Creamy One-Pot Chicken Cauliflower Soup: Healthy, Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Comfort Food Recipe
Warm up and nourish your body with this incredibly satisfying **Creamy One-Pot Chicken Cauliflower Soup**. This delightful recipe is brimming with tender shredded chicken and wholesome cauliflower florets, all swimming in a rich, velvety base that’s surprisingly gluten-free and dairy-free. Crafted with simple, real food ingredients, this hearty and healthy soup is the quintessential comfort meal, perfect for a chilly evening or whenever you crave a bowl of pure goodness.
Embrace the cozy vibes with this effortlessly easy and deeply comforting chicken and cauliflower soup. Each spoonful is packed with nutritious, real food ingredients like lean chicken breast, nutrient-dense cauliflower, and sweet carrots, all elevated by the fragrant notes of fresh herbs and aromatic spices. Whether you’re feeling under the weather and need a soothing pick-me-up or simply desire to snuggle up with a bowl of hot, satisfying soup, this recipe is your perfect companion. Its creamy texture and robust flavor make it a family favorite, proving that healthy eating can also be incredibly delicious and indulgent.
One of the secrets to the incredible depth of flavor and added health benefits in my soups, including this chicken cauliflower soup, is the use of high-quality bone broth. I also incorporate it into other beloved recipes like my chicken kale soup and southwest chili. Unlike regular broth, bone broth is simmered for significantly longer periods, often for 12-24 hours, using animal bones, connective tissues, and vegetables. This extended cooking time extracts a wealth of beneficial compounds, resulting in a liquid superfood rich in protein, collagen, amino acids, and essential minerals. The result is a broth that not only enhances the overall taste of your soup but also provides remarkable anti-inflammatory benefits and a superior nutrient profile. Opting for bone broth is definitely a healthier and more nourishing choice when crafting homemade soups.
Why You’ll Adore This Chicken & Cauliflower Soup
This creamy chicken and cauliflower soup isn’t just a meal; it’s an experience! Here are just a few reasons why it’s destined to become a staple in your kitchen:
- Effortless One-Pot Wonder – Say goodbye to mountains of dishes! Just like my popular chicken kale soup and oven baked fajitas, this entire meal comes together in a single pot. This means less time scrubbing and more time enjoying your delicious creation. It’s the ultimate solution for busy weeknights when you want a homemade meal without the hassle.
- Perfect for Dietary Preferences – Catering to various dietary needs has never been easier or more delicious. This soup is naturally **low-carb, Paleo-friendly, gluten-free, and dairy-free**. It achieves its luscious creaminess from pureed cauliflower and bone broth, without relying on heavy cream or dairy products, making it a fantastic option for those with sensitivities or specific eating plans.
- Rich in Protein & Nutrients – Fuel your body with goodness! Each generous serving boasts roughly **35-36 grams of protein**, thanks to the lean chicken breast and collagen-rich bone broth. Coupled with the fiber, vitamins, and minerals from cauliflower and other vegetables, this soup is a powerhouse of nutrition designed to keep you feeling full, energized, and satisfied.
- Ultimate Cozy Comfort Food – When the temperatures drop or you simply need a hug in a bowl, this soup delivers. Its warm, savory flavors and smooth, creamy texture make it the ideal comfort food to snuggle up with. It’s the kind of dish that nourishes your soul as much as your body, leaving you feeling warm, content, and deeply satisfied.
- Made with Real, Wholesome Ingredients – You can feel good about every ingredient that goes into this soup. From fresh vegetables to quality chicken and bone broth, this recipe focuses on whole, unprocessed foods that contribute to your overall well-being.
Essential Ingredient Notes for the Best Flavor
While a complete list of ingredients and their precise amounts can be found in the detailed recipe card below, here are some specific notes and tips to guide you in selecting the best quality ingredients for an unforgettable soup experience.
- Chicken Bone Broth – The foundation of this incredible soup! Chicken bone broth is far more than just a liquid base; it’s a nutritional powerhouse. It provides numerous health benefits, including anti-inflammatory properties, aid in digestion, and a rich supply of magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, amino acids, and other vital vitamins and minerals. Crucially, it also significantly boosts the protein content compared to regular chicken broth. If bone broth is unavailable, high-quality regular chicken broth can be used, but you’ll miss out on some of those additional benefits and depth of flavor.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) – This healthy fat is used for sautéing the aromatics. Opt for a good quality extra-virgin olive oil for its flavor and heat stability. Alternatively, avocado oil is another excellent choice due to its high smoke point and neutral flavor, making it perfect for cooking.
- Fresh Vegetables – The fresher, the better! Sweet yellow onion, carrots, and leeks form the aromatic base of this soup. Choose firm, vibrant vegetables. For leeks, make sure to thoroughly wash them, as dirt can often hide between their layers.
- Cauliflower Florets – The star of the show for that creamy, dairy-free texture. Select a firm, white head of cauliflower without brown spots. You can buy it whole and cut it into florets yourself, or purchase pre-cut florets for convenience. Freezing cauliflower is an option (see FAQ), but fresh will generally provide the best texture and flavor.
- Fresh Thyme & Garlic – These herbs and aromatics bring a wonderful depth of flavor. Fresh thyme is highly recommended for its potent aroma, but if you only have dried, use half the amount. Freshly minced garlic is always superior to pre-minced for the best taste.
Clean Food Tip: To ensure the highest quality and nutritional value, I strongly recommend opting for **organic chicken bone broth** and **organic, pasture-raised chicken breasts**. This helps you avoid antibiotics, hormones, and the use of GMO feed often found in conventionally raised poultry, ensuring your soup is as clean and wholesome as possible.
Delicious Variations & Creative Add-ins
This chicken cauliflower soup is wonderfully versatile, offering plenty of room for customization. Feel free to get creative and tailor it to your personal taste and what you have on hand:
- Amp Up the Spice – If you’re a fan of heat (and I know some of you are!), you can easily kick things up a notch. Stir in a pinch of red pepper flakes, add finely diced jalapeños (remove seeds for less heat), or finish with a dash of your favorite hot sauce to your individual bowl.
- Make it Vegan/Vegetarian – Easily transform this into a plant-based meal. Simply omit the chicken and instead, add a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas or white beans during the simmering stage. You can also use vegetable broth instead of bone broth.
- Boost Your Greens – For an extra nutritional punch, stir in a handful of fresh spinach or chopped kale right after you’ve pureed some of the soup. Allow the greens to wilt into the warm soup for a few minutes before serving. Their mild bitterness complements the creamy base beautifully.
- Brighten with Fresh Lemon – A squeeze of fresh lemon juice can truly elevate the flavors of almost any soup! Try adding a tablespoon or two to the entire pot just before serving, or let each person add a wedge to their own bowl for a bright, zesty finish.
- Add a Cheesy Twist – To achieve a savory, cheesy flavor while keeping the soup dairy-free, sprinkle in some nutritional yeast. It has a distinctive umami, nutty flavor that mimics cheese. If dairy isn’t an issue for you, a generous handful of shredded cheddar cheese melted into the soup when you add the shredded chicken back to the pot would be absolutely delicious.
- Incorporate Other Vegetables – Feel free to add other quick-cooking vegetables like frozen peas, corn, or green beans during the last 10 minutes of simmering. For heartier vegetables like diced sweet potato or butternut squash, add them along with the carrots and leeks to ensure they soften sufficiently.
Easy Step-by-Step Cooking Guide
Follow these simple steps to create a truly delicious and comforting pot of Creamy Chicken Cauliflower Soup:
Step 1: Sauté the Aromatics. In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the finely chopped sweet yellow onion, thinly sliced carrots, and chopped leeks. Sauté these vegetables, stirring occasionally, until they become soft and the onions are translucent, which usually takes about 10 minutes. This slow sautéing brings out their natural sweetness.
Step 2: Season and Add Main Ingredients. Once the vegetables are soft, add the chopped garlic cloves, fresh thyme leaves (or dried), fine sea salt, and ground black pepper. Stir these spices and herbs into the sautéed vegetables and continue to cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, allowing the flavors to meld and the garlic to become fragrant.
Step 3: Simmer the Soup. Place the raw chicken breasts, cauliflower florets, and bay leaves on top of the sautéed vegetables. Pour in the chicken bone broth (or regular chicken broth), ensuring that the chicken and cauliflower are mostly submerged in the liquid. Bring the soup to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer until the chicken is thoroughly cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165-degrees F. This typically takes about 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts.
Step 4: Shred the Chicken. Carefully remove the cooked chicken breasts and the bay leaves from the pot (discard the bay leaves). Transfer the chicken to a cutting board or a shallow bowl. Using two forks, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Set the shredded chicken aside while you prepare the creamy base.
Step 5: Create the Creamy Base. Before returning the shredded chicken to the pot, use an immersion blender to puree the soup directly in the pot. Blend until you achieve your desired level of creaminess. For an extra velvety texture, blend for a longer period. If you prefer a slightly chunkier soup with more discernible pieces of cauliflower, pulse for just a few seconds, leaving some larger pieces intact. Alternatively, you can carefully transfer a portion of the soup to a regular blender (be cautious with hot liquids and blend in batches) to puree, then return it to the pot.
Step 6: Finish and Serve. Add the shredded chicken back to the creamy soup in the pot. Stir gently to combine. Allow the soup to simmer for another 10-15 minutes over low heat. This final simmer ensures the chicken absorbs the flavors of the soup and the soup thickens slightly. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed before serving. Enjoy this comforting and nutritious meal!
Expert Notes & Tips for the Best Chicken Cauliflower Soup
Mastering this creamy chicken cauliflower soup is easy with these helpful tips:
Choosing Your Cauliflower: When selecting cauliflower, always look for a head that is firm to the touch, dense, and uniformly white or off-white. Avoid any with brown spots, soft areas, or a strong odor, as these are signs of spoilage. Fresh cauliflower not only has a superior texture and flavor but will also hold up much better during the cooking and blending process, contributing to that perfect creamy consistency.
Adjusting Chicken Breast Size: If your chicken breasts are particularly large or thick, consider cutting them in half horizontally before adding them to the soup. This simple step will significantly decrease the overall cooking time, ensuring the chicken cooks through evenly and quickly without drying out, allowing the other vegetables to cook perfectly alongside.
Seasoning to Taste: The final touch to any great soup is proper seasoning. After the soup has simmered and all the flavors have had a chance to meld, taste it carefully. This is your opportunity to adjust the salt, pepper, or even add a little more thyme or garlic powder to suit your personal preference. Don’t be afraid to experiment to find your ideal balance of flavors.
Achieving Optimal Creaminess: For the silkiest, most luxurious texture, ensure your cauliflower is very tender before blending. If you want some textural contrast, don’t over-blend; leave some small cauliflower chunks. If you don’t have an immersion blender, carefully transfer cooled soup in batches to a standard blender, blending until smooth, then return to the pot.
Using Pre-Cooked Chicken: If you’re short on time, you can use pre-cooked shredded chicken (like rotisserie chicken). Add it to the soup after blending and simply heat through for 5-10 minutes. This will significantly reduce the total cooking time.
Storing & Reheating Your Soup
This soup is perfect for meal prepping and enjoying throughout the week. Proper storage ensures its delicious taste and texture are preserved.
Storing: Allow the soup to cool completely to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator, where it will stay fresh and delicious for up to 5 days. For best quality, consume within this timeframe.
Freezing: This soup freezes beautifully! Once the soup has cooled entirely, transfer it into a freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bags. Ensure there’s a little headspace if using rigid containers, as liquids expand when frozen. The soup will remain good in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy it, simply thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating: For best results, reheat the soup gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it is heated through to your desired temperature. If you’re in a hurry, you can also reheat individual servings in a microwave-safe bowl. The total reheating time will vary depending on the quantity of soup and how hot you prefer it. Add a splash of broth or water if it seems too thick after reheating.
Common Questions About This Soup
This soup is packed with nutritional goodness! The cauliflower is an excellent source of fiber, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, and numerous essential nutrients like Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and folate. The chicken provides a significant amount of lean protein, crucial for muscle repair and satiety. Furthermore, the bone broth base contributes collagen, amino acids, and a wide array of minerals that aid in digestion, support joint health, and enhance overall wellness. The additional fresh vegetables like carrots and leeks add even more essential vitamins and minerals, making this a truly holistic and healthy meal.
Yes, absolutely! You can certainly use frozen cauliflower florets for convenience. For the best texture and to avoid watering down your soup, I recommend thawing the frozen cauliflower first. Once the chicken is cooked through and removed from the pot, add the thawed frozen cauliflower directly to the warm soup, allowing it to heat through for a few minutes before proceeding with the immersion blending step. This ensures it’s soft enough to blend into a creamy consistency.
If you find your soup is too thick for your liking, simply stir in additional chicken bone broth or water, a quarter cup at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. If it’s too thin, you can continue to simmer the soup uncovered for a bit longer to allow some of the liquid to evaporate and thicken naturally. Alternatively, you can mash a few more cooked cauliflower florets against the side of the pot or add a small amount of arrowroot powder (mixed with a little cold water first to form a slurry) and stir until thickened.
This hearty soup is satisfying enough on its own, but it pairs wonderfully with a variety of sides. Consider serving it with a crisp green salad, a slice of crusty gluten-free bread for dipping, or some homemade Paleo almond flour biscuits. A sprinkle of fresh parsley or chives adds a pop of color and freshness as a garnish.
More Delicious & Healthy Recipes You Might Enjoy
If you loved this creamy and comforting soup, be sure to explore these other wholesome and flavorful recipes from Clean Plate Mama:
- Vegan Sweet Potato Chili
- Healthy One-Pot Chicken & Kale Soup
- Paleo Almond Flour Biscuits
- Harvest Chicken Apple Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner
If you make this **Creamy One-Pot Chicken Cauliflower Soup** recipe, please **let me know what you think**! I would so appreciate you leaving a star rating and/or comment below to share your experience. And don’t forget to share a photo of your culinary creation on **Instagram** or **Facebook** and mention @CleanPlateMama! Your feedback and shares truly help our community grow.
Eat Clean. Be Well!
-Sara
Creamy Chicken Cauliflower Soup
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Equipment
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1 large stock pot or Dutch oven
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Immersion Blender (optional, a regular blender can be used)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (or avocado oil)
- ½ sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, chopped
- 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp. dried thyme)
- 1 tbsp. chopped garlic cloves
- ½ tsp. fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp. ground pepper
- 1 lb. chicken breasts
- 4 cups cauliflower florets
- 3 bay leaves
- 4 cups chicken bone broth (or regular chicken broth)
Instructions
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In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrots, and leeks, then sauté, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and the onions become translucent (about 10 minutes).
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Stir in the thyme, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant.
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Add the chicken breasts, cauliflower florets, and bay leaves on top of the sautéed vegetables. Pour in the chicken bone broth, ensuring the chicken and cauliflower are submerged. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F (10-15 minutes, depending on chicken size).
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Carefully remove the cooked chicken and bay leaves from the soup (discard the bay leaves). Using two forks, shred the chicken and set aside.
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Using an immersion blender, puree the soup directly in the pot. Blend to your desired consistency – longer for extra creamy, or just a few pulses for a less creamy base with some cauliflower chunks. Alternatively, you can transfer some of the soup to a regular blender to puree, then return to the pot.
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After the soup is blended, add the shredded chicken back to the pot. Let it simmer for another 10-15 minutes to allow flavors to meld before serving. Enjoy your delicious and comforting soup!
Notes
- If your chicken breasts are on the larger side, you can cut them in half before adding to the soup to reduce cooking time.
- After the soup has simmered and been blended, taste and adjust seasonings (salt, pepper, herbs) to your preference.
- For a spicier soup, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce when serving.
- To make it vegan, replace chicken with chickpeas or white beans, and use vegetable broth.
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