Enjoy the warm and comforting flavors of pot pie with this healthy chicken pot pie soup! This soup is both dairy-free and gluten-free and is veggie packed. It is an easy soup recipe that is made in one pot and takes just 30 minutes to make.
For more one pot soups, try this healthy kale and chicken soup and vegan quinoa sweet potato chili.
Why You'll Love This Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Vegetable packed - I skipped the traditional potatoes and replaced with cauliflower, so you still get a creamy potato-like feel but with more vegetables! If you love cauliflower in soup, try this creamy dairy-free chicken cauliflower soup.
- One pot - The chicken cooks right in the broth so no need to pre-cook the chicken in a separate pan.
- Less chopping - Thanks to frozen veggies, you have less chopping and less prep than most chicken pot pie soup recipes.
- Healthy - Just like in my southwest chicken chili soup, I use chicken bone broth as the base. Bone broth is know for numerous health benefits, including supporting gut health and boosting immunity. It also contains protein, unlike traditional broth.
This is one of those soup recipes that you'll come back to time and time again. You get all the classic comfort food flavors of chicken pot pie, but easier to make, healthier and in soup form.
My husband never likes when soup Sunday rolls around, but this one is so comforting and filling (thanks to chicken, extra veggies and creamy base) that he doesn't complain too much when I make this one.
And I'm always down for anything made in one-pot. One less dish to clean - yes please! This one-pan chicken fajita bake and healthy ground chicken stir fry also require just one pan, if you're into that sort of thing 🙂
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Ingredient Notes
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Tips for the Best Soup
- What to Serve with Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Storing and Reheating
- Recipe FAQs
- More Healthy Comfort Foods to Try
- Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Soup (DF + GF)
Ingredient Notes
- Coconut milk - This is what helps make it creamy and keep it dairy free. Make sure to buy unsweetened canned coconut milk and not the kind from the fridge as that is too watered down and contains a lot of additives. Try a mango with pineapple smoothie with any leftover coconut milk.
- Chicken bone broth - Chicken bone broth or regular chicken broth can both be used. However, due to the added health benefits of bone broth, I always recommend chicken bone broth.
A complete list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card below. The above are some specific notes to help with selecting ingredients.
Clean food tips: In order to avoid antibiotics and GMO feed, I recommend organic chicken. And as mentioned, organic bone broth is best for the added nutrients, but any chicken broth can be used.
Substitutions & Variations
- If you aren't dairy-free, you can use half & half or heavy cream in place of the coconut milk.
- If you aren't gluten-free, you can use all-purpose flour instead of the arrowroot starch to create the slurry. Cornstarch can also be used. For my gluten-free friends, you can use a 1:1 gluten-free flour in place of the arrowroot if needed.
- I like that this healthy chicken pot pie soup uses cauliflower, but if you want to add in some chopped potatoes (Yukon gold recommended), add them in with the chicken so that they can cook with the chicken.
- Add sliced mushrooms with the cauliflower and onions if you'd like mushrooms in your healthy pot pie soup.
- To make vegan, swap the chicken for a can of white beans or chickpeas or double up on the veggies.
- Use pre-cooked turkey for turkey pot pie soup (would be great with any leftover turkey around the holidays).
How to Make Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Step 1: Sauté cauliflower and onions with extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat until onions are soft and slightly browned. Add salt, pepper, garlic and thyme. Stir constantly for 1 minute.
Step 2: Add chicken breasts to top of sauteed veggies. Pour broth over chicken and add bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer. Cover and cook until chicken is fully cooked (165-degrees F).
Step 3: Once chicken is fully cooked, remove from pot and shred with two forks.
Step 4: Return shredded chicken to the pot and add the frozen vegetables.
Step 5: Add coconut milk to pot and make the slurry. Slowly whisk slurry into the soup.
Step 6: Let soup simmer until thick and creamy. This should only take about 5 minutes. Keep on low until ready to serve.
Tips for the Best Soup
- To ensure a smooth texture, use cold water to make the slurry.
- Cut chicken breasts in half to speed up the cook time, especially if they are on the larger side.
- Use a medium-sized stock pot so chicken breasts get fully covered in the broth. This ensures they have enough liquid to cook in.
- Use pre-cooked chicken (and skip cooking the chicken in the broth) to speed up the cooking time. You can also use pre-cooked turkey for turkey pot pie soup.
- Adjust seasoning to taste. I like a lot of salt, pepper and thyme to really amp up the flavor. Start small and add more as needed.
What to Serve with Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Soup
With any soup, I love having some sort of healthy carb on the side, like these easy almond flour biscuits or gluten-free almond flour pumpkin muffins. You can also grab your favorite bread or crackers to enjoy on the side.
If you'd like a soup and salad vibe, try this kale salad with Brussels sprouts, or grab some mixed greens and top with your favorite veggies and this easy balsamic vinaigrette recipe.
Storing and Reheating
Storing: Allow soup to cool and then store in an airtight container in the fridge. Soup will stay fresh for up to 5 days when stored in the fridge.
Reheating: Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat or in a microwave safe bowl until heated to your liking.
Freezing: Because of the coconut milk, this soup doesn't freeze the best, but you still can freeze if you need to (or if you want to double the batch). Just know the texture may be different once frozen and thawed. Cool completely before freezing.
Note: As the soup cools, the starch will break down and the soup will become thinner. To thicken when reheating, whisk together a small slurry (arrowroot starch + cold water) and stir into the soup as it warms on the stove.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! That is a great way to speed up the cooking time.
Simply pull the meat from the rotisserie chicken and add to the soup with the broth.
Traditional vegetables in pot pie include carrots, peas, green beans and potatoes. Mushrooms, celery, cauliflower and even leeks can also be used in pot pie soup.
This recipe recommend bone broth, which increases nutrients, protein and helps boost the immune system. I also use cauliflower (as opposed to potatoes) and increased the veggies compared to tradition pot pie soup.
No, as long as you don't use too much and you have the flavors of the broth and other seasonings, you cannot taste the coconut.
Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Soup (DF + GF)
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Equipment
- 1 medium stock pot
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 cups chopped cauliflower florets
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp. dried thyme (more to taste)
- 1 tsp. salt (more to taste)
- ½ tsp. pepper (more to taste)
- 1 lb. chicken breasts
- 4 cups chicken bone broth (regular chicken broth also works)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 12-oz. bag frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, beans, corn)
- ¾ cup canned coconut milk (*see notes)
- 3 tbsp. arrowroot starch
Instructions
- In a dutch oven, or medium-sized stock pot, add the oil and heat over medium heat. Once hot, add the diced onion and chopped cauliflower. Sautee, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent. About 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and stir constantly for 1 minute.
- Place the chicken breasts on the vegetables. Pour in the broth and add the bay leaf. Ensure the chicken breasts are fully covered in the broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer. Cover and simmer until chicken is fully cooked through (165-degrees F). This should take 10-15 minutes.
- Remove cooked chicken from pot and shred with two forks. Return shredded chicken to back to pot and add the mixed vegetables and coconut milk. Stir to combine.
- Make the slurry by mixing the arrowroot starch with 3 tablespoons of cold water. Mix the slurry into the soup and continue to simmer until soup has thickened. This should take less than 5 minutes.
- Taste and add additional thyme, salt and/or pepper as desired. Keep on low heat until ready to serve. Discard bay leaf and enjoy!
Notes
- Use a medium-sized dutch oven or stock pot to ensure the chicken breasts are fully submerged in the broth so they can cook.
- Cut chicken breasts in half to speed up the cook time, especially if they are on the large side.
- If the coconut cream has separated from the water in the can, be sure to mix together before adding to the soup.
- I always add more salt, pepper and thyme at the end - I like a lot of seasoning. But start small and add more as needed.
Nutrition
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Sara says
We love the added veggies in this soup and that it has a nice creamy base without needing dairy. So flavorful and comforting on a cold day!