Whole30 Chicken Soup
Whole30 Chicken Soup is a creamy, comforting soup made with coconut cream, broth, vegetables, and chicken. It’s dairy-free, gluten-free, and is made with cauliflower rice–one of our all-time favorite cozy soup recipes!
Since I bought the original Whole 30 Cookbook quite a few years ago, I’ve been making this soup. There are so many ways to adapt making chicken soup, which is normally with noodles. This recipe is noodle-free, and is made with cauliflower rice in place of a starch. It’s delightful, easy, and everyone always asks me for the recipe.
For this Whole30 Cream of Chicken Soup, I always keep Trader Joe’s cans of coconut cream on hand. The base of this recipe is awesome, and you can always adapt the soup by either leaving out the protein (make it vegetarian), or swapping out the veggies for your favorite ones. I like to add fresh spinach in (by the handfuls) to get my spinach-fix.
What is a Whole30 diet?
The Whole30 diet has been around for a long time– a 30-day elimination diet that encourages eating whole foods (avoiding processed foods). It’s quite simple, actually, if you stick to the principles of no sugar, grains, dairy, or beans. We are not health experts (or diet experts), but we really love how simple and delicious and “whole” the Whole30 recipes are.
Our recipe is Whole30 approved, gluten-free, and dairy-free. If you are a child of the 90s, you might remember all the Campbell’s “cream of’s” soups. Well, let’s just say this is much better for you and still creamy-delicious. Have fun swapping it in all your favorites!
Why I love this recipe
- This recipe is a healthier version of Cream of Chicken soup (that we grew up with).
- It’s gluten-free (a great option for entertaining GF guests).
- I love to double the recipe and freeze in soup cubes.
Gather these ingredients
- Ghee (clarified butter). If you’re not making this soup Whole30, you can use olive oil
- Garlic
- Onion, carrots, celery: Trader Joe’s sells pre-chopped mirepoix, a mixture of onions, carrots, and celery.
- Riced cauliflower (we buy frozen at Costco or Trader Joe’s)
- Chicken broth (or bone broth or vegetable broth)
- Coconut cream (we stock up with Organic at Trader Joe’s) or coconut milk
- Salt & pepper
- Garlic powder
- Umami seasoning blend (we buy Trader Joe’s brand – not all brands are gluten-free)
- Cooked chicken (we use Rotisserie chicken)
- Green cabbage: You can buy pre-shaved cabbage (in a bag) or chop it yourself.
- Parsley
How do you make the best chicken soup?
- Start with a dutch oven (or a big pot). You start off with a onion and garlic base cooked in ghee. Oh, it smells so good.
- Next you add in all the veggies and the seasonings (minus the cabbage) and bring to a boil. We like to add the cabbage at the very end. Make sure it’s shaved (or chopped very finely).
- Lastly, add in the chopped chicken, shredded cabbage and the cans of coconut cream.
- It’s one of the easiest chicken soup recipes that you can make. Let it simmer on very low, or turn off the heat. You do not want the soup to boil at this point, once you’ve added the coconut cream, because it can curdle. Curdle means to separate into curds or “lumps.”
Tips and substitutions:
- Umami seasonings can contain ingredients like mushrooms, onion powder, and other spices. Many of the brands are gluten-free (but not all).
- Veggies: You can swap out the veggies for your favorite ones. We also love sweet potatoes in this soup and also mushrooms in this recipe.
- Quick tips: Trader Joe’s sells pre-chopped mirepoix, a mixture of onions, carrots, and celery, if you are in a hurry when making this soup (and don’t want to do all the shopping). You can also buy pre-shaved cabbage (in a bag).
- Don’t waste the coconut cream: Make sure and shake the cans of coconut cream well before pouring in. If it sticks to the can, you can add the hot soup and shake around to get all the coconut cream out of the can and not waste it.
- Cream base: If you don’t have coconut cream, you can use coconut milk. The soup will take on a runnier texture, but the flavor is still subperb. If you are not making the soup gluten-free, you can use cream, half and half, or milk. You’ll want to thicken the soup with flour.
- Thicken the soup: You can always thicken the soup with Arrowroot or gluten-free flower if you want the soup to be thicker.
- Serving a crowd: You can double or even triple this recipe to have some on hand when needed!
- Make extra: Double or triple the recipe and freeze in soup cubes.
How do you serve Whole30 Chicken Soup?
Get the soup simmering on the stove, and when ready to serve, ladle it into soup bowls, and top with fresh chopped parsley.
Here’s an ultimate cozy meal to serve to your guests, especially in the wintertime. We love to make this soup, and serve it with biscuits, and a giant green salad. For dessert, try this Healthy Banana Brownies (also gluten-free).
Storage
Keep it in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to three months. Just be sure to put it in an air-tight container. We love using the new “soup cubes” to freeze it into portions, then transferring them to a freezer bag or container. I also love to freeze and give to parents of new babies.
More chicken soup recipes you may want to try:
- White Bean and Chicken Soup
- Green Chili Chicken Soup
- Keto Chicken Soup
- Creamy Chicken Dumpling Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
Get the Recipe:
Whole30 Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 4 T ghee
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large onion diced
- 4 carrots peeled and diced
- 4 stalks celery diced
- 1 16 oz bags riced cauliflower, we buy frozen at Costco
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cans coconut cream, we buy Organic at Trader Joe’s
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1-2 Tbsp umami seasoning blend, we buy Trader Joe’s brand
- 2-3 cups cooked chopped chicken, we use Rotisserie chicken
- 4 cups finely shredded green cabbage
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven, melt the ghee over medium heat. Add onion, stirring occasionally, until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add in the garlic and stir for another minute.
- Add diced carrots, celery, cauliflower rice, broth, salt, pepper, garlic powder, umami seasoning, and bring to a boil.
- Boil until veggies are tender, about 10 minutes.
- Next add in the chopped chicken, shredded cabbage, and stir! Put the lid on the dutch oven and leave on low temp for about 15 minutes.
- Add in the coconut cream. TIP: Make sure and shake the cans of coconut cream well before pouring in. If it sticks to the can, you can add the hot soup and shake around to get all the coconut cream out of the can and not waste it.
- Right before serving, add fresh parsley.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
