A bowl of this low carb Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Soup with cauliflower rice is the perfect thing to warm you up on a cold winter day! Loaded with hearty veggies, shredded chicken and warm, south of the border spices, this is a soup we just can’t get enough of this Mexican Chicken Soup around here!
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Hi ya’ll..it’s Emilie again from Tales of a Texas Granola Girl! Have you tried my Green Chile Cauliflower Casserole yet? If you loved that you'll love this chicken and rice soup too.
The weather the last week has been brutal! Down here in Texas we have it pretty good…our temperatures barely went below freezing but some of my friends up north were literally snowed under! When cold weather hits, chicken soup is always on our list of must haves! This time I decided to take it up a few notches in the flavor department by making a Tex-Mex version of our favorite low carb chicken and rice soup!
Let me first say, that making soup is one of my favorite things! When I had my restaurant, soup was my specialty and my favorite part of the prep for the day. There was something so zen and peaceful about chopping up all the veggies, building deep, rich flavors and then watching something you poured your heart into bringing joy to someone else...magical! On a given day we made gallons and gallons of yummy, soul-satisfying soup! During the colder months, any version of chicken soup was always a hit! This low carb version of chicken and rice soup is a family favorite and so good we never miss the starchy rice!
How to Make Mexican Chicken Soup
The base of this soup starts with all the classic soup veggies…onion, carrot, and celery. I love the combination of celery and chicken, so I add lots of celery to the base. Now, I know carrots are not low carb or keto but they add great flavor to the broth and the whole recipe only has one carrot, so it adds a minimal amount of carbs to the soup. I’ll tell you a little secret. I don’t like cooked carrots…but I always use them when I make soups or stocks for the flavor and aroma they give the broth... and I figure just because they’re in there doesn’t mean I have to eat them!
To the classic veggie base, we added diced zucchini and loaded it up with savory chicken stock and warm Tex-Mex spices like chili powder, paprika, and cumin to add some spicy flair! To finish off this Mexican chicken soup, yummy shredded chicken and cauliflower rice to mimic the texture of rice! The great thing about cauliflower rice is that it’s pretty flavorless and is great at taking on the flavors of what it gets cooked with…in this case it this yummy kicked up broth!
Cauliflower Rice in Chicken and Rice Soup
Shredded chicken is something I like to keep on hand to make quick work of meals just like this one and it just makes my life a ton easier on busy weeknights! Also, this low carb chicken and rice soup is the perfect place to use your leftover roasted chicken…you could have a dinner on the table that tastes like you’ve been cooking it all day in under 30 minutes!
For me, the best part about this soup is all of the yummy topping possibilities! Avocado, sour cream, shredded cheese, extra lime, diced onion…the possibilities are endless!! This one pot wonder is great for a busy weeknight low carb meal or entertaining! Gluten-free and keto friendly! This Mexican Chicken Soup would be perfect served with my Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread!
Looking for more soul-satisfying soups...come on over and check these out!
Spicy Italian Sausage & Kale Soup
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium onion diced
- ½ large carrot diced
- 3 ribs celery diced
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 zucchini, diced about 1 ½ cups
- 1 ½ tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoon salt divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 5 cups chicken stock or bone broth
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley or cilantro
- ½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 2 cups cooked chicken shredded
- 1 ½ cups cauliflower rice frozen or fresh
Instructions
- In a large stock pot over medium heat, add olive oil, onion, carrot and celery. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and cook the veggies for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, zucchini, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika cumin, the rest of the salt and pepper and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the chicken stock, oregano and parsley or cilantro and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add the chicken and cauliflower rice and simmer for another 10 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Serve warm and top with any desired toppings!
Nutrition
Barb B says
Hi Taryn! Hope you get this as I'm currently in the soup section. I need your baking experience for a chocolate pie recipe. I'm eating low carb & was wondering if there was any way to make a holiday family favorite (French Silk Pie) into a friendlier, low carb recipe.
Taryn says
Hi Barb, I will reply via email with some ideas for you. Here is one for now: https://www.lowcarbspark.com/keto-french-silk-pie-2/
Susan says
Made this last night and just had my second bowl. It's delicious! I used a spicy, bold, dark chili powder. The soup has a great color and layered taste. So easy, this recipe will be a go to for me. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Thanks!
Val Colvin says
Would this be a THM fuel pull ? Thanks!
Taryn says
A small serving could be without any toppings.
Erin says
Mexican oregano???????? Where would you find that???? I've never heard of it
Taryn says
It's found in any well stocked grocery store or spice store. You can just use regular oregano.
Kelly says
Is this recipe missing a whole lot of tomato?
Mine looks like consommé.
Taryn says
This recipe doesn’t have tomato, it’s a brothy style light soup. You could increase the veggies, chicken or cauliflower rice to make it more substantial. The 20 minutes it simmers will reduce the broth some and concentrate the flavors.
Laura says
Was thinking the same. Just made it and although it was delicious, it looks nothing like the picture. Not red or orange at all, I thought I might have forgotten to add an ingredient.
Georgia says
Any thoughts on making this in an Instant Pot?
Taryn says
I'd cook the veggies on the saute setting. Then add everything else. I think manual high pressure for a few minutes would be enough. You just want it to be hot and the flavors to meld.
Justine says
This was so good, I didn't even miss the regular rice!
Kelly says
The cauliflower rice is such a great sub for the real thing!