Comfort food season calls for a warm, satisfying bowl of soup, and this creamy keto Tuscan chicken soup is the perfect choice. Rich, flavorful, and packed with wholesome ingredients, it's a keto-friendly meal the whole family will enjoy. This recipe draws inspiration from the popular creamy Tuscan chicken recipes found online, transforming those delectable flavors into a comforting soup.
Why This Soup is a Must-Try
This keto Tuscan chicken soup is a delightful twist on classic chicken soup, offering a unique blend of Italian flavors. Chunks of tender chicken combine with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach in a creamy, luscious broth. A touch of hidden cauliflower adds thickness without extra fat or thickeners.
Variations on a Theme: Tuscan Soup Inspirations
Typical Tuscan soups often feature white beans like cannellini or are inspired by Zuppa Toscana from The Olive Garden. This keto version, however, takes its cues from creamy Tuscan chicken recipes, capturing the essence of that rich and comforting dish in soup form.
Ingredients: A Symphony of Flavors
This creamy Tuscan soup features a harmonious blend of ingredients that create a symphony of flavors:
- Chicken: The star of the soup, providing protein and a hearty base. Chicken breasts or thighs can be used, cut into bite-sized pieces for faster cooking. Pre-cooked or rotisserie chicken can also be used to save time.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: These little tomatoes pack a big punch of flavor. Bright and zippy, tangy and sweet, just all around delicious. Use the oil packed kind and reserve a tablespoon of the oil.
- Garlic: Adding a savory and aromatic foundation to the soup.
- Spinach: Providing a boost of nutrients and a touch of freshness.
- Cauliflower: A secret ingredient for thickening the broth without adding extra fat or thickeners. Chopped zucchini can be used as a substitute.
- Heavy Cream: Creating a creamy and luxurious texture. Coconut cream can be used as a dairy-free alternative.
- Parmesan Cheese: Adding a salty and savory note. Nutritional yeast can be used as a dairy-free alternative.
- Italian Seasoning: A blend of herbs that infuses the soup with classic Italian flavors.
- Chicken Broth: Providing a flavorful liquid base for the soup.
- Bacon: Adding a smoky and savory element to the soup.
- Onion: Forming an aromatic base for the soup.
- Mushrooms: Adding an earthy and umami flavor to the soup.
- Diced Tomatoes: Contributing to the soup's richness and depth of flavor.
- Rosemary, Thyme, and Fennel Seeds: Infusing the soup with fresh and herbaceous notes.
- Radishes: Adding heartiness while still being low carb.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Adding a touch of acidity and complexity to the soup.
- Avocado Oil: Used to sauté onion and brown the chicken, we need a good quality cooking oil.
- Seasonings: dried oregano, dried parsley, sea salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes.
- Tomato Paste: A little tomato paste brings more tomato flavor to the soup to support the mission of the sun-dried tomatoes.
- Artichoke hearts: Adding a tangy and slightly sweet flavor to the soup.
Step-by-Step Instructions: Crafting Your Keto Tuscan Chicken Soup
Here's how to make this comforting and flavorful soup:
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Stovetop Instructions:
- Sauté the Chicken: In a Dutch oven or stockpot set over medium heat, add butter or oil. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and the sun-dried tomatoes to the pan. Sauté until the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove to a plate.
- Sauté the Aromatics: Add the remaining butter to the pan and stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning. Sauté 2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Simmer the Soup: Stir in the broth. Add the cauliflower and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes.
- Blend the Broth: Transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender and blend until smooth.
- Combine and Finish: Return the soup and the chicken and sundried tomatoes to the pot and bring back to a simmer. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Stir in the cream and Parmesan and stir until well combined.
- Serve: Serve with more grated Parmesan sprinkled over.
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Sauté Bacon (Optional): Select the saute function on the Instant Pot. Once hot, coat the pot with cooking spray, then add the bacon. Cook until desired crispiness (about 4-5 minutes per side). Remove the bacon and reserve 1 tbsp of the bacon grease in the pot.
- Sauté Aromatics: Keep the saute function on, add the onion, garlic, and mushrooms to the pot. Saute for about 3-4 minutes. Then select cancel.
- Pressure Cook: Place the raw chicken breast, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and salt into the pot. Secure the lid, and select manual. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes, then use a quick release.
- Finish and Serve: Once steam is completely released, remove the lid and stir in the coconut milk and spinach.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Season the chicken breast with the salt, pepper and Italian herbs and place the chicken breast in the crockpot.
- Add chopped onion, julienned sun dried tomatoes, and quartered artichoke hearts, and garlic then mix and cover with broth.
- Cook on high for 2.5-3 hours (or low 3-3.5 hours,) then remove the chicken breasts and chop or shred and return to crock pot.
- Add spinach to crock pot and stir it in. Wait 2-3 minutes for it to wilt.
- Add 2 cups of heavy cream to the soup and stir to combine. Season with additional salt to taste (up to 1/2 tsp.) *see notes for cream cheese alternative.
- Serve warm garnished with freshly shredded parmesan cheese.
Tips and Variations: Making It Your Own
- Chicken Options: Feel free to use chicken breasts or thighs, or even pre-cooked chicken for convenience. To make this with fresh chicken breasts rather than already cooked and shredded chicken, add the chicken breasts as directed in step 3, but do not add the cauliflower. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the chicken easily shreds apart. Shred the chicken and then add the cauliflower and continue with step 4.
- Dairy-Free Option: Use coconut cream in place of the whipping cream and nutritional yeast in place of the Parmesan.
- Vegetable Substitutions: If you dislike cauliflower, use chopped zucchini instead.
- Spice It Up: Add red pepper flakes or use spicy Italian sausage for a spicier kick.
- Add More Veggies: Include other low-carb veggies like zucchini, bell peppers, or mushrooms.
- Make it a Freezer Meal: Tuscan Chicken Soup can be prepared as freezer meal before or after cooking. Prepare recipe as directed through step 2. Divide into meal sized portions if desired.
- Non-Creamy Version: You can make a non-creamy version of this soup by adding and additional cup of broth to the soup.
- Tuscan Chicken White Bean Soup: To naturally add some healthy carbs to this soup, you can make add 1-2 cans of drained and rinsed cannellini beans.
- Tuscan Chicken Tortellini Soup: Tortellini works well with these flavors and is an easy addition to the soup.
- Customize to taste: If you prefer mild food, omit the red pepper flakes. We prefer sun-dried tomatoes that are packed in oil WITHOUT the Italian herbs. If you purchase them with Italian herbs, you can reduce or omit the Italian seasoning or just add to taste towards the end of cooking the soup. If your tomatoes do not come pre-chopped, you'll want to dice them up into small pieces.
Serving Suggestions: Completing the Meal
This creamy Tuscan soup is incredible on its own for a low carb dinner but can be served as a side to your favorite protein as well. Here are a few serving suggestions:
- Keto Garlic Bread: A slice of keto garlic bread can complement the soup perfectly, adding a crunchy texture to the creamy broth.
- Cheese Platter: A small cheese platter with a variety of cheeses (Gouda, Pepper Jack, and Colby Jack) can add an extra layer of indulgence to your meal.
- Serve soup in large bowls with crusty bread, garlic bread, or cornbread for a delicious meal.
- Garnish with chopped basil if you have fresh basil on hand.
- A crisp Easy House Salad always works well, or you can add a touch of sweetness with my Apple Slaw with Toasted Pecan Vinaigrette.
Storage and Reheating: Enjoying Later
Creamy soups are always best served fresh or within a few days. You can store Creamy Tuscan Chicken Soup in the fridge for up to 5 days, as long as your cream was fresh. Reheat gently in a pot over medium low heat. Don’t let it come to a boil.
I don’t recommend freezing soups that have cream in them, but you can certainly prepare the soup up to the point of Step 6 and freeze at that point. Add the cream after the soup is fully heated through. Yes! I would freeze this soup without heavy cream in it. Reheat it on the stove and add in the heavy cream gently.
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