Creamy Chicken Cauliflower Soup (Dairy-Free)
Creamy chicken cauliflower soup is filled with juicy chicken thighs, white beans, kale, and tender vegetables in a garlicky, lemony broth. Blending just part of the cauliflower, carrots, and celery gives the soup body without milk or cream while still leaving plenty of texture in every spoonful.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 head cauliflower chopped into florets
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion
- 2 large carrots
- 2 ribs celery
- 2 cups kale
- 1 can white beans rinsed and drained
- 5 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 tbsp ginger microplaned or very finely minced
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- First, start cooking your chicken thighs. Pat them dry and then season with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt, teaspoon pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil or avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken thighs to the skillet and cook for 5-6 minutes on one side. Flip and cook for 6-7 more minutes until cooked through with no visible pink. When the chicken thighs are cooked, remove them to rest while you make the soup.
- Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Next, add carrots, celery, and cauliflower and sauté on low-medium heat for 5-7 minutes until veggies begin to soften.
- Next, add 2 cups of chicken broth, cover, and cook on low-medium for about 5-10 minutes. Carrots and cauliflower should be soft and easily pierced with a fork.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the soup about halfway. It should still be a little bit chunky, not completely smooth, but creamier. (If you don't have an immersion blender, you can also transfer to a food processor or regular blender and then add back to the pan.)
- Transfer cooked chicken thighs to a cutting board and dice into bite-sized pieces for soup.
- Add the chicken, kale, beans and the rest of the broth (4 more cups) to the soup pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add extra broth if desired. Cover and cook for 5-10 additional minutes on low until the kale is full wilted. Finish with lemon juice.
- Add additional salt and pepper to taste before serving.
Notes
- Blend to your preferred texture. Blending about half the vegetables gives the broth some body while keeping plenty of cauliflower, carrots, and celery intact.
- Add the remaining broth gradually. Start with less if you prefer a thicker soup, then add more until it reaches the consistency you like.
- Finish with lemon after cooking. Adding it at the end keeps the flavor bright and helps balance the savory broth.
- For leftovers: The soup may thicken in the fridge. Add a splash of broth when reheating if needed.
Nutrition
Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 351mg | Potassium: 793mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 4746IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 3mg
