This easy chicken soup is so comforting and the perfect cozy option for a cold day. Each taste of my Whole30 Chicken Soup is filled with tender chicken, onions, celery, garlic, asparagus, spinach, fresh parsley, and more. Its satisfying flavors will keep you making it time and time again. This satisfying soup is also dairy-free, gluten-free, low carb, keto, and grain-free.
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We love soups so much, and I especially love making them because they are nutritious and easy to make. If you eat Whole30, you’ll be pleased to know it easily fits into that diet. If you are following another clean eating plain, paleo, Trim Healthy Mama, low carb, or keto you will love it too! It’s only made with healthy ingredients and tastes amazing.
You don’t have to just eat a bowl of warm whole30 chicken soup in the cooler months like January or February either! It makes an easy and tasty option even in the heat of the summer. It’s hearty and filling, but not so much that it weighs you down, so we eat it year-round.
What You’ll Need
I love how versatile this chicken soup is. You can swap ingredients or omit some of them as you see fit.
Olive Oil: It’s just needed to cook the chicken. It’s okay to swap it for another Whole30 approved oil.
Chicken: You will need to cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts into strips. This will make it easier to cook.
Leeks: Adding leeks to the soup will give you a boost of vitamin C, iron, manganese, copper, and folate!
Onion & Garlic: You’ll get a bunch of flavors from the onions and garlic.
Veggies: I use a combination of celery, spinach, and asparagus to give it even more nutrients.
Chicken Broth: I use my vegan chicken broth powder but you can also use chicken bone broth or vegetable broth if you’d rather.
Salt & Pepper: A little bit of salt and pepper rounds out the flavors, and you can always add in more or omit completely if you want.
Parsley: Fresh parsley makes all the difference!
Green Onion: I think everything is a little bit better with a few green onions. It tastes so good!
You can really add any vegetables you like to this chicken soup recipe! If you have some cut up from meal prep already throw them in. Firm veggies should be added in step 3. Anything leafy, thin, and that cooks quickly should be added in step 5. To make this more like a chicken noodle soup add hearts of palm noodles or zucchini noodles in step 5.
How To Make Whole30 Chicken Soup
There are a handful of steps, but none of them are difficult! It’s an easy gluten free soup recipe that everyone says is delicious.
Step One: Begin by heating the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Step Two: Then add the chicken to the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes or until it’s done. Once done, take the chicken out of the pot and set it aside.
Step Three: Turn down the heat to medium and place the onions and leeks in the pot. Cook until they are tender, about 6-8 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally. Then add in the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Step Four: Pour in the broth and season with salt and pepper. Heat over high heat until it’s boiling, then reduce to a simmer for five more minutes.
Step Five: Mix in the asparagus and spinach to the whole30 chicken soup. Cook for 5 minutes until the asparagus gets tender.
Step Six: Shred the pieces of chicken and add them to the soup. Mix in the parsley.
Step Seven: Serve the soup hot and garnish with pepper and green onions. Enjoy!
Can I Use Homemade Chicken Broth?
Sure! If you have homemade chicken broth, that is a great way to increase the nutrients even more. This whole30 chicken soup is very easily customized, and homemade chicken bone broth is a great way to do that.
As a matter of fact, you can also use chicken stock or vegetable stock, or any broth you enjoy that is whole30 approved without any issues. They all taste great and will go well with the other ingredients. I normally do use my homemade vegan chicken bouillon.
Can I Make this in an Instant Pot or Slow Cooker?
Sure! To make this an instant pot chicken soup simply saute the vegetables as directed through step 3 and then add the raw chicken and broth. Cook on manual high power for 7 minutes. Remove the chicken and chop or shred it. Add the asparagus and spinach and cook just for a minute or two until the asparagus is tender. Add the chicken back, garnish, and serve.
To make it in a slow cooker you can use the above method, just saute the veggies in a skillet first. After you add the chicken cook on low for 2 hours or until the chicken is cooked. Remove and shred the chicken. Then add the asparagus and spinach. Add back the cooked chicken. Garnish and serve.
Can I Use Chicken Thighs in Whole30 Chicken Soup?
Yep, if you would rather use chicken thighs, that is completely fine. You should use boneless skinless thighs for the best results. I want to point out that chicken thighs are going to taste a little different because it is dark meat.
For another healthy whole30 recipe check out my Pomodoro Chicken or this Keto Chicken Liver Pate
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb chicken breast cut into strips
- 2 medium leeks thinly sliced
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon pepper
- 1 bunch asparagus cut into bite-sized pieces
- 5 oz spinach leaves
- 1 cup parsley leaves chopped
- 1 green onion thinly sliced
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat
- Add the chicken and cook, flipping once, until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside.
- Add leeks and onion to the large pot. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the asparagus and spinach to the soup and cook for about 5 minutes, until the asparagus is tender and spinach is wilted.
- Shred the chicken and add to the soup. Stir in the parsley.
- Serve the soup garnished with pepper and chopped green onion.
Sheila says
I just made this, and my husband and I both loved it -- al dente asparagus, spinach and leeks? Savory rather than carrot sweet? Oh yes. This is so good.
One smalll thing: I cut up celery but it was never called for in the recipe instructions. I didn't notice until the asparagus and spinach were already in there, so that's when it went in. No harm.
Theresa Sandles says
This looks so delicious that I feel as though I can smell the aromas!!
Donna Evans says
Looks so good; can't wait to make it.
Thank you,
Donna E