This Creamy Paleo Chicken Soup is cozy, comforting, and loaded with veggies and flavor! Mushrooms, garlic, leeks, kale and chicken in a creamy dairy free, paleo, and Whole30 soup that’s filling and healthy. Quick and easy to make for weeknight dinners, too!
It seems like creamy + chicken is a thing lately on the blog, as far as savory recipes go! Can you blame me?!
Between bacon and brussels sprouts, chicken pot pie, and now this creamy chicken soup, we’re pretty much covered for cozy winter comfort food. Well, maybe not quite yet, but it’s a good start for sure. I’m particularly excited to share this incredibly easy recipe though, because I made it all the things I personally love in a bowl of soup.
I’m a pretty picky soup eater, honestly, and plain old chicken soup with celery and carrots just doesn’t do it for me. Nothing against celery and carrots, I just need a bit more BOOM! in my soup.
So boom right here – because I loaded it up with goodness. The base is a creamy combination of chicken bone broth and coconut milk (you don’t taste the coconut) thickened with a bit of arrowroot starch.
I added some nutritional yeast and spicy brown mustard for a hint of “cheesy” flavor – and to offset any possibly hint of coconut flavor you might get from the milk (so many readers ask about this!) It’s my “secret” for giving my Whole30 compliant recipes more flavor, and there’s no going back after you try it!
In addition to the base and the chicken (I used boneless skinless chicken thighs, but you can use any cooked chicken (or turkey!) meat) I had to make sure this soup was veggie packed!
I sautéed leeks, mushrooms and garlic in plenty of ghee (you can use refined coconut oil or grass fed butter if preferred) and then added my favorite green of all time – KALE! If you had asked me 5 years ago if I liked kale, I’m not even sure I could answer, since I doubt I knew what it was.
But since Paleo, well, kale and I are super tight. It’s the green I’d happily marry if I had to choose one. I actually don’t eat it raw (digestion) but eat it sautéed or roasted into chips every single day. That said, you can use YOUR absolute favorite green when you make this soup, if you’re not quite as into kale as I am.
One of the best parts about this soup is how easy and quick it is to make. I used to hate the idea of making soup simply because it seemed like it would take such a long time.
This creamy paleo chicken soup though? Even if you still need to cook your chicken, it’ll all be ready in under 30 minutes! Making it perfect for just about anytime you could imagine. Plus, if your starting with cooked chicken, you’ll have your soup on the table in under 20 minutes.
In truth, due to my kids’ schedules after school, there are several days I barely have 30 minutes to get dinner ready – so this is BIG for me! It also happens to be the perfect soup to make for leftover Thanksgiving turkey – just saying – since as I’m writing this, it’s just 3 days away!
I hope you’re ready to begin! Let’s chop some veggies and make this (paleo & Whole30) creamy chicken soup!
Creamy Paleo Chicken Soup with Mushrooms and Kale {Whole30}
Creamy Paleo Chicken Soup with Mushrooms and Kale {Whole30}
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs Cooked* I prefer thighs but breasts can be used, or any leftover cooked chicken meat *See note for my cooking method
- 3 Tbsp ghee grass-fed butter, or refined coconut oil
- 2 leeks white and light green parts only, chopped - You can sub in chopped onions, if preferred
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups white button mushrooms sliced
- 2-3 large handfuls kale roughly chopped (it should look like a lot since it cooks down so much)
- 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp arrowroot starch or tapioca
- 2 2/3 cups chicken bone broth
- 2/3 cup organic coconut milk full fat
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (this is for flavor and is Whole30 compliant)
- 1/2 Tbsp brown mustard check label for Whole30 compliance if needed
- 2 sage leaves minced
- 2 tsp fresh minced rosemary
- Sea salt and pepper to taste I used 1/4 tsp sea salt and 1/8 tsp pepper, my chicken was already seasoned - see note*
Instructions
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Melt the ghee, butter, or refined coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped leeks and cook until softened, then add the mushrooms and garlic. Stir to coat, then continue to cook another 2-3 minutes until soft.
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Meanwhile, whisk arrowroot into the broth until dissolved. Add the kale to the saucepan over the other veggies and gently stir (it’s a lot, it will cook down quickly though!) then pour in the broth and coconut milk. Whisk in the nutritional yeast and mustard until combined.
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Raise the heat and bring to a boil, stirring. Lower the heat just a bit to avoid overflow, and continue to boil and stir until thickened, then turn heat to low.
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Add in the chicken, fresh herbs and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Allow soup to simmer another few minutes before serving. Serve with paleo dinner rolls if desired (not Whole30). Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*I coated boneless skinless chicken thighs in ghee, salt and pepper, then baked in a 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, I chopped into bite size pieces.
Nutrition
What I Used To Make My Creamy Paleo Chicken Soup:
Want More Whole30 Chicken Recipes? Try One of these!
Creamy Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon
One-Pan Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs
Easy One-Pan Bacon Wrapped Chicken
Paleo “Breaded” Chicken Cutlets
Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken and Roasted Butternut
30 Minute Sheet Pan Chicken with Veggies
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Looks awesome!! My husband and girls aren’t kale people! Lol How would it work with spinach?? Or What other green veggie would work?
This looks devine, however, your recipe doesn’t detail when to add the chicken in…
Can I substitute Almond Milk for Coconut Milk? Even though everyone says “you can’t taste it”….I can…
Just ride this and it is quite good. But the recipe never says when to actually add the chicken to the soup.
I love this soup recipe! I make a batch about every other week to have on hand for lunches. It’s also the perfect Sunday soup recipe up here in MN. Full of delicate flavor, it’s a winner! I do like to add some diced parsnips to mine too 🙂
Why is the soup so high in fat and cholesterol!!! that’s not every Heart healthy???
Thank you for sharing this recipe! It’s my new favourite. I was on AIP in hopes of identifying what was causing frequent allergic reactions, and am slowly reintroducing. This diet shift has been hard to navigate, and some recipes just leave me feeling discouraged. I needed a good one- So amazing!
So thrilled you enjoyed it!
Hi! Thanks for sharing this recipe. Looks so yummi. I’m not a big fan of coconut milk (I’m such a heavy cream girl, haha, not good on a W30). Do you know of a brand that does not tast like coconut or do you have something to sub it with? Thanks, Denice
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Is there a substitute for the hemp seeds?
it was delicious. I’ve made this twice and plan on making again soon.
Great to bring in individual containers for lunch at work.
Does it have a coconut taste?
Very good recipe idea for a tasty and filling soup. This is what is for lunch every day this week. I made 2quarts. My variations included fresh ginger and grilled chicken thighs. Thank-you for the recipe. Its a keeper.
This soup was delicious, filling and easy to make for a novice like me. It had a nice depth of flavor and the coconut milk made it creamy without needing milk creamer. My entire family enjoyed and its a great alternative to chicken noodle.
Made it exactly as written. I did not think I would like it while I was cooking it, but it is going to be a go-to soup recipe for me. Great texture. Great flavor. Very filling!
How much is considered one serving? 1 cup?
This is delicious!!!!! Sooo easy to make and love having bone broth to support immunity.
Can I skip the arrowroot flour? Can regular flour be used as well?
If you made this in an Instant Pot you wouldnt have to precook the chicken. Just stir in the thickeners when the soup is ready.
Hi! I can’t wait to try this! Question – Does this freeze well! Thank you!
Easily my new favorite!
I had to tweak the recipe just a smidge in order to make it appeal to a couple of picky eaters in my house (left out fresh herbs), and this was still so GOOD! I plan to make a batch just for me now that follows the recipe completely – if salt and pepper make it good, I’m sure the herbs make it amazing! I can see myself making this frequently to have on hand for quick and filling lunches as the weather starts to cool here in MN! I also love that my kids didn’t bat an eye at scarfing down the kale when usually they act like I’m poisoning them when they see it on their plates!
Just made this soup for the first time, and it is a keeper! I look forward to making on a regular basis. So easy and adaptable to what veggies you have in the fridge. I used zuchinni instead of kale, and added fish sauce and peri peri for a bit of spice.