Low Carb Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Soup
Thanks to an unbeatable sale on chicken at a local store two weeks ago, our freezer is full of chicken. Which means I’ve had to get creative with chicken recipes so that we’re not eating the same meal over and over. We’ve had baked chicken, grilled chicken, chicken salad and chicken quiche. And still, we have leftover chicken. So, last week I had to give some thought to what I could prepare without repeating a meal. I was stumped until I remembered that I’m married to a soup lover. 90% of the time when we go out to eat, I know that soup will be the first thing Gary orders.
Right now, we’re eating low carb however, and unfortunately soups are often full of hidden carbs. Even soups that seem low carb, like broccoli cheese soup, often contain flour, and some contain sugar. That’s why I love this recipe. It has all the best elements of a rich and creamy broccoli and cheddar soup without any of the flour, and with added chicken it makes a complete meal! If you’re looking for a vegetarian option, you can easily omit the chicken and still create a mouthwatering broccoli and cheese soup that’s both low carb and gluten free.
Low Carb Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 2 TBS butter
- 1 large onion diced
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 cups diced cooked chicken
- 4 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt butter in large sauce pan over medium heat.
- While butter is melting, dice onion.
- Sauté onion in butter until soft.
- Remove onion from pot and reserve for later.
- Add cream cheese to pot and reduce heat to medium low. Slice or break apart cream cheese and stir until softened.
- Add about 1/2 cup of the chicken broth to the pot and whisk cream cheese and broth until cream cheese is mostly incorporated. You may see small bits of cream cheese that don't seem to be mixing in. Don't worry, they'll blend in by the end!
- Add remaining chicken broth and increase heat to medium and allow to simmer for five minutes.
- While simmering, chop the broccoli and chicken into bite sized pieces. If using a block of cheese, shred the cheese.
- Add broccoli, chicken and onions and return to a simmer.
- Simmer 20 minutes.
- Add cheddar and nutmeg, stirring constantly until well combined.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove from heat and enjoy!
Leave a Reply