the soup as well, which is a win-win. If you’ve previously had nutritional yeast and not liked it, I’d recommend trying it again in this soup. The ranch is the most powerful flavor, and so I don’t think you’ll notice it as much. 
• If you need other recipes to use up your nutritional yeast, check out these dairy free nutritional yeast recipes.
• FOR THE MILK: Some versions of crack chicken noodle soup use half and half, heavy cream, or some other kind of dairy milk, but I find that it doesn’t need anymore liquid than the broth, otherwise it’s not as flavorful and more runny. If you really desire to thin it out more, you could use whatever safe milk you prefer (we prefer rice milk, for the least amount of after taste) or thin it out with more broth.

The nice thing is that my soup recipe does not require any cans of cream of chicken soup which have milk and often wheat in them. Another of my chicken soup recipe that I love to make is my gluten free chicken and rice soup recipe. Certainly, you will love this too.

Can I swap out the bacon for bacon bits?

In this instance, I would not. Cooking the bacon is an important part of the process because you use the bacon grease. I use this to cook the veggies in, instead of the traditional olive oil for more flavor and to save you an ingredient. Sometimes, when bacon is just a garnish or a topping, you can get away with using store-bought, pre-cooked bacon bits…but not in this instance. It doesn’t matter what kind of raw bacon slices you use–thick cut bacon or regular, as long as you follow the recipe and cook it until crisp. Plus, I think freshly cooked bacon has tons of flavor, compared to sometimes over salted store-bought bacon bits.

What kind of chicken do I use?

You can use pre-cooked chicken, like a rotisserie chicken or leftover shredded chicken–just add it at the end since it won’t need to cook. Or, you can use chicken breasts like I call for, or even boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer to cook with those.

What chicken broth base do I use?

I prefer using a bouillon, or broth base and adding my own water, instead of the cartons of broth. It makes a really big difference in the flavor. I like Orrington Farms brand. I can find it at Walmart, or Amazon. 

How do you make crack chicken noodle soup gluten free?

This part is very easy, thankfully. Simply swap in some gluten-free dry spaghetti noodles of choice (angel hair pasta would also work). I like both the Jovial brand and the Barilla brand. You can find both on Amazon, or Walmart.

I do recommend cooking the noodles in their own pot, and then draining them. Only add them to the soup right before you’re about to serve. Any noodles, but ESPECIALLY gluten-free noodles, can get gummy and lackluster if they sit in hot liquid too long.

If you don’t need it to be gluten free, simply use regular spaghetti noodles.

What ingredients are needed for this dairy free crack chicken noodle soup recipe:

You will need:

• Uncooked bacon
• Yellow onion
• Carrots
• Celery
• Minced garlic
• Ranch dip mix (see below)
• Water
• Chicken breasts
• Gluten-free spaghetti noodles
• Dairy free crema cheese (see above)
• Nutritional yeast
• Green onions for garnish, if desired
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste, if desired

What dairy free ranch do I use in this creamy crack chicken soup recipe?

I have only found one store-made dry ranch mix packet that does not have any dairy included. It was a very happy day indeed! It is the Kroger Ranch Dip Mix, and I have found (and had readers find) it at their various off-shoots, like Fred Meyer, Smith’s and other grocery stores under their umbrella.

If you’d like to see what the packet ranch dressing mix looks like, (I’m a visual shopper), you can click over to my 3 Ingredient Dairy Free Ranch Dip, where I show the front and back of the packet and share the ingredients there.

Feel free to use another brand of dairy-free dry ranch seasoning if you know of one. And if you do, please share it in the comments as well!

How do I store the leftover dairy-free crack chicken soup?

Once the soup has cooled, place it in an airtight container in the fridge. The soup should keep for three days. Microwave it until it reaches the desired heat when enjoying it the next time.

What can I serve with this dairy-free crack chicken noodle soup recipe?

Honestly–I often don’t serve anything else with it–it has your carbs, your protein and even some veggies in it. If I want to serve something else, or I’m worried about people being full I add extra carbs…because carbs are amazing. You can make my gluten free dairy free breadsticks or my gluten free dairy free homemade bread to serve as a side.

Do I have other gluten free dairy free soups?

I live off soup in these cold Idaho winters and you should too! All of my soups are dairy free, and are gluten free as well (as is everything on my site.) If you ever just need it to be only dairy free, you can sub back in regular pasta or regular flour or regular wheat pasta at a 1:1 ratio.

Continue to Content

Dairy Free Crack Chicken Noodle Soup (Instant Pot & Stove Top Directions)

Yield: 5-6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 24 minutes

Additional Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 59 minutes

Dairy free crack chicken noodle soup is a fun twist on the regular because it adds bacon, cream and ranch to make it extra tasty (GF too!)

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Ingredients

• 6 slices uncooked bacon
• 1/2 large yellow onion diced
• 3 large carrots, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 2 tsp minced garlic (4 cloves)
• 3 (1 oz each) packets ranch dip mix*see note
• 10 cups water + 1/3 cup chicken base
• 2-3 large chicken breasts
• 12 oz gluten-free spaghetti noodles, broken into thirds
• 1 (8 oz) block of dairy-free cream cheese (see post for options)
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast (or other dairy free substitute you prefer, see post)
• Green onions for serving, if desired

Instructions

1. INSTANT POT DIRECTIONS:
2. Turn your instant pot to sauté. Cut your bacon into bite sized pieces and add it to the hot instant pot. Stir with a wooden spoon every few minutes until bacon is crispy.
3. Remove bacon, leave the grease. (You don't have to leave all of it, but at least some so the veggies won't stick.)
4. Add the onion, and stir occasionally until the onion is softened.
5. Turn off the sauté function, and hit "manual" or "pressure cook" (depending on the model) and hit 10 minutes for fresh chicken and 20 minutes for frozen chicken.
6. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, ranch packets*, water, chicken broth base, nutritional yeast and chicken. Close the lid and make sure the valve is closed.
7. Allow the instant pot to come to pressure, and then when it beeps, allow it to continue cooking until it says "L:10" which means it's been slowly and naturally releasing pressure. I find this helps the meat be the most tender, than a quick release (which you can do if you're in a pinch.)
8. Open the lid, and add the broken spaghetti noodles. Change the cook time to 4 minutes. Close the lid. Allow it to cook. Once done cooking, do a quick release of the pressure.
9. Stir in the cream cheese. (Sometimes dairy free cheese doesn't blend that well, so if you're willing to do an extra step, I take 1-2 cups of the broth in my blender, add the cream cheese and blend until smooth, then pour it all back into the soup).
10. Remove the chicken and shred. Return it to the soup.
11. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. You may thin more to your liking with additional broth or safe milk. (We prefer rice milk.)
12. Serve with the bacon and green onions as garnish.
13. Goes great with my gluten and dairy free bread as a side dish!
14. Keep leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge for up to three days.

STOVE TOP DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large dutch oven or stock pot, turn your heat to medium. Cut your bacon into bite sized pieces and add it to the pot. Stir with a wooden spoon every few minutes until bacon is crispy.
2. Remove bacon, leave the grease. (You don't have to leave all of it, but at least some so the veggies won't stick.)
3. Add the onion, and stir occasionally until the onion is softened.
4. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, ranch packets*, water, chicken broth base, nutritional yeast, and fresh chicken. (I wouldn't recommend frozen chicken, unless using the instant pot directions.)
5. Allow to come to a simmer, and then add a lid. Cook for 20-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through, and vegetables are tender.
6. While that is simmering, in a separate pot, bring salted water to a boil and boil the broken spaghetti noodles following the box directions to al dente. Drain and set aside.
7. Stir in the cream cheese. (Sometimes dairy free cheese doesn't blend that well, so if you're willing to do an extra step, I take 1-2 cups of the broth in my blender, add the cream cheese and blend until smooth, then pour it all back into the soup).
8. Remove the chicken and shred. Return it to the soup.
9. Add the drained, cooked noodles.
10. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. You may thin more to your liking with additional broth or safe milk. (We prefer rice milk.)
11. Serve with the bacon and green onions as garnish.
12. Goes great with my gluten and dairy free bread as a side dish!
13. Keep leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge for up to three days.

Notes

*My husband prefers only two packages of the ranch mix in the soup. So, feel free to start with only two, and taste to see if you prefer more.

Check out my other soups. Or, my winter meal plan!

*Our allergies, while severe and that get re-tested yearly, are such that we can go strictly by what's on the label. I do not call companies to see what things are derived from, or call manufacturers to see about potential cross contact. If your allergies require you to do so, please do your own homework. I cannot assure you of any ingredient's safety, only you can do that. I simply share what works for our family

**If you are going to feed this to someone with food allergies, and you yourself do not have food allergies, I HIGHLY recommend having them check every single brand and ingredient you are using, to ensure they're OK with each part of the recipe. And, to make sure you've talked to them about how to avoid cross contamination in your kitchen.

Adapted from: Show Me the Yummy Crack Chicken Noodle Soup

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 547Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 490mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 7gSugar: 3gProtein: 38g

DON’T FORGET TO PIN IT, SO YOU DON’T LOSE IT. WHILE YOU’RE THERE, BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY OTHER DIETARY SPECIFIC BOARDS.

Megan Lavin

Hi! I’m Megan, a mom to four kids, two with multiple food allergies & one with EOE. I’m a published cookbook author that constantly tweaks recipes to make them allergy friendly–it’s an addiction. I share every recipe & tip with you, to help you eat like you did before food allergies & dietary restrictions. You can still be awesome, even with food allergies!

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