This one-pot keto cream of chicken soup is rich, creamy, and bursting with flavor! Hearty enough to be served as a main course, this satisfying low carb soup is sure to warm you up on a chilly day.
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I always find myself craving comfort foods this time of year.
Summer is great for salads, grilled meats, and other light meals. But as soon as there’s a chill in the air, I need some heartier dishes! Soups, casseroles, anything savory that will fill me up.
This keto cream of chicken soup is the result of those cold-weather cravings.
With delicious flavor from the fatty chicken thighs and bacon, this soup is ultra-satisfying. It’s the kind of rich, creamy soup everyone loves. Plus the celery and crispy bacon add just the right amount of crunch.
There’s a good reason this is the most popular soup recipe on my blog!
How to make keto cream of chicken soup
Everything comes together in one pot, so cook and cleanup are very easy!
Cooking the bacon
- Add the bacon to a large soup pot with 1 tablespoon of butter. Cook over medium heat until it’s nice and crispy.
- Once cooked, remove the bacon and set it aside, but do not discard the bacon grease from the pot. It will help to cook the rest of the ingredients. Plus it adds amazing flavor!
Cooking the mushrooms
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pot.
- Once the butter has melted, add garlic and cook until golden and fragrant.
- Next, add the mushrooms and cook until they are softened.
Adding the remaining ingredients
- Add wine (or water) and cook until the liquid is reduced by half.
- Stir in the coconut milk, heavy cream, and chicken broth.
- Finally, add the celery and chicken, then simmer until the soup is fully heated.
- Remove from heat and split into 4 bowls to serve. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then garnish with parsley and the cooked bacon.
Storing leftovers
This soup will last for at least a week in the fridge, or much longer in the freezer. If sealed in an airtight container, it should keep for at least three months frozen and even longer if vacuum sealed.
How many carbs are in cream of chicken soup
This recipe yields 4 servings of soup. At that size, each serving will have 5.3 grams of carbohydrates and 1.4 grams of fiber.
So total, there will be 3.9 grams of net carbs per serving.
Remember that the exact macros will also depend on the specific brands of ingredients you use. So if you’re tracking, it’s a good idea to use your own macro calculator.
But given the ingredients in this recipe, it should be a very low-carb soup.
Variations
Looking for a few ways to mix it up with this keto creamy chicken soup recipe? Or maybe just hoping to make it without needing to go to the store?
Here are a few popular variations for you:
- Make it paleo: Swap out the heavy whipping cream for more coconut milk. Or, for a thicker soup, you can use a head of cauliflower. Cook until soft, puree in a high speed blender or food processor, then add to the soup.
- Thicken with xanthan gum: Sprinkle in ¼ tsp xanthan gum, stirring continuously to avoid clumping.
- Replace the wine: The white cooking wine adds to the flavor, but if you don’t prefer to use it, just replace it with an equal amount of water.
- Add cream cheese: If you’re looking for some cheese flavor and want to thicken the soup a bit, simply use 4 oz. of cream cheese in place of the ½ cup of coconut milk.
Do you have any of your own variations on this recipe? I would love to hear in the comments below!
Keto friendly substitute for cream of chicken soup
Most cream of chicken soup recipes use flour as a thickening agent, making them high-carb.
The popular Campbell’s Soup brand also includes vegetable oil, modified food starch, and cane sugar. None of those ingredients are good for keto, low carb, paleo, or any kind of clean eating.
The good news is that a keto friendly, low carb cream of chicken soup is super easy to make right at home! You can also easily modify the recipe to fit a paleo diet as well.
This whole soup comes together in one pot. It’s so easy to make and perfect for meal prepping. This keto creamy chicken soup makes a rich and tasty weeknight meal.
But if you need a keto substitute for the high carb canned soup, try this homemade condensed cream of soup recipe.
Other low carb soup recipes
Looking for more delicious and satisfying low carb soups? Check out these favorites:
- Keto Mexican Chicken Soup is delicious, hearty, and only requires four ingredients to make. Bonus: it cooks in the crock pot!
- Broccoli Cauliflower Soup is packed with flavor thanks to the sausage and bacon for a comforting, simple-to-make soup.
- Keto Clam Chowder replaces potatoes for a creamy New England style chowder sure to satisfy any seafood lover.
- Keto Hamburger Soup Recipe uses a secret ingredient to bring together this low carb twist on a flavorful classic.
- Low Carb Keto White Chicken Chili is a thick, hearty soup that’s packed with flavor, totally dairy free, and can be made in an Instant Pot or on the stovetop.
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Keto Cream of Chicken Soup with Bacon
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Ingredients
- 6 slices no sugar bacon
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3.5 ounces shiitake mushrooms sliced
- 1/3 cup white cooking wine or water
- 1/2 cup coconut milk or almond milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 cups chicken bone broth
- 4 ribs celery chopped
- 4 pieces deboned skinless chicken thighs cooked and chopped
- salt
- pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Instructions
- Cook bacon in 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat in large soup pot until crispy. Remove bacon from pot and set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon butter to pot, add garlic and cook until golden. Add mushrooms and cook until they are softened.
- Add wine or water and cook until liquid is reduced by half.
- Stir in coconut milk, heavy cream, and chicken broth. Add celery and chicken. Simmer until heated throughout. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley and bacon.
Notes
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Nutrition
Additional Info
Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Unauthorized use of this material without written permission from Lisa MarcAurele is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes.
Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.
First Published: October 26, 2015… Last Updated: December 24, 2019
Lisa MarcAurele has been creating keto friendly recipes since 2010. She enjoys experimenting in the kitchen to create low sugar foods that taste like high carb favorites!
Char says
I made this but did not use the wine I used cream cheese instead then at the end put 1/2 cup parmesan cheese to it so good. Thanks for the recipe
Chris says
Wow!!! I made a couple of adjustments. Cooked the bacon, then browned raw chicken thighs in the bacon fat. Cooked (extra) garlic, 1 chopped onion and the celery in the bacon/ chicken fat. Later, I used 1/2 cup of cream cheese instead of coconut cream, and tossed the chopped bacon back into the pot.
The flavor of this soup is absolutely ridiculous. I’m a soup dork, but this is insane…
Beverly Williams says
I would like to substitute cream cheese, in place of the coconut milk. This would help to thicken the soup, but I am guessing that it might need some additional liquid, Would I use four ounces of cream cheese to substitute for the i/2 cup of coconut milk? I know that the macros would change but I can figure that out.
Lisa MarcAurele says
4 ounces of cream cheese is equal to about 1/2 cup volume so it should be fine without additional liquid.
James says
Looks great but under cuisine “American”. Seriously? Chicken soup American? I think not.
Lisa MarcAurele says
Cream of chicken soup is very American.
Jennifer says
How long this stay good for?
Lisa MarcAurele says
At least a week in the fridge. Much longer if stored in the freezer.
Jen says
I just made this soup and it was super yummy. Made it with homemade stock and rotisserie chicken. Yum! My husband is on keto but I am not so I had mine with sourdough bread. Delish! Sorry, I’m sure everyone misses sourdough.
Lisa MarcAurele says
Yes we do! I’ve seen one low carb recipe for sourdough bread but haven’t attempted it myself yet. Sounds like a perfect combo!
Ryan says
Easy to make. I used a pinot grigio wine as a substitute (because that’s what I had on hand) and added green onions and cheese to the garnish. I devoured it. Very good.
Lisa MarcAurele says
Any wine works and that sounds like a nice change.
Lisa says
Have made this soup several times, husband loves it and he does not do keto. I do add more garlic and white pepper, plus arrowroot to make the broth thick. Just made a batch that is traveling with hubby to take to his aunt. Thank you for the recipe!
Lisa MarcAurele says
My pleasure!
Lisa Simpson Myers says
I made a few modifications because I wanted to use this recipe as a base for a chicken and dumplings type dish using a low-carb gnocchi recipe to replace the dumplings. It was absolutely delicious and satisfied my craving for chicken and dumplings! Thank you so much for sharing your great recipes!
Paula says
Wow!!!! It was amazing. Soooo much flavour and the textures and flavours all complemented the other. I put a tad more garlic in it so will be repelling vampires for a while lol. I was hoping for leftovers for lunch at work, but was so good partner had seconds lol next time 🙂
Lisa says
I always add more garlic than called for. It helps keep mosquitos away too.
Morgan says
This was delicious! I don’t even feel like I’m eating diet food. I added two cubes of Rapunzel Vegan bouillon cubes instead of salt and pepper. I also added the bacon and parsley to the recipe, not just for garnish. I simmered for two hours and then ate! Amazing!!!
Lisa says
Thanks for letting us know how the soup turned out for you! I’m ready to make this one again!
Bread and Honey says
I tried this soup for lunch and it tasted well! I have not tried chicken and bacon combo in a recipe. But my friends liked it much!
Lisa says
Glad it was a hit!
Lois McNamee says
I used and egg mixed with the cream, tempered it then stored it all in to thicken the soup base. I added plenty of salt and pepper and some thyme, delicious. I will be taking it to work with me tonight.
Lisa says
Thanks for sharing Lois!
Bekah says
I love this soup. Love love love. I make it at least once a month. I sometimes add shrimp to it, but it’s wonderful the way it is. Thank you so much. I look forward to trying more of your recipes 🙂
Janina says
I can eat cream of chicken soup again. I’m so happy!
This recipe was amazing and has so many possibilities. I’ll definitly use it as a base for future soups and keep making it in its original form as well.
“Oh wow” says my 16 year old who usually turned his nose up to my diet foods
Evelyn says
Hi! Am I able to use unsweetened almond milk?
Lisa says
You can, but it won’t be as rich and thick.
Sarienna says
This was so good! My family loved it! Thank you for the recipe!
Lisa says
You’re welcome!
NanaX2 says
We made this soup last night. Delicious! Missing pantry items required some substitutes (water instead of wine; more half/half instead of the coconut milk; and had half a rotisserie chicken in the fridge so used that for the chicken. Very rich and satisfying on a cold evening!
Dawn says
Hello! My husband is making this today so I’m plugging the recipe into MyFitnessPal. The app is coming up with 15g carbs per serving and I can’t figure out how you got a much lower count.
Lisa says
Take a look at the ingredients that MFP is pulling it. Often, those are wrong.
Roseanne says
Loved this soup. It is definitely a keeper.
I eliminated the wine/water.
I diced the bacon – fried it and left it in the pot so it was a part of the soup and not a garnish.
Added raw diced chicken and cooked it with the bacon.
Eliminated a few steps but it worked out fine.
Jess says
Could I make this in a slow cooker?
Lisa says
You can. It’s easy to convert.
Cheryl says
I made it last night. WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!
tara schultz says
I wonder if you can add lemongrass and/or ginger to this soup as an option. I am pretty new to this low carb high fat lifestyle and do not know if it will change the carb numbers. as we are keeping it low carb
Lisa says
A little ginger or lemongrass added for seasoning shouldn’t up the carbs a significant amount.
Kris Ackerman says
I thought this recipe was bland tasting. Definitely in need of spices! I added garlic salt, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes & fresh rosemary. Also added some Miracle rice for more filler. These additions made it superb in my humble opinion.
Lisa says
Great add-ins!
Cara says
I agree. Definitely had to add salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, and onion powder. Pretty tasty after that!
Debbie Benson says
Love this soup! Next time I make it I’ll omit the chicken and use clams!
Lisa says
Yum! I love clams and New England style clam chowder.
Lisa says
Yum! I love clams and clam chowder.
Erica says
I just have to let you know that this was one of THE BEST soups that my husband and I have ever eaten! Thank you for blessing us with this amazing recipe! ❤️❤️❤️
Lisa says
Awe. Thanks for the positive review Erica. I’m so glad you loved it.
tg says
This is a delicious recipe. I did add some thyme, marjoram, some spinach and some cream cheese at the end to thicken it up a bit. Thanks for the recipe!
Lisa says
You’re welcome! I always forget what a great thickener cream cheese is.
MOLLy says
Hey do you cook the mushrooms in the bacon fat or do you remove the fat with the bacon??
Lisa says
I cook the mushrooms in the fat.
Mary Schafer says
Nut allergy, what would you substitute for almond or coconut milk?
Lisa says
You could use heavy cream diluted with some water.
Kevin says
Okay so I finally made this recipe and it was awesome. I didn’t have any mushrooms so I bypassed that. Used water instead of white wine. I tried to follow the recipe exactly how you did it for the most part after seeing your video. The one thing that I would probably do differently next time is drain the bacon grease after cooking it. I don’t know if this is going to change the texture of the soup but at first before the simmering was done the soup had kind of a greasy taste to it which I’m sure was from all the bacon grease that I left in there per your instructions. A little too much for me but to each its own.
I’m also not sure how you arrived at the 10-minute prep time. It’s 30 minutes alone to cook the chicken thighs. Then chopping the celery and removing the chicken from the thighs and cutting it up…prep time was at the minimum 30 minutes for me but I’m a bit of a novice cook.
But it’s a great recipe and I’ll be doing a double batch next time!
Lisa says
I’ll fix the prep time. It definitely takes longer than 10 minutes.
Kevin says
I’m a dude and this looks really good! Haha. I think I might run to the store and buy stuff to make this tonight.
Can I make one observation about your website? So far all the recipes I found look absolutely delicious. And I understand that you need to generate income in order to run the site and no one can blame you for that. I do have to say though that it is a little annoying sometimes when it is obvious that you are dragging out details and instructions about the recipe in order to add another advertising link. Like I said not a huge deal but I’m sure others probably feel the same way. At any rate, thank you for the great recipes!
Lisa says
The length is not just about ads, there’s a bit more to it, in fact, it should actually be longer according to some sources for other reasons.
I think you’ll love this soup and it will be worth the shopping run!
Stacy says
The recipe looks delicious and I look forward to trying it soon. I do absolutely agree that the accompanying post is far too long and broken up with far too many ads. I understand the need for the ads but they are overwhelming and make the post far too busy. It’s frustrating to have to search for the rest of the post and the actual recipe.
Lisa says
Just scroll right to the bottom if you aren’t interested in the recipe story and or tips.
Alicia tisdale says
Thank you for the amazing, FREE recipe. I made it a couple of months ago, making it again tomorrow.
Jazz says
Umm, I didn’t see a single ad once the narrative started all the way through to the recipe itself. In fact, the only ad I saw was a small unobtrusive one at the very beginning. Actually, one of the things I love about this site (aside from all the great recipes) is the LACK of ads. Oh my, there are a lot pf popular LCHF sites with so many ads that I can’t even follow the narrative! And what about all the “buy my own cookbooks” ads on these sites?? So kudos to you, Lisa, for keeping your focus on generously helping the LCHF community with all your fabulous FREE recipes, and NOT focusing on profit!!!
Lisa says
I’ve tried to keep ads to a minimum and am looking for ways to reduce ads even more. If I do sell a cookbook eventually, I likely won’t put the ad in the face of every visitor. 🙂
Chandy says
Thank you so much for this Lisa! I made this tonight and it was a massive hit! I added some chopped onions with the garlic and some baby spinach to the mix it was delish! Looking forward to more recipes from you! ??
Lisa says
I’m so glad the soup was a hit. It’s one of my favorites.
Laura says
Made this soup for lunch today and it turned out great. I didn’t have celery so I added chopped broccoli which was delicious. Will become a regular soup for our house. Thank you!
Lisa says
Awesome! Glad it worked out for you Laura.
Karie says
I am currently on a low carb high fat diet, and I’d love to can this. So you think with milk in the recipe it’s doable?
Lisa says
I don’t know a lot about canning so I’m not sure. But it may not be a good idea because of the dairy.
Paula says
Definitely do not can this soup, dairy canning is not safe
Pamela says
I had tasted cream of chicken and it is my favorite. . But, I had never tried this combo… Looks Yummy 🙂
Lisa says
It’s super delicious!
Sandy says
I just started a vlchf lifestyle. I figure I’ll try it and see if this is something I can do on the daily. It’s been almost two weeks and I am still learning to find foods and meals that work for my numbers. I have a hard time getting enough fat and I’m usually getting a tad too much protein. So I thought, “Soup can be low-carb, right?” I Googled low carb soup and this one came up and that’s when I remembered that cream is great! This is a great soup recipe! Thanks for sharing, and I’ll do the same!
Lisa says
You’re welcome Sandy! Wishing you well on your new eating plan.
Lúc says
I made this with mushroom stock instead of chicken stock, and added savoy cabbage rather than celery. I guess that really makes it a cream of mushroom soup but it was delicious nonetheless!
Lisa says
Yum! I’ve never used mushroom stock.
Gail A Valence says
Loved the recipe. I made a couple of changes. I added 1/2 of a medium chopped onion and about a cup of chopped bok choy when I added mushrooms. Ten minutes before done I added 1 tsp. lemon juice. I find that really helps the spices in most soups and stews.
Lisa says
Thanks for the tip Gail!
Angelica Barquero says
This has become a family favorite! The only thing I’ve done different is add some cheese to make it a little thicker. I share this recipe and site regularly with my online fitness challenge groups! THANK YOU!
Lisa says
Thanks for sharing Angelica! And, thanks for the tip on the cheese 🙂
Kinsey says
I added diced onion along with the garlic. Also added rosemary and basil. Very satisfying.
Lisa says
Great additions!
Lloyd Wilson says
Made this soup last night, very very nice, i made a couple of changes, i added milk instead of wine (because i didn’t have any 🙂 and i added a good amount of white pepper 1/2 t spoon, and a dash of paprika and i left out the celery. i will definitely be making this again.
looking forward to another bowl full 🙂
definitely 5 stars
Lisa says
Sounds yummy with the changes!
Ella says
I may be wrong, but I found this under paleo recipes. Has anyone considered that bacon is a processed food with nitrates and tons of sodium? Just asking.
Lisa says
There is no nitrate bacon that only has pork and salt. It’s the cream that wouldn’t be paleo because paleo is a dairy free diet.
Patrick says
I came across this recipe when I searched for “low carb cream soup”.
I made this soup last night. I followed the recipe as written, except I added about 1/4 tsp. xanthan gum to thicken it slightly and keep the fats from separating.
It was delicious! I had to pace myself so I wouldn’t burn my poor tongue!
Keep up the good work!
(from one engineer to another 🙂
Lisa says
You just happened to stumble upon the most popular soup recipe on the site! So glad you enjoyed it!
Nichole says
I struggle with the xanthan gum. How exactly do you use it to thicken soups and sauces?
Sharon Rogers says
I find it always works best if you just sprinkle a little bit directly into the cooking soup…but I use guar gum not xanthum
gummylick says
tried this last night and i’m *horrible* at cooking… turned out FANTASTIC!! froze half for next week and taking left overs for lunch. thanks!
Lisa says
I’m sure your cooking isn’t as horrible as you think. I used to be one of the worst cooks ever and I managed to get better.
Sabrina says
Thanks for the recipe. I just made it tonight for some meals this week. I did saute the celery(2 stalks used) with the garlic and I added about 1/2 cup of onions. I also added some herbs. The soup was still bland. Maybe because I used homemade stock. So I had to add a chicken bouillon cube. That did the trick. I also added some xantham gum as a slight thickener. Yummy!
Lisa says
Commercial stocks are seasoned so that was probably it!
Kristy says
Made this tonight and SO SO SO good! I added a little extra white wine just for the tang.
Lisa says
Thanks for writing in. It’s been a super popular recipe for very good reason!
Stephen C. says
The measure of “4 deboned chicken thighs” doesn’t provide me enough information to get to the nutrition values specified. It’s not just your recipes I see this everywhere and it makes it rather difficult to purchase given the thighs from my butcher are a different size then the store.
TL;DR – how much chicken thigh meat is used for the recipe.
Lisa says
It was about 1.5 pounds of meat that was used.
Jami says
This is delicious! I made it twice. First time with Turkey stock and turkey and the second time with chicken. I was telling my mom about it and I forwarded the link to her! So yummy!
Gina says
Has anyone frozen this? Does it freeze well? I love soups in the winter, but do not have time to make it from scratch all the time. Would love some recipes that freeze great for grab and go for work.
Lisa says
I have not tried it with this recipe, but soups typically freeze well.
Mary says
is there a substitute for the heavy cream? I’m lactose intolerant so dairy and I don’t get along too well. I would definitely like to add creamy soups back into my diet. I miss them!
Rosann Gomez says
Thicken it with cauliflower puree
Lisa says
Cauliflower can be used as a thickener.
Angelina says
Cashew cream! Its worked in every soup I’ve tried it in, and is super easy to make.
Soak 5 oz cashews in water for at least 4 hours. Drain, then blend in high-speed blender with 1/2 to 2/3 c. water, depending how thick you want your cream. I use a magic bullet for this and it works great.
Angelina says
RAW cashews. Sorry, missed that word. The cashews must be raw for this to work.
Lisa says
Thanks! I need to give this a try. I know cashews are a bit higher in carbs than other nuts, but worth a try.
Jaird says
Just add more coconut milk
Libby at ditchthecarbs.com says
Hi Lisa, this soups looks absolutely incredible. I have included it in my recipe roundup – Top 20 Low Carb Thanksgiving recipes from my favourite low carb websites. Love your recipes. Libby
Lisa says
Thanks Libby!
MADELINE says
I love creamy soups and look forward to trying it. Was just wondering what kind of coconut milk you use? The kind in the can or the kind in cartons? Thank you!
Lisa says
Either can or carton works, but I usually use the coconut milk in a carton for convenience.
Linette Houser says
Thanks Lisa for taking time to share so many awesome recipes just found you last night and have been writing every since lok
Lisa says
Hi Linette! Great to connect with you 🙂
Elaine Markley says
Love mushroom soup! This looks scrumptious! Lisa, I made the same mistake you did with the low carb diet. I thought it was all about low carb and the right amount of protein. So I didn’t get anywhere near the fat I should have. Consequently, my weight loss would stall after I had lost 20 pounds, and that was that! Since that last time, I really did my research and now know better!
Lisa says
Unfortunately, too many people fall into the “fat is bad” trap. Glad you were able to research and find the truth!
Gaia Dewailly says
Hi there, just wondering how best to cook the thighs before adding to the soup? Tia!
Lisa says
I like to poach or pan fry the chicken.