This dairy free creamy chicken soup is a flavorful hearty lunch or light dinner, made with chicken, veggies and coconut milk. It's so simple to make as a gluten free one pot meal, with all easy recipe steps and barely any clean-up!
Much like my chicken butternut squash soup, this hearty soup combines simple and easy to find ingredients of chicken, fresh produce and pantry staples. It's cozy, warming and colorful too!
I've made this as a chicken soup with coconut milk rather than heavy cream, so it's dairy free (and without flour, so it's gluten free too). It's still deliciously creamy and feels a little indulgent for lunch I think!
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⭐ Why This Recipe is So Good
Protein packed. The cooked chicken makes this a hearty rich soup for a colder day!
Dietary requirements. We make this dairy free chicken soup as gluten free, and also low histamine (depending on personal food intolerances).
No cashews. No need to soak cashews or other nuts, the coconut milk makes it rich and creamy.
🍲 Ingredients
All of the ingredients and their quantities are set out in the recipe card below.
Some notes on a few of them:
- Chicken - I suggest to use boneless skinless chicken breasts, although I have used chicken thighs (also boneless, skinless) to make the soup too.
- Coconut milk - this is what gives us a creamy chicken soup without dairy!
- Carrots and celery - for some color and flavor, I suggest to dice into fairly small pieces.
- Stock - you can use chicken stock (I would suggest that my low histamine readers use a quick-made homemade version) or I've used my low histamine vegetable stock too.
🔪 How to Make Dairy Free Creamy Chicken Soup
Let me show you how easy it is to make this creamy chicken soup with fridge and pantry staples! All you need is a large soup pot, ladle and regular kitchen equipment.
All the instructions are in the recipe card below, but these step by step photos should help guide you.
Step 1: Cook the veggies
Add olive oil to your pot and tip in diced onion, carrot, celery, rosemary, thyme and sweet paprika. Cook until softened, then add in the minced garlic and heat for another 30 seconds or so (image 1).
Step 2: Add the chicken breasts
Use tongs to add the chicken breasts to the soup pot, then pour in the stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and pour in the coconut milk (image 2). Cook with the lid on, slightly ajar.
Step 3: Shred the chicken
Use tongs to take the chicken breasts out of the soup pot. Shred with two forks, or in a stand mixer with the appropriate attachment (image 3).
Step 4: Add the chicken
Tip the shredded chicken back into the soup pot, stir well, and cook for a few more minutes until it is heated through (image 4). Season with salt and black pepper (if using) to taste preference. Ladle into your serving bowls.
💭 Recipe Tips and Notes
- Dice the veggies into small pieces, of roughly a similar size.
- If you like extra spice, then you can add a little more sweet paprika. I did it on a recipe test and my parents liked it that way!
- Push the chicken breasts down so they are covered by the stock and coconut milk, and so poach in the liquid.
- Adjust the amount of broth you like to preference by adding more stock.
- For safe cooking, check the chicken is cooked through to 165F as an internal temperature using a meat thermometer.
📋 Frequently Asked Questions
I use full fat coconut milk that comes in a can, rather than the pouring type you would use in coffee.
Yes, you can easily use boneless skinless chicken thighs to make this soup and I did on a recipe test. Just make sure that they are cooked through to an internal temperature of 165F as they take a little longer than chicken breasts.
Yes, it's very easy to freeze this soup for up to three months. Simply allow to cool completely and ladle into freezer-safe containers. My low histamine readers may wish to read the SIGHI advice on food storage.
🥣 More Chicken Soup Recipes
Find lots of chicken and turkey soups on the site to choose from for a hearty lunch or light dinner, including my chicken soup without noodles, and these tasty recipes:
I'm always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes! And I love to hear from you, so please do leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐ and comment if you've tried the recipe!
📖 Recipe
Creamy Chicken Soup (Dairy Free, Gluten Free)
Equipment
- Soup pot
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ onion diced
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 3 medium carrots peeled, diced
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika more to preference
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2.5 cups chicken or vegetable stock more for a broth-ier soup
- 1 cup coconut milk
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper optional
- parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Drizzle the olive oil in your soup pot or Dutch oven, and tip in the diced onion, carrot and celery. Sprinkle in the rosemary, thyme and sweet paprika. Stir well, and cook for 5-6 minutes until the vegetables are softened. Add in the minced garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds to a minute.
- Use tongs to add in the chicken breasts, then pour in the chicken stock (or veggie stock). Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low-medium. Pour in the coconut milk and stir well. Press the chicken breasts down so they are covered with the stock. Cook the soup for 30 minutes, covered with the lid slightly ajar. If you wish to add more stock, then you can do so.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the soup pot and shred with two forks.
- Add the shredded chicken back to the pot and heat through for 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper, if using, to taste preference. Ladle into your bowls and enjoy!
Notes
- We all like different amounts of broth in our soups. This recipe makes a fairly brothy soup, but if you like even more, simply add another half cup (or more) of stock.
- If you're a low histamine reader, then you may wish to use homemade chicken stock or there is my low histamine veggie stock recipe, which I've also used to make this recipe.
- For safe cooking of the chicken, check for an internal temperature of 165F using a meat thermometer at their deepest point.
- Nutritional information is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate.
- white onion scores 0, while other types score higher.
- garlic and coconut milk, which score 1.
- black pepper, which scores 2.
- chicken stock is not rated. , Store bought is likely higher histamine, so quick-made homemade stock is likely preferable. Alternatively, you can use water, herbs and salt.
Maria Danko says
Delicious soup that the whole family enjoyed. I will definitely be making this again!
Claire says
Lovely to hear that all the family enjoyed the chicken soup Maria, and thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
Andreea Wagner says
Just made this last week. So creamy and sweet. Love it!!! I will make it again. Thank you for the recipe
Claire says
So lovely to hear that you enjoyed the soup Andreea, and thank you for taking the time to leave a comment!