Description
This Creamy Italian Chicken Soup is a rich and comforting dish featuring tender shredded chicken, a flavorful blend of garlic and onions, and a creamy base made with dairy-free cream cheese, coconut milk, and nutritional yeast. Enhanced with spinach, Italian seasoning, and a hint of smoky bacon, this soup is perfect for any season and can be prepared in a crockpot, stovetop pot, or Instant Pot for ultimate convenience.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 1.5 pounds chicken breast
- 4-5 cups chicken broth (adjust based on desired soup consistency)
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 14.5 oz can of tomatoes, drained
Creamy Elements
- 3/4 cup dairy-free cream cheese
- 3/4 cup canned coconut milk
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
Add-ins and Garnish
- 1 8 oz bag of spinach
- 3 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
- Fresh diced tomatoes (for garnish)
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Sauté Onions and Garlic: Heat olive oil in a skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Add diced onions and minced garlic, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes to develop flavor without burning.
- Add Ingredients to Cooking Vessel: Depending on your method, add chicken breasts, chicken broth, drained tomatoes, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt, and pepper. For crockpot or stovetop, omit cream cheese, nutritional yeast, coconut milk, and spinach at this stage.
- Cook Chicken: For crockpot, cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours. On stovetop, simmer on medium heat until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, approximately 30 minutes without boiling to avoid tough chicken. In Instant Pot, seal lid and pressure cook on high for 5-7 minutes, then quick release the pressure.
- Shred Chicken: Remove cooked chicken breasts from the pot and shred using forks, then return shredded meat to the soup.
- Add Creamy Ingredients: Stir in cream cheese, nutritional yeast, and coconut milk. Continue cooking—on stovetop or crockpot—until the cream cheese is fully melted and incorporated, about 20-30 minutes on stovetop and 30 minutes on crockpot. In Instant Pot, use the sauté function to melt if necessary.
- Add Spinach: Stir in spinach and allow it to simmer for 5 minutes until wilted and tender.
- Serve and Garnish: Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with crumbled cooked bacon, fresh diced tomatoes, and chopped parsley. Serve immediately for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- You can skip sautéing onions and garlic if in a rush; adding them raw will still yield flavorful results.
- Adjust chicken broth quantity to achieve your preferred soup consistency—less for thicker soup, more for thinner.
- Do not boil the soup when cooking on stovetop to keep chicken tender and juicy.
- This recipe is easily adaptable to crockpot, stovetop, or Instant Pot, making it highly versatile.
- Use dairy-free cream cheese and coconut milk to keep this soup vegan-friendly and lactose-free while maintaining creaminess.
- Bacon crumble garnish adds smoky flavor but can be omitted for vegetarian or vegan versions.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approximately 1.5 cups)
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
