As the weather turns crisp and cozy, it's time to embrace soup season! Soups offer a fantastic way to stay hydrated, load up on veggies, and prepare meals for the week. They're also an excellent solution for using up leftover meat or produce before they spoil. With just a few spices, stock or broth, and a pot, you can have a comforting soup ready in no time. Here's a roundup of 25 clean keto soup recipes that are not only low-carb and gluten-free but also dairy-free and incredibly delicious!
Health Benefits of Soup
Soup offers amazing health benefits beyond just being tasty. It's a great way to nourish your body, boost your immune system to help stave off colds. Using a bone broth base can provide your body with much-needed collagen, which is beneficial for your bones and boasts anti-aging properties. Additionally, it can help fight inflammation and improve joint health.
Featured Recipe: Queso Keto Taco Soup
This Queso Keto Taco Soup is a game-changer for low-carb dinners! Simmered with ground beef, tangy tomatoes, and melted cheese, it’s like your favorite queso dip transformed into a hearty, spoonable meal. Whether you’re using an Instant Pot or slow cooker, this creamy, zesty soup will quickly become a staple in your keto meal rotation.
When I started keto, I never imagined I’d find a recipe that satisfied my Tex-Mex cravings so perfectly! This low-carb keto taco soup with ground beef has become a family favorite in our home. My kids ask for it constantly, and it’s now one of my most shared recipes. The cream cheese and taco seasoning blend to create a rich, cheesy flavor that’s absolutely delicious. As a homeschooling mom of four, I appreciate how quick and easy this keto taco soup is to make. It’s my secret weapon on busy evenings when we’re juggling softball practice and church activities. The comforting flavors and simple prep make it a staple in my keto meal planning.
Key Ingredients
- Ground Beef: Acts as the rich, savory, and protein-rich foundation to the soup.
- Rotel Tomatoes (or diced tomatoes with green chilis): This is simply a can of diced tomatoes with green chilis already added.
- Cream Cheese: Adds fat and a rich, creamy texture that makes the soup similar to an authentic queso dip.
- Beef Broth: Is the backbone of your soup’s flavor.
- Keto Taco Seasoning: A simple mix of chili powder, cumin, paprika, onion powder, and a few other spices. Unlike store-bought packets, it doesn’t have any fillers, which helps keep the carb count lower.
A Note on Beans: While traditional taco soup often includes black beans, we skip them in this recipe because they’re high in carbs and aren’t keto-friendly.
Read also: Low-Carb Mushroom Recipes
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here is the step-by-step guide to making an amazing keto taco soup without beans.
Step 1: Grab your favorite large pot and set it over medium heat. Toss in the ground beef and diced onion. I like to use an 80/20 beef for extra flavor, but use what you prefer. Brown it all up, breaking the meat into small chunks as it cooks. This usually takes about 8-10 minutes. Once it’s nicely browned, drain off the excess grease.
Step 2: Add the cream cheese to your beef and onion mixture. I find it’s easier if the cream cheese is softened, so take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you start cooking or pop it in the microwave for a few seconds. Use a wooden spoon to mix it in well, breaking up any large chunks.
Step 3: Add in the rest of your ingredients - the Rotel tomatoes (or diced tomatoes with green chilies), beef broth, heavy cream, and taco seasoning. Give it all a good stir to combine.
Tips and Variations
- Swap the Beef: Don’t have ground beef in your kitchen? No sweat!
- Soften the Cream Cheese: Pop the cream cheese in the microwave for a few seconds or leave it at room temperature until soft.
- Simmer, Don’t Boil: Keep it low and slow.
- Taste and Adjust As Needed: One of the best things about cooking is that you get to taste everything before it’s served! If you think the soup needs more heavy cream, beef, or seasonings, adjust the amount of ingredients you use.
- Make Meal Prep Easier: Buy ground beef in bulk when it’s on sale to make meal prep easier. On busy days, I can quickly grab a portion of pre-cooked beef from the freezer and add it to the pot with the other soup ingredients. This way, I can prepare a homemade meal in about 30 minutes, even on our busiest nights.
- Toppings:
- Jalapenos: For the brave!
- Avocado: Adds creaminess and healthy fats.
- Fresh cilantro: Gives a nice fresh kick.
Slow Cooker Instructions
While some suggest throwing all the ingredients in the crockpot for Taco Soup, dairy products such as heavy cream and cream cheese can curdle if added before the last hour of cooking time. To ensure the best quality of this recipe, I would suggest adding the drained browned ground beef, diced onion, beef broth, diced tomatoes, and spices first. Allow it to slow cook for 2 hours on high or 4 hours on low. I would follow the general guidelines mentioned above for cooking dairy in the slow cooker.
Read also: Creamy Keto Soup
Instant Pot Instructions
First, brown the ground beef and onions on the saute setting and drain. Next, add beef broth, Rotel tomatoes, and spices. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, then an NPR for 5 minutes. After that, pop the lid off and stir in the softened cream cheese and heavy cream. Switch the Instant Pot back to the sauté function and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes to meld all those tasty flavors.
Serving Suggestions
Pair this delicious taco soup with a simple leafy garden salad, avocado salad, or some fresh salsa for a perfect match. And if you’re in the mood for dipping, go for low-carb tortillas or crunchy pork rinds.
Dairy-Free Option
I haven’t tried making a dairy-free keto taco soup myself, but I did some digging, and you might be able to use dairy-free cream cheese and coconut cream instead of cream cheese and heavy cream.
Troubleshooting
- Too Thin: Easy! Just add more cream cheese or let the soup simmer a bit longer.
Leftovers
Freezer: When I have leftovers, I sometimes freeze them for later. Here’s a tip I learned from experience: cream soups can get a bit separated when frozen and thawed. Don’t worry - it’s still safe to eat and can be fixed! Thaw the soup in the fridge overnight when you’re ready to eat it. As you reheat it, use a whisk to stir it well. This helps bring the soup back together. If it still seems a bit grainy, I’ve found that blending it for a few seconds can make it creamy again.
Variations
My family LOVES the recipe, but we also love whipping different variations for fun (and more deliciousness)!
Read also: Delicious keto wonton soup
- Throw In some Veggies: Sneaking in some veggies is totally okay.
- Spice It Up: My family LOVES this soup spicy!
Creamy Keto Tomato Soup
This Creamy Keto Tomato Soup recipe requires just a few ingredients, one-pot and a blender. It’s the perfect low carb soup for dipping my keto garlic Parmesan Bread Bites.
Key Ingredients
- Roasted Tomatoes: I’m using canned roasted tomatoes with all of their liquid to keep things simple. You can use fresh roasted tomatoes if you wish.
- Butter
- Onions
- Garlic Cloves
- Water and Concentrated Chicken Broth: this is a paste that can be mixed with water to make broth. I prefer this since it has more flavor than traditional broth. You can skip the concentrated chicken broth and substitute the water with regular broth or bone broth.
- Heavy Cream
- Pesto
- Italian Seasoning
- Xanthan Gum: this is being used as a soup thickener.
Nutritional Information
Low-carb & Keto Meal Option: A small tomato has about 18 calories, including about 3g net carbs, making them perfect for a low-carb diet. This recipe was designed to be as low as possible in carbs.
Storage
- Refrigerator Storage: You should store this soup in the refrigerator in an airtight container. I keep this soup for up to 4 days.
- Freezer Storage: You can store this soup in the freezer for up to four months.
Thickening the Soup
Typically, you would thicken tomato soup with flour or cornstarch. I’d highly recommend adding Xanthan Gum to your keto kitchen pantry.
Balancing Acidity
Tomato Soup can get pretty tangy because tomatoes have quite a bit of acid. If we weren’t concerned about sugar, then we’d balance out our tomatoes by adding some sugar. To keep this keto-friendly, you can add a keto sweetener.
Paleo or Dairy-Free Adaptations
This recipe contains real food ingredients so it can easily be adapted to fit a paleo or dairy-free lifestyle.
- Omit the Cream Cheese
- Use Coconut Milk for Heavy Cream: You should also use coconut milk in place of the heavy cream. If that sounds weird to you, coconut milk is commonly used in savory recipes like Indian Shrimp Curry. I really love using coconut milk in sauces because it adds a slight sweetness.
- Swap butter for olive oil, coconut oil, or ghee: Besides substituting the heavy cream, you might also want to substitute butter.
Instructions
- Heat butter in a large sauce pan over medium-low heat.
- Sautee onions and garlic in the butter until transcluent (~2 minutes)
- Add the roasted tomatoes and all of its liquid to the pan
- Add the next 5 ingredients. Stir and allow the mixture to cook for 10 minutes.
- If using a standard blender: Add the hot tomato mixture to a blender with the Xanthan Gum, cream cheese, heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Blend until incorporated. Salt to taste. Serve immediately.
- If using an immersion blender: Add the Xanthan Gum, cream cheese, heavy cream and parmesan cheese to the pot. Blend until incorporated. Salt to taste.
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Soup
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Soup is rich and satisfying, and packed full of wholesome ingredients. It's a keto comfort food meal the whole family will enjoy. Comfort food season is here and what’s more comforting than a big steaming bowl of soup filled with chicken, vegetables, and rich broth? Nothing. That’s right, my friends, nothing is more comforting than keto soup. And the variations are virtually endless. You can make Keto Enchilada Soup, Thai style Chicken Soup, or my famous Chile Relleno Chicken Soup.But this creamy keto Tuscan Chicken Soup is my new favorite and it’s easy to see why. Chunks of tender chicken with plenty of garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach in a creamy sauce. Oh and some hidden cauliflower for a thick and luscious broth.
Typical Tuscan style soups are often made with white beans like cannellini. Or they are imitations of Zuppa Toscana from The Olive Garden.But I drew my inspiration for this keto chicken soup from the myriad recipes for Creamy Tuscan Chicken. You have probably seen these recipes all over the internet, and they look absolutely delicious. Pan seared chicken in a creamy Tuscan style sauce, they make your mouth water instantly.It looks so rich and comforting, I got thinking about how to play with those flavors. It was cold and rainy here, and I was chilled to the bone. I simply needed a hot cup of soup.
Tips for Making Creamy Tuscan Chicken Soup
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. This helps it cook through faster so you can get your soup on the table that much sooner.
- Sauté the chicken. You can use butter or oil for sautéing, and you want to cook it all the way through. Toss in the sun-dried tomatoes along with the chicken as it will intensify their flavor. Remove everything to a plate while you prep the rest of the soup.
- Sauté the garlic. Add the remaining butter or oil and cook the garlic with the tomato paste and Italian seasoning until fragrant.
- Stir in the broth and the cauliflower. I know cauliflower is an unusual ingredient in a Tuscan style soup, but it helps make a thicker broth without adding more fat or thickeners.
- Blend it up! Once the cauliflower is tender, blend the broth until smooth and thick.
- Put it all back together. Add the broth back to the pan and stir in the chicken.
- Stir in the cream and Parmesan. Grab a spoon and dig in! I guarantee you this is some of the most heavenly keto soup you will ever make.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Chicken breasts can be used instead of thighs. Still cut them into 1/2 inch pieces and cook accordingly.
- Pre-cooked or rotisserie chicken can be used and will make this delicious soup even faster. Sauté the sun-dried tomatoes along with the garlic, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning, and the proceed as directed. Chop the cooked chicken or shred it with your fingers before adding in to the soup in Step 5.
- For a dairy-free version, use coconut cream in place of the whipping cream, and add about 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast in place of the Parmesan.
- Use chopped zucchini instead of cauliflower, as it also helps thicken keto soups. Cook it until tender, just as you would the cauliflower, and blend it up.
Storage and Reheating
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.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.
Instructions
In a Dutch oven or stockpot set over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of the butter or oil. While heating, 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. Add the remaining butter to the pan and stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning. Sauté 2 minutes, until fragrant. 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. Transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender and blend until smooth. 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 with more grated Parmesan sprinkled over.