A delicious keto chicken and vegetable soup that can help you reach your weight loss goals – especially when used as part of my 5 Day Soup Diet! Make it once and reheat all week with great results! Originally posted in Woman’s World Magazine as the IBIH Turbo Atkins Soup Diet.
Try my 5 Day Keto Chicken Soup Diet for quick and easy weight loss! Most lose 5 lbs or more on this plan, which is perfect to get yourself back on track after an indulgence, or to lose weight for an event (wedding, vacation, reunion, etc.)
This keto chicken soup originated when Woman’s World Magazine reached out and asked me to create a low carb soup recipe using chicken and lots of healthy low carb veggies for the Turbo Atkins Diet Soup feature they were running in the November 9th issue.
Of course I wanted this keto chicken soup recipe to be delicious, but I also wanted it to be undeniably healthy – since so many critics are still under the misconception that a keto diet is all bacon, steak and cheese, with little to no vegetables.
That’s just not true – or at least it doesn’t have to be if you are mindful about where your carbs are coming from.
This Keto Chicken Soup Diet recipe is loaded with delicious veggies that are low in carbs, filling, and tremendously good for you – making it the perfect complement to any low carb diet plan.
In addition to being low calorie, low carb, keto, paleo, delicious and super healthy, there is nothing more comforting than a steaming bowl of soup when it’s gloomy and cold outside – making this keto chicken soup recipe a winner on all fronts!
Now let’s talk about some of these ingredients – because every single one of them was chosen for a purpose!
I went with chicken as my protein because it’s widely available and has a mild flavor that pairs well with all of these veggies. Of course I added bacon, because it adds a lovely smoky flavor and a hint of decadence – it also provides some of the metabolism boosting fat in this recipe.
Celery root (Celeriac) is the perfect alternative to potatoes in low carb chicken soup recipes (like this one) because it’s super filling and loaded with fiber, antioxidants, and a hefty dose of phosphorus, Vitamin K, and Vitamin C. If you can’t find celery root you can use cauliflower, jicama, or even turnips as a replacement – DON’T SUB PARSNIPS AS THEY ARE TOO HIGH IN CARBS.
I included regular white mushrooms in this keto chicken soup recipe, because they are not only inexpensive and low in carbs, but surprisingly high in antioxidants, B-vitamins, and Selenium! (as a side point, in the Woman’s World article they called for Vitamin D enhanced mushrooms – I’ve never heard of them, regular white or baby bella mushrooms are fine.)
The yellow squash adds color and texture, but it’s also high in potassium (especially important on a low carb diet) and Vitamin A.
You can substitute any greens in this keto chicken soup (EXCEPT KALE WHICH IS HIGH IN CARBS,) but I went with swiss chard in this keto chicken soup recipe because it holds up better in liquids than spinach, which tends to turn the broth muddy. I also love the texture and color of the swiss chard stalks, and the fact that it’s low in calories and carbs but incredibly nutrient dense.
If you’re not familiar with Swiss chard (aka. silverbeet), I wrote a post about Swiss Chard which includes information on nutrition, health benefits, culinary uses, and even how to grow it in your garden!
Next up – garlic, onion, and sun-dried tomatoes not only add flavor to this keto chicken soup, but are also powerful antioxidants and contain immune boosting compounds just in time for cold and flu season!
The green beans I added for color, texture, and low carb/calorie filler (not that they don’t also provide valuable nutrients), and the red wine vinegar added at the end of cooking balances out the flavor of the low carb chicken soup and gives it a mouth-watering quality that keeps you coming back for more.
You can also substitute apple cider vinegar if you prefer. You’ll be amazed at the difference it makes – just be sure to add it at the end so you don’t lose the slight tang during the cooking process.
Finally, the fresh basil over the top gives it a punch of brightness and unites all of the other flavors, making every bite pure bliss.
All of those healthy and delicious ingredients combine beautifully to make this incredible keto chicken soup – which comes in at just 136 calories and 4g net carbs!
While there is some chopping involved, once you’ve made this big pot of keto chicken soup you can store it in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for several months and have it at the ready whenever you want some. (If you also happen to have some of my Sundried Tomato & Asiago Zucchini Muffins in there then you are winning at life my friend.) ?
I think the flavors in this low carb chicken soup get even better with time – and the people who tested it for the Woman’s World article agreed!
Replacing just one meal per day with a bowl of this hearty keto chicken soup will not only load you up with healthy vitamins and minerals, it is also a powerful weight loss tool because it is so filling and has so little calories!
Have this keto chicken soup for lunch AND dinner and you could lose up to 10 pounds in one week, as did some of the test subjects for the magazine article!
If you give the 5 Day Soup Diet a try be sure to let us all know how you do!
SUBSTITUTION NOTES:
As per the comments and Facebook Group, quite a few are subbing in parsnips and kale in this keto chicken soup, but as you can see by this list those are the highest possible carb options and can absolutely affect your weightloss on this plan! There is room for subs, but be smart about it per this list!
(Approximate weight for root veggies is 5 oz)
1 cup turnips – 6g net carbs
1 cup celery root – 11g net carbs
1 cup parsnips – 18g net carbs
1 cup jicama – 5g net carbs
1 cup cauliflower – 3.5g net carbs
Greens (approximate weight 1.3 oz)
1 cup Kale – 5.5g net carbs
1 cup Collards – 0.7g net carbs
1 cup swiss chard – 0.7g net carbs
1 cup fresh spinach – 0.6g net carbs
Keto Chicken Soup – Keto Soup Diet Recipe
- Total Time: 42 minutes
- Yield: Fourteen servings
- Diet: Diabetic
Description
This delicious keto chicken soup recipe is loaded with healthy veggies and chicken. It’s so good it was featured in Woman’s World Magazine in November 2015!
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup sliced white mushrooms
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups celery root, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes (or cauliflower, jicama, radish, turnip)
- 4 cups cooked chicken breast, chopped
- 2 cups yellow squash, sliced and quartered
- 1 cup green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 4 cups swiss chard, chopped (or collards – NOT KALE)
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, cook the bacon and olive oil over medium heat for 2 minutes.
- Add the onions, garlic, sundried tomatoes, and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Pour in the chicken stock and water, then add the celery root and chicken. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the squash, green beans, and swiss chard and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the red wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir in the fresh basil just before serving.
Notes
Approx nutrition info per 1.5 cup serving: 136 calories, 4g fat, 4g net carbs, 19g protein
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 27 minutes
- Category: keto Soup
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 136
- Fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 4g net
- Protein: 19g
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Danielle says
This was the best soup!!! Everyone in the house loved it!!!
Tamera Alexander says
Made the soup to your specifications and it’s DELICIOUS! I’ve never used chard in a recipe before. Not even sure I’ve eaten it before, but it’s delicious. I bought all your cookbooks last night (the $19.99 deal) and love them. Can’t wait to make more recipes. Some of my faves of yours are the Easy Green Chicken Enchilada Soup. So good! And then your lemon pie. Oh! And your Cheesy Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts. Have made those numerous times. And so tasty left over as well. Thanks so much for doing the heavy lifting when it comes to Keto. I’ve been eating Keto for a year on June 26th, and I’m down 25+ pounds and feel so good! Plus my husband is diabetic so it’s also great for him. Appreciate you.
mjcarini says
This soup is DELICIOUS! I had some zucchini to use, so I substituted zucchini for the yellow squash–almost the same. Then I saw somewhere in here that I could use collard greens instead of swiss chard, and I had a lot of kale which is a lot like collard greens, so…. I measured 4 cups of chopped kale–packed down, so there was a lot of kale. I am only guessing that the carb and calorie count on my soup is close to your recipe. I hope so. I could eat it all day! Oh, yeah. I almost forgot. Instead of chopping basil at serving time, I took one of my “basil cubes” from the freezer and dropped it into the soup pot at the end. I make my basil cubes when basil is in season. I take a bunch of basil leaves and finely chop them up in my food processor with some olive oil. Then I put the green mush into ice cube trays to freeze for my soups. You didn’t say whether the tomatoes are packed in oil or not. Mine are, but I drained them before I chopped them into the soup. A wonderful recipe. The celery root is perfect in there. It made me think I was eating diced potatoes in my soup.
Mellissa Sevigny says
So glad you liked the soup! A note on kale – it’s not interchangeable carbwise with chard or collards as both of those contain 3g net carbs in 4 cups. Kale contains 21g carbs in four cups, and if you packed them tightly it’s probably more. So your soup definitely had more carbs than stated – next time to keep the carbs under control be sure to use chard or collards if you can get them – or at least cut your kale amount in half.
Derval says
Hi from Ireland. Is yellow squash the same as butternut squash? That’s what’s readily available here… And Swiss chard isn’t that common, use spinach? Or cabbage? Thanks
PamJ says
Yellow squash is also called Summer Squash or Crook Neck Squash. Bright Yellow in color and shaped kind of like a question mark “?” If you can’t find it, you can use Zucchini or I think you call them Courgettes?
Amanda says
Yellow squash is like zucchini- butternut is much more carby. Spinach is closer to chard than cabbage. ?
Mia says
Any tips on cooking this in an instant pot? I’m going to try this tonight, sounds SO good!!
Zumba56 says
This soup sounds delish! I had been in a stall for more than a month, so I just changed to total carbs from net carbs. Can you tell me the total carb value? Even if I don’t eat this now, I’m definitely saving this for later! Thanks for sharing!
Rosamond says
Can you please tell me the name of the tomatoes you used?
Mellissa Sevigny says
I don’t remember – they were dried though, not packed in oil.
Sandy says
If this is what dishwater tastes like, then dishwater tastes WAY BETTER than I could’ve ever imagined! My sweet husband made this for us today, and we couldn’t be happier with it! Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe and introducing us to celery root! They’re such an awesome substitute for potatoes; you don’t feel like you’re missing out on anything. Have a great day and please keeep sharing your recipes!
Mellissa Sevigny says
I’m sorry you weren’t a fan, but since so many have made this recipe with excellent results, I have to wonder if something went wrong on your end or with one of your ingredients?
Margaret says
If this is what swamp water tastes like, I’m moving to the swamp :)
Cathy says
Love this soup! It has a simply amazing smoky bacon flavor!