Easy and super delicious Creamy Chicken Kale Soup. It’s hearty, healthy, and gluten dairy free. You can easily create variety for the whole family. Perfect healthy holiday leftover recipe !

Chicken Kale Soup I Heart Umami

It’s one day after Thanksgiving so I bet many households are having turkey or chicken for lunch. Sure, you could make a casserole, pot pie, or a focaccia club or you could make something way simpler and healthier like my Creamy Chicken (or Turkey) Kale Soup, using leftovers from your Thanksgiving dinner.

Creamy Chicken Kale Soup – Simple with a healthy twist !

There are many reasons that make this soup great but what I love most about it is that this leftover recipe actually tastes BETTER than many soups made from scratch.

I first crisped up uncured and sugar free hickory smoked bacon from Pederson’s Farms in a 6 qt. Dutch oven and reserved a few tablespoons of bacon fat to saute onions and garlic slices. It adds a nice smoky flavor to create a lovely soup base.

Creamy Chicken Kale Soup I Heart Umami Paleo Whole30

To cook the soup faster and to ensure that the carrots and celery are cooked to perfection (not too mushy, not too tough), I waited until the last cooking step to add thickening flour agent (see more info below). This way you can decide how much flour to add to the soup broth if you prefer a thicker or thinner texture.

I also added curly kale right before turning off the stovetop heat because I like my kale to remain vibrant green and to keep some texture. If, however, you prefer a much softer texture, feel free to cook it longer.

And be sure to add the crispy bacon bits that we previously fried up. Stir-in either shredded chicken or turkey and if you made a big pot, pack them in mason jars for lunch the next day in the office or store extra in the freezer. It’s creamy, hearty, and so so delicious ! And much better than any store-bought soup, but I bet you know that already ! :))

Leave a comment below and rate the recipe if you’ve made any of my dishes ! I’d love to hear from you !! Thanks in advance !

Creamy Chicken Kale Soup recipe that’s hearty, healthy, and gluten dairy free.
Creamy Chicken Kale Soup recipe that’s hearty, healthy, and gluten dairy free.
4.92 from 24 votes

Creamy Chicken Kale Soup (Paleo, Whole30)

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Author: ChihYu Smith
Easy Creamy Chicken Kale Soup with shredded chicken or turkey. Paleo Whole30, healthy, and gluten dairy free. Perfect holiday leftover recipe ! 
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Ingredients 

  • 2-3 cups shredded chicken, , or turkey
  • 5 slices of bacon, , I used hickory smoked bacon this time
  • 1.5 cups carrots, , diced
  • 1.5 cups celery, , diced
  • 1.5 cups yellow onion, , diced
  • 5-6 garlic cloves, , sliced
  • 8 oz. cremini or baby bella mushrooms, , sliced
  • 5 cups chicken stock, , about 32 oz. | 1 qt.
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme
  • 1 tsp coarse salt
  • Black pepper to taste
  • Curly kale or green chard, , as much as you like
  • Chopped parsley and/or fresh thyme for garnishing

For dairy-free cream:

Instructions 

  • Prep: shred cooked chicken (or turkey). Dice carrots, celery, and yellow onion. Slice garlic cloves and mushrooms. Set aside 1 tbsp fresh thyme. Roughy chop curly kale or green chard. Set aside.
  • Bacon: Cook: Preheat a large dutch oven (I use 6 qt.) or heavy soup/stock pot over medium-high heat, when hot, add 5 slices of bacon. Render fat and crisp up the bacon. Once the bacon strips are crisped up, set aside. Leave 2 tbsp bacon fat in the dutch oven and save the remainder of the bacon fat aside for later use.
  • Cook: Re-heat the dutch oven, when hot, add sliced garlic cloves and diced onion. Season with a bit salt and saute until fragrant. Add carrots and celery. Season with another pinch of salt. Saute for a few additional minutes. Add cremini mushrooms and 1 tbsp fresh thyme. Give another quick toss then add chicken stock. You should have enough liquid to just cover the ingredients but not completely submerge them. Cover the pot with a lid, cook over medium heat until the veggies turn softer yet not mushy. In the meantime, mix well cassava flour with coconut milk until there are no lumps
  • Add chicken, kale, cream & serve: Stir-in shredded chicken and slowly pour the cream over hot simmering soup pot. Give it a gentle stir. Taste and see if more salt or black pepper is needed. Stir-in kale. If you prefer thicker soup, mix more cassava flour with liquid from the soup pot. Garnish with chopped parsley and/or fresh thyme, and don’t forget about the bacon crumbles !

Nutrition

Serving: 383g, Calories: 324kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 17g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 46mg, Sodium: 797mg, Potassium: 737mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 5830IU, Vitamin C: 27.2mg, Calcium: 84mg, Iron: 2.6mg
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Creamy Chicken Kale Soup
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More Ways to Use Shredded Chicken (or Turkey) !

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