Keto Chicken Soup
This Keto Soup with chicken and cauliflower rice will cure what ails you this cold season. Not only is this delicious soup ultra-comforting, but it’s under 200 calories per serving and ready in less than 40 minutes! It’s rich and satisfying but grain-free. Even the kids love it!
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. We originally shared this recipe for easy Keto Chicken Soup on January 18th, 2019. I have updated the text and added step-by-step photos and a video to share it with you again today!
Table of contents
- Why Soups & Stews Are The Perfect Keto Food
- Key Ingredients For This Chicken Keto Soup Recipe
- How To Make Keto Soup with Chicken & Cauliflower Rice
- Expert Tips and Tricks For This Low-Carb Chicken Soup Recipe
- Substitutions and Variations To Try
- Left Overs, Storage and Make Ahead
- Keto Friendly Serving Suggestions For Soup
- FAQs for This Recipe
- Keto Soup Recipes Cookbook
- More Keto Friendly Recipes to Try
I love soups and stews and will make them year round, but during the winter they are a major staple in my house. So I was psyched when Carolyn Ketchum’s new cookbook Keto Soups & Stews landed in my lap. Carolyn is the mastermind behind the awesome low-carb and gluten-free blog All Day I Dream About Food and author of several ketogenic cookbooks. We already gushed about reviewed another one!
Why Soups & Stews Are The Perfect Keto Food
- They’re simple and easy: Keto Soups are great for beginners. If you’re new to the Keto diet or cooking in general soups are a great place to start. Wondering what is Keto? Read more!
- Adaptable: Don’t have this or want to add a little more of that.. go for it.
- They’re economical. The Keto diet can be expensive with its emphasis on organic protein, but soups and stews allow you to stretch your ingredients.
- They’re quick. There are not many pre-made convenience foods available on the Keto diet, but many of the keto soups and stews can be ready in under 40 minutes making them the perfect weeknight dinner.
- They’re great for meal-prep and make ahead meals. Make them ahead or make a big batch and then pack them up for the perfect lunch on the go. Several recipes include slow cooker options as well.
- They’re scalable. Have a big family… double the recipe. Cooking for just yourself… then make half. Most of these recipes can be adjusted very easily.
- They’re accessible. No weird ingredients you’ve never heard of or will never be able to find. You’ll be familiar with all of the simple ingredients, which will be really comforting when you are adjusting your nutritional plan. And no fancy equipment is needed for keto recipes. If you have a large pot you are good to go!
- They’re healthy. This is the most important one. All of these recipes are chock-full of beneficial nutrients. Especially if you make your own homemade chicken broth!
Key Ingredients For This Chicken Keto Soup Recipe
- Avocado Oil: A neutral cooking oil. If you don’t have avocado oil, you could substitute olive oil.
- Celery and Onions: Finely chopped. Make sure to stick to the allotted amount of onion in this recipe as onions are to be used in moderation for the keto diet.
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
- Garlic: Minced garlic is the perfect addition for any cold weather soup!
- Fresh Herbs: Thyme and Paprika
- Chicken Broth: Buy it premade chicken broth or bone broth or make your own
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: Cubed
- Cauliflower Rice: you can use thawed frozen cauliflower rice, refrigerated (sold in bags in the produce department) or make your own. Carolyn suggests that we can sub in zoodles for Keto Chicken Noodle Soup!
How To Make Keto Soup with Chicken & Cauliflower Rice
- Step 1: Sauté the onion and celery to soften them.
- Step 2: Add in the aromatics and let them bloom in the hot oil. This will help bring out the flavor of the garlic, thyme and paprika.
- Step 3: Then stir in the broth and then add the chicken and riced cauliflower and simmer until cooked through.
Expert Tips and Tricks For This Low-Carb Chicken Soup Recipe
Substitutions and Variations To Try
- To turn this keto soup recipe into a low-carb chicken noodle soup, just replace the cauliflower rice with zoodles or low-carb noodles of your choice! I love the idea of adding zucchini noodles!
- Instead of boneless chicken thighs, you can also use chicken breast or a rotisserie chicken. We like to keep shredded chicken on hand for an easy protein source. I simply cook it in the Instant Pot with a bit of broth for 20 minutes, then shred it with two forks. Stir it into the soup, and heat through.
- We added on some parsley for a bit of color, but feel free to omit it if you don’t have any on hand.
- You can also add a teaspoon of chopped rosemary with the aromatics for more flavor.
How to Make the Cauliflower Rice From Scratch
- Cut the cauliflower in half and remove as much of the stem and leaves as possible. Then, cut the cauliflower into small florets removing any of the remaining stem. Place the cauliflower florets in a food processor or blender and pulse just until the cauliflower is broken down into small rice sized pieces.
- If you don’t have a food processor or blender, grate the cauliflower on the large holes of a box grater after cutting in half and removing the stems and leaves.
You can also use purchased fresh or frozen cauliflower rice to save time!
Left Overs, Storage and Make Ahead
- Leftovers: leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator up to five days.
- Storage Tip: Make sure to cool the soup before closing the resealable container.
- Freezing: Freeze up to two months. For best texture omit the cauliflower rice if you are going to freeze it and stir it in when you reheat it.
- Reheating: Simmer over medium-high heat in a small saucepan, stirring often to reheat the soup.
Keto Friendly Serving Suggestions For Soup
- Serve with a keto-friendly bread alternative such as Cloud Bread or Air Fryer Keto Rolls.
- Pair with salad such as Keto Wedge or low carb broccoli salad.
- Opt for a little more protein, such as our Healthy Deviled Eggs or Ham Roll Ups.
FAQs for This Recipe
Keto is short for ketogenic which is a low-carb, high-fat diet. It causes the body to go into a metabolic state called ketosis, which burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates from food. Weight loss is one of the most popular benefits, but there are studies that show if may also help with diabetes, cancer, epilepsy and Alzheimer’s.
If you’re interested in learning more about if it is right for you, to get started or what resources to seek out, this episode featuring two registered dietitians on This Unmillennial Life is a good one to check out. I think this post about the keto diet is really helpful for beginners.
Yes! Soups are a great option while following a low carb diet or keto diet. Broth, lean protein, nutrient rich vegetables, and flavorful seasonings will keep you satiated and nourished without feeling restricted.
Keto Soup Recipes Cookbook
Carolyn’s cookbook is perfect if you are just starting to think about Keto and low-carb or have been following a Keto diet for a while. She starts out with lists of kitchen tools and pantry items you’ll need. Luckily her keto soups and stews are accessible, so you probably have everything needed to dive right in.
There’s a great section on special Keto substitutions which is really helpful. Like swapping sliced cabbage for noodles, cauliflower rice for rice and turnips for potatoes. Make sure to check it out and here’s a link on amazon.
I especially love Chapter 1: All About Broth. Carolyn does an amazing job describing the difference between bone broth, regular broth and stock and provides recipes to make your own, which I highly recommend when making soup.
I was really excited to try this Keto Chicken Soup. I’ve used cauliflower rice as a side and an addition to salads, but I’ve never tried it in soup. It was awesome. It added just the right amount of flavor and texture, so you truly don’t miss the rice.
This keto chicken soup recipe is ready in just over 30 minutes. I love the gorgeous orangish-red color and subtle flavor the paprika adds and the chunks of tender chicken are perfect. Let’s just say, this keto soup is surprisingly flavorful! All that and it comes in at less than 5 grams net carbs per serving! 🥳
More Keto Friendly Recipes to Try
- Low Carb Mexican Stuffed Peppers, this low carb wonder is one of the top recipes here on healthy Seasonal Recipes. This quick recipe is ready in 20 minutes!
- Give turkey cutlets a chance and try this 20 Minute Low Carb Turkey and Peppers. You’ll have a new favorite protein choice!
- This Burger Bowl has a low carb option as well.
- Keto peeps rejoice, here’s yet another easy way to enjoy cauliflower: Steamed Cauliflower with Herbs!
- if you’re looking for easy breakfast options, these Paleo Egg Muffins with Sausage are awesome for meal prep.
- I also love making this low carb spinach egg bake with cheddar cheese for make ahead breakfasts.
- For a tasty high-protein snack or appetizer, try these spicy deviled eggs! Hot damn!
- More easy breakfast options to try soon: grab-and-go high-protein veggie egg cups
- I bet you haven’t ever thought to roast cabbage before: curry roasted cabbage!
Thanks for reading. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review!
PrintKeto Chicken Soup with Cauliflower Rice (Low Carb and Gluten-free)
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Diabetic
Description
This Keto Chicken Soup with cauliflower rice is ultra-comforting, delicious and ready in less than 40 minutes. It’s low-carb, kid-friendly, paleo-friendly, dairy free, grain free and gluten free, too!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped onions
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed
- 8 ounces riced cauliflower (about 2 cups)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery and onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, thyme, and paprika and cook until fragrant, about another minute. Stir in the broth and bring to a boil.
- Add the chicken and riced cauliflower and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the chicken is cooked through and the cauliflower is tender, about 12 minutes. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
Freezing Instructions
Cook and freeze this soup without the cauliflower and then add the cauliflower when reheating the soup, so it does not get mushy.
To make this recipe into low-carb chicken noodle soup
omit the cauliflower rice and add 1 spiralized zucchini. (Trim the zucchini noodles to shorten.)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 196
- Fat: 10.4g
- Carbohydrates: 5.8g
- Fiber: 1.8g
- Protein: 26.4g
Overall a very good recipe. I made 2 batches, one with cauliflower rice, and the other with white rice. I like the twist of paprika it really added to the soup. Thank you for your work!!
I made this soup last night, I did add a carrot and some hot spices because we both like spicy food but other than that I didn´t change anything else, this was a really nice soup, I think my partner had 3 servings 😀 and lots of fresh bread with it do dip in. I think we have enough left over for a starter tonight. I´m keeping this recepi and thank you for sharing 🙂 Rakel.
Wonderful!
I added 1 fresh jalepeno for some spice.
This recipe is out of this world! Easy, nutritious, low calories, low carbs, and super delicious.
I didn’t have paprika but it didn’t matter! Thank you for sharing it!
I added mushrooms, chopped tomato, and the chopped the entire onion. Fresh thyme really makes a huge difference. I would try this with white fish next time. Love this recipe.
Fast, easy and delicious. Added some thin sliced zucchini. Thanks for the recipe. Tammy Hoov
I am glad you liked this Tammy! Thank you so much!
Made this for a friend who had a stomach bug. I chopped up the chicken into small pieces to ensure it would cook thoroughly. Used frozen riced cauliflower which I microwaved and added to the soup after it was done. Both our friend and my hubby (he’s the taste tester) enjoyed it very much. I plan to make a larger batch to freeze for later.
Absolutely delicious!! Made it for the family, including my 100 year old grandmother, and everyone loved it! Thanks for sharing!
Sometimes you find a recipe that you make forever. This is such a recipe. I make it at least every two weeks. It’s great for lunch (when working from home), side dishes or a main course. My non-keto husband loves it. I follow the recipe as written except I added 1 chopped carrot (won’t kill you on keto in moderation). When I use frozen cauliflower rice I do par cook it and get some of the water out. Otherwise, the recipe is just perfect. Great to buy a big pack of chicken thighs — use some for this soup and then freeze the rest. Anyway, you will JUST LOVE THIS. Thank you so much!
David, Thank you so much for coming back over to leave your review and rating. It is very much appreciated.
Hi could I used pre cooked chicken? Or saute it? Or do you just use uncooked in this recipe? Also – I want to add cubed butternut squash – would this work? Thanks
Yes to both. The recipe calls for raw chicken but you can used pre-cooked. Add it at the end so it doesn’t dry out from overcooking. You can add butternut squash. Add it with the broth and cook until it is tender. I also have another chicken soup recipe that may work better for you. https://www.healthyseasonalrecipes.com/chicken-vegetable-soup-paleo/ It is grain free but not keto. You can sub the butternut for the turnips and parsnips and it should work perfectly.
Yummy, even my kids loved it
Love this!! You’d never know it was low carb or diet.
Absolutely Fabulous. The only thing I did was use 1/4tsp of thyme because I really don’t like it but wanted to make it as written. That was just the right amount for me. I cant wait to try more recipes.
I really like this. Especially the using the riced cauliflower. I added a lime and some sriracha bc I like a bit of spice. Thanks for the recipe!
Fantastic! The seasonings were spot on!
I added some shredded zuchinni and a tablespoon of lemon juice. I also cheated and used a store bought rotisserie chicken.
Sounds like some great additions Jennifer. So glad you liked it. Thank you!