When I started on a Keto diet, I was a bit concerned that I would falter when craving some of my favorite classics - like Chicken Soup. Traditionally, our soup has large chunks of potatoes and noodles. Talk about heavy on the carbs. To make a hearty Keto Chicken Soup recipe we needed to replace the carbs with an ingredient that would be just as satisfying, but still staying true to the Keto diet and low carb recipe guidelines.
Enter jicama. If I could sing an ode to jicama, I would. So crunchy, so similar to a light potato but with just a fraction of the carbs. My ode would praise jicama's ability to absorb flavors beautifully, too. Adding jicama to other keto recipes has made going keto very easy indeed.
And something to keep in mind about my new favorite vegetable. Jicama is surprisingly good for your immune system. Plus it does the whole body a whole lotta good.
- Lowers cholesterol levels
- Brightens skins
- Regulated blood sugar
- Maintains a strong metabolism
- Promotes weight loss
- Good source of prebiotic fibers
- Balances hormones
- Supports bone health
- High in vitamin C
Who knew! So the grand experiment with jicama is on. Stay tuned for both savory and sweet recipes.
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As for the Keto Chicken Soup, I was surprised to find that I wasn’t hungry even a few hours after our meal. I attribute that to the dense carrots and the chicken, of course.
As for the carrots, yes they can skew a bit high in sugar and a lot of keto adherents prefer to avoid them altogether. But for me, in order to stick to keto as best as I can, I need to feel sated, otherwise, I’ll start lurking around the baked good aisle at Kroger’s. And nobody wants to see that.
So for me, the trade-off is acceptable given my that I’m a high-risk carboholic. If carrots are a deal breaker for you, leave them out and either add more jicama, onions or chicken, or some combination of the three.
The soup does require a patient hand while a whole chicken cooks, but you'll have enough for two or three chicken entrees later on.
In terms of which cut to serve with the soup, it's certainly a personal preference. Eddie prefers dark meat as he likes the fattier texture and the strong flavor. I prefer shredded strips of chicken breast and the way the chicken is prepared, the breast is never dry.
Our littles like it when Eddie cuts the chicken breast into little cubes. That along with the cubed jicama, well it was like soup Jenga for a bit.
To finish, we recommend a few sprigs of cilantro and parsley. For those of you who can’t stand cilantro, (yes, I see you making that face), you can skip it and stick with the parsley alone.
FAQ and Expert Tips
Yes. None of the ingredients have gluten and the recipe does not call for any dairy.
You can use either homemade chicken broth, store bought chicken broth (but watch the salt) or bone broth.
Reheating is easy. You can toss the soup in the microwave for 45 seconds. Don’t cook it for too long as you risk overcooking the chicken and turning it into a rubbery mess.
Suggestions and Substitutions
- If you don’t want to prepare the chicken soup, purchase a rotisserie chicken, separate your favorite cuts and them to a pot of water filled with this recipe’s ingredients. Bring to a boil for a few minutes, then reduce heat. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until your veggies are tender.
- Straining all the ingredients will leave you with a tasty chicken broth. If you intend to make both a soup and chicken broth, you may want to double up on the onions and garlic.
- Shred the remaining chicken breast and thighs to freeze for future meals. Separate serving sizes into individual plastic bags for each preparation.
- This soup is so low in carbs that you can easily add a Keto bread side to round out your meal. Ketogasm's Keto Flatbread recipe would be a tasty and perfect addition.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. It will keep in the freezer for up to one month.
Variations
bone broth keto chicken soup
To boost the nutrients in the keto soup, you can use bone broth as base instead of water. Adjust the recipe by eliminating the water and replacing it with two quarts of bone broth.
In a large pot, add bone broth, diced jicama, carrots, celery, onions, and garlic (about half of what the recipe calls for as you're not making chicken stock from scratch) and bring to a soft boil for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add shredded chicken and simmer for five minutes. You can cook your own chicken as per the recipe, or buy a rotisserie chicken at the store.
Place the bone broth keto chicken soup in a serving bowl, sprinkle with parsley and cilantro. Add a squeeze of lemon right before serving.
keto chicken soup with cauliflower rice
Follow the recipe as provided. In a large pan over medium heat, sauté 1 cup of cauliflower rice until tender and golden brown, about five to seven minutes. Add 1/2 cup to each serving of chicken soup right before serving.
creamy keto soup
If you are short on fat intake for the day, feel free to add a ½ cup of heavy cream to a single serving.
Herbs for keto chicken soup
Cilantro can be hit or miss for some folks. So you can add Italian parsley, fresh oregano or chives.
Keto Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 whole organic chicken
- 6 quarts water, cold
- 4 whole carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 whole jicama
- 4 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 whole onions, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1/2 bunch parsley
- 1/2 bunch cilantro
- 1/4 cup Kosher salt
- 1 whole lemon
Instructions
- Run whole chicken under cold water, wash well to remove any impurities.
- Using a large stock pot add whole chicken, half onion, parsley, cilantro, garlic, 2 carrots and 2 celery stalks.
- Fill stock pot with 6 quarts cold water or until chicken is submerged.
- Simmer on low to medium heat for 2 hours.
- Using a large spoon skim and remove any impurities that float to the surface every 15 minutes.
- After 2 hours shut off heat and set aside to cool for 20 minutes.
- Gently remove the whole chicken using tongs, strain stock using a china cap strainer and set chicken aside.
- Remove skin from chicken and shred meat with fork or by hand.
- Discard bones and save any extra meat for future use. It will keep in freezer for up to two weeks.
- Peel and dice jicama, carrots, celery, and onions to one-inch cubes. Set aside.
- Add diced jicama, carrots, celery, and onions then ladle in chicken stock and serve immediately.
- Salt and pepper to taste if needed.
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice over bowl.
- Garnish with sprigs of parsley and or cilantro.
Nutrition
Try some of our other tasty low carb soups
- Tom Kha Gai -Thai Chicken Coconut Soup
- Albondigas Soup [Spicy Mexican Meatball Soup]
- Bouillabaisse [Authentic Recipe]
So you've kept up with your low carb diet, but you need to mix it up just a bit. Low carb soups are tasty, but sometimes you need something more substantial along with it. Consider serving it with cloud bread, along with one of our low carb condiments from around the world.
Like the recipe? Love it? Pin it, please!
Katherine is an award-winning lifestyle and culture journalist. Her work has been published in Latina, InStyle, and Money Magazine. She's traveled to five continents and is saving the best for last once her three kids are ready for overland travel.
She holds an M.A. in Journalism from Northeastern University.
Carrie says
There is seriously nothing better than a big bowl of chicken soup, love the sound of this recipe!
Veena Azmanov says
A warm bowl of soup and a crusty bread - for me, that's the best thing ever! I love such clear chicken soups. I can almost smell the flavors in there. Will have to try this one soon. yum!
Jen says
This looks so great! And I totally agree that jicama is awesome! It's one of those veggies that I always forget about, but every time I rediscover it, I'm a huge fan.
Karyl Henry says
I've never eaten jicama, but I see that I need to, with all of those great health benefits. I'll do anything I can to rev my metabolism back up!! I have a friend who is following the Keto diet, so I'll definitely share this with him
Tamara Andersen says
As one who is currently looking at cutting out carbs for health reasons, this soup looks pretty appealing! I know some people have "issues" with cilantro, but I'm not one! I'm piling the cilantro on this (because jicama). Love!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
This soup looks delicious! I can't believe I have never heard of jimaca! Sounds interesting.
Paige says
This looks really light and wonderful, and I bet it tastes great too! I don’t know if there’s anything better than homemade soup!
Heather says
Great twist on a favorite classic! I appreciate that you included all of the health benefits of jicama.. I had no idea it was so good for you 🙂
Sara says
I am thinking to start the keto diet, so I am saving this recipe for later! It looks pretty yummy!
Nicole | Culinary Cool says
Chicken soup always hits the spot. Loving your take on it with jicama!
Kristina says
What an interesting take on traditional chicken soup! I love jicama but rarely cook with it, so this looks like a great recipe to start experimenting.
Cleo @Journeytothegarden says
Just looking at the pictures makes me feel so relaxed! This is a perfect soup for when I'm feeling stressed out or just want some comforting food!
Brittany Hollie says
Okay, you're seriously making me want to head to the store to grab some jicama! There is nothing like a good bowl of chicken soup!
Michelle Blackwood says
I'm so crazy about jicama, tastes amazing so happy to see you add it to your chicken soup!
Trish says
What exactly do you do with the lemon on the bottom of the ingredients list?
Katherine says
Just edited the instructions in the recipe. Squeeze to taste right before serving.
SJ says
What is the lemon for?
Katherine says
It does the same thing that salt does. It just brightens everything and brings the flavors together. Add right before serving.
Gabryella says
This soup is really good. I was nervous about the lemon the first time ( I never put lemon in chicken soup before) but it’s really tasty. Thank you for the recipe
Katherine says
The lemon is EVERYTHING! I'm also watching my salt intake and lemon adds a salty dimension to any dish. So glad you enjoyed it.
Genoa says
when do you add in the lemon?
Katherine says
Just edited the instructions in the recipe. Squeeze to taste right before serving.
Courtney Landers says
This may sound dumb.... first time keto-er as well as homemade soup maker here! What do you do with the whole chicken?? Discard? Shred into soup? I am going to make this, just want to do it right 😁
Eddie D'Costa says
Looks like we need to add one more step to the recipe. But to address your question directly, remove the whole chicken from the pot and set aside. Then strain the stock, so you have a lovely clear broth to work with. Then remove the skin from the chicken and shred whichever cuts you like. Then shred the rest and refrigerate for a future meal. Discard the bones.
B Rivera says
Can you cook the jicama so it's soft like the rest of the vegetables?
Katherine says
Jicama cooks pretty fast and the recipe calls for small cubes, which makes for a tender, but still a bit crunchy bite. Let me know how it worked out for you.
Glennis Whitehead says
Can I use a chicken bone broth to cook the veg and then add cooked chicken heat to heat through
Katherine says
You sure can. And it'll be packed with additional nutrients. You can sprinkle about a teaspoon of salt on the jicama and let sit for a few minutes before adding to the broth. Let us know how it turns out.
Rei says
I never would have believed you could make a good chicken soup without carbs, but this recipe proved me wrong. Even the kids cleaned their bowls. This recipe is definitely going on my list of regular dinners!
Katherine says
Thank you so much for your comment. It really does mean a lot to us. And as parents of three young ones, I can empathize with getting them to eat clean and healthy. Hugs to you and yours.
Kay says
I love chicken soup, this recipe is so much nicer than any shop-bought soup! Will be making this again and again!
Kate says
Oh yum! My mother in law does Keto and totally loves chicken soup so I've just sent this on to her, she's going to love it.
Deanne says
I LOVE the idea of reducing the carbs with jimica. A genius hack for keto chicken soup!
Dionne says
I love how simple yet how flavorful this soup looks. Definitely making it one of these days (I need it!)
Rosemary says
I love the idea of substituting potatoes for jicama in soup. Your version looks divine, not to mention healthy. I can't wait to make your delicious homemade chicken soup. Thanks for sharing.