Coming in at just 100 calories per serving, this super healthy Keto Chicken Soup is flavored with green tomatillos, cilantro and lime – and has a decidedly spicy kick to it. If you omit the corn garnish, it’s also Whole30 compliant.
Whether you’ve got the sniffles, are seeking healthy keto comfort foods, or you’re just sick of being cold like I am, this keto chicken soup will warm you all the way through.
With a flavor profile that leans toward Mexican, this healthy chicken soup is spicy enough to make your nose run, but not enough to burn your tongue off. You can adjust the heat in this soup by using more or less of the habanero peppers, or by substituting jalapeño peppers instead.
Tips for making the best keto chicken soup
First – Soup will always taste better made with homemade stock, so for this keto chicken soup I recommend using my chicken bone broth (which can be made quickly and easily in an Instant Pot.) If you don’t have time to make your own broth, you can get away with store bought chicken broth for this low carb chicken soup because it’s got so many other flavorful ingredients in it.
Second – You don’t have to roast your own chicken to make chicken soup. If you’re looking for ways to make a quick and easy keto chicken soup, you can pick up a rotisserie chicken on your way home and shred it in a matter of minutes to add to this soup.
Third – Don’t use carrots, potatoes, rice, or noodles (but no need to be sad about it.) When making a keto chicken soup, you have to limit or omit vegetables like potatoes and carrots to keep the net carbs down. Not to worry, there are many acceptable keto substitutes that are much lower in carbs but still bring plenty of flavor and texture! In this low carb chicken soup recipe I used celery root (celeriac) to stand in for the typical potatoes and it worked like a charm!
How long does it take to make good chicken soup?
When I was a kid, my mom would take all day to make chicken soup. She would start with a whole chicken and simmer it for hours to break down the collagen. Later, she’d remove the chicken, take the meat off the bones, add it back to the broth with a bunch of veggies, and cook it for the rest of the afternoon until dinner time.
It made the house smell amazing, and the end result was delicious, but unfortunately most of us don’t have an entire day to devote to making a delicious pot of healthy chicken soup.
Fortunately for you, this keto chicken soup can be made in less than an hour!
Here’s how:
How to make quick and easy keto chicken soup
- In this easy low carb chicken soup recipe you will literally put all of your ingredients (except for the cilantro and scallion garnish) in one large sauce pan or dutch oven at the beginning
- Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30-40 minutes – just to get the celery root softened and the flavors combined.
- Garnish and serve hot.
That’s it! Easy peasy, right???
Ingredients you will need to make this recipe
- chicken broth
- cooked chicken
- celery root (celeriac)
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- cumin
- canned green chilis
- tomatillo salsa (salsa verde)
- habanero or jalapeno pepper
- cilantro
- scallions
- fresh corn – optional garnish as shown in photos
Equipment you will need to make this recipe
- sharp knife
- cutting board
- large pot
Low carb chicken soup substitutions and variations
- To adjust the spice level in this soup, you can add more or less habaneros – if you want to tone down the heat you can replace the habaneros with jalapeños.
- If you can’t find celeriac, you can substitute an equal amount of chopped radish, turnips, or even cauliflower rice instead.
- If you can’t find salsa verde made with tomatillos, a regular tomato-based salsa will also work, but it will change the flavor profile significantly.
- If you aren’t eating this keto chicken soup on the Whole30 or Squeaky Clean Keto Challenge, then I recommend a generous dollop of sour cream and some shredded sharp cheddar cheese as additions. They give it more of a white chicken chili vibe that is definitely hearty enough to stand alone as a main meal.
- If you want a keto chicken noodle soup, you can omit the celery root and add some miracle noodles or any keto friendly noodle of your choice to the soup right before serving. Don’t add them during the long simmer or they could get soggy and fall apart – you really just need to heat them up.
Loaded with bold flavors and hearty texture, this healthy and low calorie keto chicken soup is delicious and satisfying – especially if you’re coming in from the cold.
More Keto Chicken Soup Recipes
Keto Green Chicken Enchilada Soup
PrintKeto Mexican Chicken Soup
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: Eight 1.5 cup servings 1x
- Diet: Diabetic
Description
This Keto Mexican Chicken Soup recipe is guaranteed to warm you no matter what the weather!
Ingredients
- 8 cups chicken broth (store bought or homemade)
- 2 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken
- 1 cup celery root, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 can chopped green chilis (4 ounces)
- 1/3 cup tomatillo salsa (salsa verde)
- 1/2 teaspoon minced habanero
- 1/2 cup scallions, chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Combine the chicken broth, chicken, celery root, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, green chilis, tomatillo salsa, and habaneros in a large saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- Add the cilantro and scallions right before serving.
- Garnish with fresh corn, sour cream, lime juice, or more cilantro and scallions if desired.
Notes
Approximate net carbs per serving = 3g
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Keto Soup
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 100
- Fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 3g net
- Protein: 12g
Before you go, I’ve got lots of great low carb and gluten free e-cookbooks out, and I’m currently running a special where you can get all five of them (over 150 recipes) for just $19.99! Get more information over on the Cookbooks page!
Kat says
The recipe looks delicious. Thank you for sharing. I did want to let you know that corn is a grain and not a vegetable.
Joni L. says
I find that I make this recipe about twice a month and pre-measure it out for my lunches. It always tastes so good.
Calvin says
NICE
HOT SOUP to drink after a long day
Jenuinearticle says
Melissa, I inadvertently landed on this recipe and I’m so glad I did. It was my LOL for the whole day. I wish I had seat warmers with a Hellfire setting!
Deborah says
Your post for the Pistachio Truffles caught my eye (they look wonderful….will be making soon) and started trolling your site for good soup recipes, because, duh….sooooo cold.
Made this and just finished scarfing down a bowl….SO GOOD!!!! Using the celery root was inspired….so mimics potato with far less carbs and great fiber. Added a whole 2 Tbs of frozen corn per serving….also well worth the carbs. I had half a cut avocado from yesterday so I added it diced along with the cilantro and scallions.
Really delicious….will be having again for dinner as well. Love love love it. Have been a fan of your recipes for a good while (esp the meatballs ….yum) but this is the first soup. Certainly not the last…..we will be burning up the printer with IBIH soup recipes for the rest of the afternoon. Don’t want to miss a one.
KimV says
I made a variation of this recipe today and was very impressed. I left out the jabañero, as my DH isn’t so much on super spicy, and we were still left with runny noses.
The major change I made was using chayote squash instead of celery root. It has fewer than half the carbs of the celery root (according to Wikipedia) and absorbed the flavors beutifully.
Thank you for publishing this recipe? It will be a go to for me.
Karen says
You picked a terrible year to move to NY. I’m so sorry! I live here too, upstate. Brrrrrr. This soup looks perfect to warm me up this week. I’ve been anxious to try celery root and this looks like a good way to sample it.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks Karen, I know it will warm up eventually but this is ridiculous! The soup is fantastic, and yes, the perfect way to dip your feet into the celery root waters! It soaks up the flavors of the soup when cooking and is just delicious! My other favorite way to make it (so far) is in the rosti recipe which is crunchy and so satisfying! Let me know what you think if you try it!!!
Carole @ From My Carolina Home says
This looks like pure pleasure in a bowl. I will to try this soon!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much Carole, hope you love it as much as we did!