Healthy Paleo Chicken Soup

A bowl of Paleo Chicken Soup on a grey background with veggies and a linen off to the side

Healthy Paleo Chicken Soup is a delicious, Whole30, keto meal. Easily made in the instant pot or slow cooker - it's a cozy, yummy dinner everyone will love!

Prep Time15

Cook Time7 40

Total Time7 55

Servings: people

Calories: 335kcal

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup celery chopped finely
1 cup onion chopped finely
2 cups carrots sliced in small circles
½ tablespoon garlic minced
1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or sprigs of thyme leaves
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 bay leaves
48 oz chicken broth low or no sodium
4 zucchini spiralized (off to the side, do not add to soup until ready to eat)

Instructions

Crockpot Instructions:

In a pan, heat olive oil. Saute celery, onion, carrots and garlic for about 5 minutes. (This step is optional but highly recommended for best flavor!)
In the slow cooker base, layer chicken breasts on the bottom. Layer cooked veggie mixture on top. Sprinkle with spices + fill to the top with chicken stock.
Cook on low for 6 hours.
Once soup has cooked, remove chicken breasts and shred by pulling apart with forks (they should fall apart easily). Add the shredded chicken back to the pot + stir.
When ready to serve, add raw, room temperature zucchini noodles, they will warm in the soup!
Tip: For best results, I recommend adding the zucchini noodles to the bowl instead of adding to the slow cooker pot. This way your zucchini noodles/spinach won’t get soggy if you eat leftovers.

Instant Pot Instructions:

Turn instant pot on sauté mode for 5 minutes. In pot, heat olive oil. Sauté celery, onion, carrots and garlic for about 5 minutes.
Once vegetables have sautéd, layer chicken breasts on top of mixture. Sprinkle with spices + fill with chicken stock. (It is recommended to add 2 total quarts of broth if using instant pot, vs 1.5 quarts for slow cooker due to the high pressure cooking
Cover instant pot and set to ‘Soup’ for 13 minutes.
Allow the soup to come to pressure and cook. Once finished, quick release the pressure. Remove bay leaves and throw away.
Remove chicken from the pot + shred on a cutting board with forks or in a mixer.
Place chicken back in instant pot, and stir to combine.
When ready to serve, add raw, room temperature zucchini noodles, they will warm in the soup!
Tip: For best results, I recommend adding the zucchini noodles to the bowl instead of adding to the slow cooker pot. This way your zucchini noodles/spinach won’t get soggy if you eat leftovers.

Stovetop Instructions:

In a pan, heat olive oil. Sauté celery, onion, carrots and garlic for about 5 minutes.
Add chicken breasts into the pot. Stir in spices and add in chicken stock.
Turn the stove to high heat and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling reduce to a simmer for 30-40 minutes.
After soup has simmered, remove chicken breasts from the pot + shred on a cutting board with forks or in a mixer.
Place chicken back in the pot, and stir to combine.
When ready to serve, add raw, room temperature zucchini noodles, they will warm in the soup!

Video

Notes

Tip: For best results, I recommend adding the zucchini noodles to the bowl instead of adding to the slow cooker pot. This way your zucchini noodles/spinach won’t get soggy if you eat leftovers.

Substitutions for this Paleo Chicken Soup Recipe:

Rosemary - You can omit rosemary if you don't like it. If you don't have fresh rosemary you can sub with 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
Chicken- You can use boneless chicken thighs in this recipe if you prefer, but I like it better with chicken breasts.
Carrots- If you are on a strict keto diet and need to reduce the carbs in this recipe further, you can decrease the amount of carrots in the soup
Zucchini Noodles- For best results, I recommend adding the zucchini noodles to the bowl instead of adding to the slow cooker pot. This way your zucchini noodles/spinach won’t get soggy if you eat leftovers.

Nutrition