Keto Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Soup: Creamy & Delicious
This Keto Chicken and Cauliflower Soup is a super simple low-carb soup. If you’re ready for a hearty meal, your tastebuds will love this cauliflower and chicken soup that is full of flavor.
HOW TO MAKE KETO CHICKEN AND CAULIFLOWER SOUP
I really love this simple soup recipe because it’s low carb and makes me feel as though I’m eating a bowl full of hearty soup without missing out on that “rice” taste and feel.
The key to making this cauliflower and chicken soup recipe work is to take the time and put some extra emphasis on the cauliflower. Some people tend to shy away from using cauliflower rice in their recipes, but if you do it right, no one will even know the difference. Since I’ve started eating low-carb, I’ve found out a few tricks for cooking cauliflower, so it really doesn’t taste like cauliflower, which is important because we don’t love it as is. This Keto Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Soup is a staple in our home!
If you like this simple slow cooker soup recipe, make certain to check out our Keto Jalapeno Popper Chicken Soup as well.
Ingredients:
- Chicken – Use boneless skinless chicken breast for ease or sub with thighs.
- Cauliflower Rice – I use a simple steamed cauliflower rice bag from the freezer for this step. Cuts down on time.
- Cream Cheese – This is what adds the creaminess to the soup.
- Chicken Broth – You can opt for low sodium chicken broth or bone broth.
- Heavy Cream – Adding this gives this chicken cauliflower soup a rich flavor.
- Cheddar Cheese – Brings out a saltiness that is a nice contrast to the richness.
- Onion & celery – Adds flavor and texture
- Herbs & Spices – The spices are the stars of this recipe as they infuse the cauliflower with incredible flavor to change the taste.
Steps to make Keto Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Soup:
Below you will find abbreviated directions to this recipe. Make sure to scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full instructions.
Step 1: Place boneless skinless chicken breasts in a slow cooker and cover with water or chicken broth and salt and pepper. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for six hours. Shred chicken, then set it aside.
Tip: Check out this post on how to Make SHREDDED CHICKEN IN THE CROCKPOT for complete instructions.
Step 2: In a tall stockpot, melt butter then add the onions, garlic, and celery and sauté on medium heat until they begin to get translucent.
Step 3: Meanwhile, pop the riced cauliflower steam bags in the microwave following directions on the package. Then add the riced cauliflower to the pot. This next step of sauteeing the riced cauliflower in the spices and butter for several minutes infuses it with flavor and makes it taste amazing.
Step 4: Add the cream cheese and stir until melted then add the shredded chicken, broth, and cream.
Step 5: Add shredded cheese for an extra hint of flavor and depth.
HOW TO MAKE TENDER CHICKEN IN THE SLOW COOKER FOR LOW CARB CHICKEN AND CAULIFLOWER SOUP
The use of a slow cooker makes the chicken very tender. I cover the chicken with a little chicken broth (but you could use water) and add salt and pepper. Cook on high 3 hours or low for 6 hours. If you prefer you can boil the chicken on the stove instead. Cooking in the slow cooker just makes it easier for me.
I have made this soup in my Ninja 4-in-1 Multi-Cooker so that I don’t get any additional pots dirty. Once the chicken is tender, I remove it to shred and turn my Ninja to the stovetop function and follow the rest of the recipe as if I was cooking it on the stove. (Here I show you exactly HOW to shred chicken for recipes like this one!)
WHY DO I FRY THE CAULIFLOWER RICE IN BUTTER AND SPICES?
Even though cauliflower is awesome for eating low carb, there are people that don’t like the taste or flavor. My low carb cauliflower hack is to fry it up in butter and spices before adding to the soup. Works like a charm!
HOW TO STORE KETO CHICKEN & CAULIFLOWER RICE SOUP
You can store this creamy cauliflower rice soup in the fridge for three to five days and freezer for six months in airtight containers. It may change texture a bit when defrosted due to the high dairy content but it will taste the same.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS LOW-CARB CHICKEN CAULIFLOWER SOUP?
Any type of side dish would go well with this simple ground beef dinner recipe, but here are some of my favorite side dish choices.
- Keto Cheddar Bay Biscuits Recipe
- Keto Cheesy Garlic Chaffle Bread
- Leafy Garden Salad
MORE KETO FRIENDLY SOUP RECIPES
I know you are going to absolutely love my cauliflower and chicken soup recipe. To plan the rest of your menu, make sure to take advantage of all the great options in my Keto/Low Carb recipe index.
You’ll find more recipes on my Facebook page and lots of other keto and low carb recipe ideas on Pinterest. Below are just a few of our favorites to check out!
Keto Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
- 1/4 cup celery, chopped
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 12 ounce packages Steamed Cauliflower Rice ( I used Green Giant but feel free to use whatever)
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 3/4 teaspoon rosemary
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon pepper
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 4 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/3 cup cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Place boneless skinless chicken breasts in a slow cooker and cover with water or chicken broth and salt and pepper. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for six hours.
- Shred the cooked chicken and set it aside.
- In a tall stockpot, melt butter, add the onions, garlic, and celery and saute on medium heat until they become translucent.
- Meanwhile, pop the riced cauliflower steam bags in the microwave following directions on the package.
- Add the riced cauliflower and all of the spices to the veggies and saute for 7 minutes on medium heat, stirring so that all of the spices and veggies get mixed in.
- Add the cream cheese and stir until melted.
- Add the shredded chicken, chicken broth, and heavy cream, then bring to a boil.
- Once it comes to a boil, turn down the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid off.
- Add ⅓ cup shredded cheese
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
This looks wonderful! I have a surgery coming up & I’m making some freezer meals. This is going on the list! Thanks for all the work you do providing us with great low carb recipes!
I made this tonight, it is now my number one favorite low carb soup! So good! It really reminded me of my recipe for Chicken & Long Grain Wild Rice Soup. I am filling my freezer with this one!
Any plans to Instant-Potify this recipe? It sounds so good, but I am addicted to the ease of my Instant Pot. Thanks!
You can easily cook the chicken in the Instant Pot then follow the stovetop directions with the saute function of the Instant Pot.
Hi Kasey, if you used the IP to cook the chicken, you wouldn’t need to use the same amount of broth as you would for the slow cooker, correct? I was thinking of cooking the chicken in the IP too since it’s so fast, but wondered about the broth amount to use.
I don’t have enough experience to answer that. I would need to test it out and see how it came out.
It’s look like a sauce with chicken, I’ll try it this weekend
Delicious chicken chicken soup recipe. I don’t even like cauliflower but this recipe doesn’t even taste like it has cauliflower in it.
It’s great when you can eat a healthy veggie like cauliflower and not even taste it! Glad you thought it was delicious!
I like califlower, so you could use a fresh head also right?
I’ve never made this soup with fresh cauliflower. You could try chopping the cauliflower really fine and cooking it first.
I used fresh riced cauliflower. I use the grater to make it “riced”. It turned out great.
Kasey, what do you think about using boneless skinless chicken thighs? I am not a fan of white meat.
Well, I’m not a fan of dark chicken. I would think it would work fine.
I just made this with chicken thighs and it’s delicious!
Kasey, thank you so much for this awesome soup recipe! It sure seemed to make very large servings and will be a go-to Fall/Winter recipe! Gonna keep me warm and cozy! So delicious!!
I’m so glad you loved the soup!
Hands down, this is the most delicious chicken soup I’ve ever made! I wonder if it had anything to do with my fresh rosemary that I cut from my plant!
I’m sure that the rosemary was great in it. I love this recipe.
I just made this and it was absolutely amazing!!! I followed the recipe exactly as posted and it was perfect! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Kasey – every recipe I try from you just blows me away. I made this tonight and tweaked it a little to customize to my taste (used chicken thighs; no rosemary). It was unbelievable and came together so quickly. Truly appreciate everything you do.
Thank you, Kim, so much for your kind words. It means so very much to me! I’m glad you enjoy my recipes.
Made this recipe and it was wonderful, I sauteed mushrooms with the onion and celery and it was so yummy!
That’s awesome! Glad you enjoyed it.
Delicious Soup!!!
That’s awesome!
Great recipe! I made this with the massive amount of turkey left over from Christmas. Everyone loves it! Thank you!
Great way to use your leftover turkey. Glad you enjoyed it!
I made this for dinner last night and my husband and I were amazed. It was so good, he did not realize he was not eating rice. I cheated and used rotisserie cooked pulled chicken breast meat from Costco, it comes in a 42 ounce package. I used about 28 ounces which I shredded. I also used chicken bone broth to add more nutrients. This recipe was incredibly easy and delicious. It is definitely a keeper.
How wonderful that you and your husband liked it! Makes it so easy when you use precooked chicken.
Can you put frozen chicken breast in the slow cooker for this recipe
I prefer to use thawed chicken breasts in my slow cooker.
This was a winner in our house! SOOO good! Thank you!
You’re very welcome, Ashley! I’m glad y’all liked it!