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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Erika says
This is a delicious recipe! I’m doing a Keto diet and was looking for a soup I could have in place of a salad. Fantastic flavour with easy to follow directions and suggestions for substitutions! I love the extra flavour the red wine vinegar adds.
Thank you so much for your work on this. It’s going to be a stable for me from now on.
Perth, Western Australia
Erin L. says
I have made this soup 3 times now. I came across it initially because my mom is on a low-carb diet, and I wanted to make something different and “comfort food-y” that she could enjoy…But I like it so much I am making it again and again for myself! The entire family loves this – from grandparents to teenagers. We use the Jicama substitution and I would not even try celery root bc I love it too much. On one trip the store was out of chard so we used collards – not nearly as tasty. THANK YOU!
trying to make it to day 16 over and over again says
oh no! my store was out of chard as well, so I bought collards. I am now tabling the soup for a day as I am about to try this for the first time. I am planning to begin the 5-day after my daughter’s wedding shower this Saturday because I know I am planning to be bad and need a reset! :) I want the soup ready to roll on Sunday!!
Alana Spadafora says
Hi,
I was just wondering what to eat for breakfast when doing this?
Cindy Dillon says
This has now been added to my soup rotation – forever. We love it! I followed pretty closely, but added some zero carb spicy sausage we had in the fridge to bump the protein and flavor. SIDE NOTE: Celery root is now one of my favorite things. I’m a celery lover already, so it’s a no brainer. I used it in a low-carb recipe for Clam Chowder and having that texture in the soup made all the difference. Thank you for another ‘keeper’.
Julie says
Hi Melissa!
Love this soup plan-but I think I made a mistake and I still lost weight! 7.5 lbs to be exact. I measured two cups of soup which gave me 10 portions-just right over 5 days (I added an additional 3 cups of stock to make it all work). I now see it is 1 1/2 cups but I think I’ll stick to this plan as I was so full I didn’t eat my snack :) thanks again for creating the IBIH and the Soup Plan and the Egg Fast-I have lost 30lbs over 3 years but more because of portion control than anything else (and I cut out cheese and nuts this month to see if that would make a difference). Have a great new year.
Leisa says
I made this thinking I wasn’t going to like it, but I at least wanted to give it a try. OMG — I love it! And even better, my husband likes it even though it’s full of veggies he’d never touch. The broth has such an amazing flavor. I’ve never eaten celery root, and I really like it! I did sub chicken thighs for the the white meat chicken. Thanks for this recipe!
ketosap says
hi! let me start by saying that I love your recipes!
I intend to start this detox immed after the holiday season but we dont get yellow squash here.
Can i sub with zucchini? or any other suggestion?
thanks a ton
Audrey says
Did you ever find a suitable substitute for yellow squash? Went all over looking for it… none here where I live!
Jessica Younger says
Yellow squash is often labeled zucchini squash at my grocery stores so I think you might be ok subbing zucchini.
Liz Tsirigo says
I live in Greece; we don’t have yellow squash here, either, so I’m just going to go with zucchini. I suspect the yellow squash was primarily there to provide bulk and colour, in which case zucchini would be an acceptable, if less interesting, substitute.
Adria says
Mellisa, this soup has been pinned to one of my boards since I saw it on Facebook a while back. I finally made it today and although I haven’t added the red wine vinegar or basil yet, I had to have a soup ladle full. It is SO delicious. I made it using all the listed ingredients, but in the future may try a few subs. This will now be a “go to” for me. Thank you!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
So glad you liked it Adria!!!
Janet says
I have now made this soup 6 times….love love love it! The ease of knowing what I will be eating has really helped me on my low carb journey.
You may want to mention rutabaga as a sub for the celery root….It is cheaper per pound than celery root and easily available for folks who can’t find celery root.
I have also been subbing out the bacon and using finely diced boiled ham and adding some bacon fat…..for those days I don’t have bacon.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for sharing your subs Janet, so glad you’re enjoying the soup!!!
Jacqueline says
Getting all the ingredients today and making the soup …..starting the plan tommorrow….
I’ve been struggling with losing weight….so am excited to kick start the loss.
Will let you know how I do.