Keto Chicken Soup
A cozy, low-carb chicken soup with cauliflower rice, tender chicken, and a bright hint of lemon. Simple, satisfying, and ready in about 40 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/2 cup yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 cup celery thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup zucchini diced small
- 2 cups cauliflower rice
- 6 cups chicken bone broth or regular chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- sea salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup heavy cream optional, for creamy version
Instructions
- Warm olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat until the butter melts and foams, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add onion and celery with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic for 30 seconds.
- Add chicken thighs, season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pieces lose their raw pink on the outside, about 3 minutes.
- Pour in chicken broth. Add thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered until chicken is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Stir in zucchini and cauliflower rice. Simmer until the zucchini is just tender and the cauliflower rice is fluffy, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Fish out the bay leaf. Stir in lemon juice and parsley. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- For a creamy version, lower the heat to just below a simmer and stir in heavy cream until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Do not boil.
- Ladle into bowls and serve hot, with extra parsley and a crack of pepper if you like.
Notes
- Use a good-tasting broth; it makes or breaks the soup.
- Cut chicken and veggies small and even so they cook quickly and evenly.
- Add cauliflower rice near the end for the best texture.
- If your broth tastes flat, a tiny extra squeeze of lemon and pinch of salt usually fixes it.