Creamy dairy free chicken vegetable soup is the definition of soup-season comfort food. Ready in less than an hour (easy to make!) and full of flavor and wholesome ingredients. This hearty homemade soup is made with tomatoes, lots of veggies, chicken broth, cashew cream, and fresh herbs and spices. It is also Whole30 compatible, gluten free, and Paleo friendly.
The BEST homemade chicken vegetable soup that ALSO just so happens to be gluten free, dairy free, and paleo!
We’re always a fan of a classic chicken and veggie soup, and this creamy (also paleo and Whole30 friendly!) chicken and cauliflower rice soup is another favorite choice.
But for this recipe, I decided to keep the some of the flavors from a classic chicken soup and switch up the ingredients just a little bit. Made without noodles, but WITH tons of flavor and tons of veggies.
The classic base of onions, garlic, carrots, and celery are all here, but we’ve also added in some extra spices, tomatoes, spinach, and fresh herbs for a boost of super yummy flavor.
More veggies = better soup, right?!
Don’t eat meat? I’ve also included a vegetarian option in the blog post notes below if you want to make a vegan / vegetarian version.
Why you’ll love this creamy soup
It is:
- Creamy
- Satisfying
- Simple to make
- Warming
- Hearty
- Flavorful
- Wholesome
- Dairy free + gluten free!
- So tasty!
Ingredients and substitutions
This chicken and vegetable soup is made with simple ingredients that are combined to make the most delicious homemade soup.
It can be made with chicken broth or whatever type of broth you have on hand, and you can even use leftover shredded cooked chicken if you have some!
- Chicken broth – Or another type of good tasting broth – vegetable broth, beef broth, or mushroom broth would all be delicious!
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts – As written this recipes calls for raw chicken breasts that you simmer with the soup until cooked through, and then shred. But if you already have some leftover shredded chicken that is already cooked you can use that too!
- Raw cashews – Raw cashews are used to make the cashew cream for this soup. If you’ve never tried cooking with cashew cream I highly recommend it! It’s my favorite dairy free alternative for soups, sauces, and gravies. If you have a cashew allergy you can substitute another full fat non dairy milk or creamer in its place.
- Olive oil – Olive oil is my first choice for this recipe, but you could easily substitute another option like avocado oil, coconut oil, or ghee.
- A mix of vegetables – Onion, garlic, celery, carrots, diced tomatoes, and baby spinach are the vegetables we’ll use to make this chicken and veggie soup.
- Herbs and spices – A mix of poultry seasoning, oregano, and fresh parsley are the seasoning that brings this chicken soup to life!
- Salt + pepper – Some salt is added during the cooking process, but I leave most of the seasoning up to when finishing the soup. The salt content in boxed broth can vary SO much, so how much salt you need to add will depend largely on how salty your broth was when you started.
Can you make this soup vegetarian?
Absolutely. To make this homemade soup vegetarian use a vegetable broth in place of chicken broth, and either leave out the chicken or add a can of chickpeas or another type of bean instead!
Cooked rice, quinoa, or lentils would also be delicious swaps for the chicken.
How to make this soup
This easy, creamy, chicken soup is made in a few simple steps.
Here’s the step-by-step:
- Start by soaking the cashews for the cashew cream. In a small heat proof bowl cover raw cashews with just boiled water and set aside to soak .
- In a large soup pot heat olive oil over medium heat and add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and salt. Sauté veggies until soft and starting to caramelize. Next comes the tomato paste and spices. Continue to cook until tomato paste has darkened slightly. This step deepens the flavor of the tomato paste and spices.
- Add broth, diced tomatoes, and chicken breasts and bring back to a simmer! If using already cooked leftover shredded chicken, don’t add it until the next step.
- When chicken is cooked, carefully remove from the soup to a cutting board. Shred using two forks or cut into bite sized pieces and return it to the soup.
- Prepare the cashew cream and it to the soup along with parsley. Bring back to a simmer and cook for a few more minutes minutes – to bring the flavors together and thicken the soup slightly.
- Turn off the heat. Add a few big handfuls of baby spinach and stir until wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve and enjoy!
What does this creamy dairy free soup taste like?
This chicken and veggie soup has all the flavors of a classic creamy chicken soup with the addition of a creamy tomato rich broth. It is savory, hearty, and so so flavorful.
A delicious dairy free take on a classic creamy chicken soup recipe!
A few notes on the recipe
- This soup isn’t too spicy, but if you’re sensitive to spicy foods leave out the chili flakes and check your all purpose seasoning for chili flakes or cayenne before you start cooking.
- If you’re allergic to cashews and can’t use cashew cream, consider substituting it with a generous pour of unsweetened full fat non-dairy creamer. You could also substitute the cashew cream with coconut milk, but expect a more coconut-y flavor with this swap.
- For quick and easy prep start soaking the raw cashews a few hours or even the night before.
- For the CREAMIEST cashew cream start with raw cashews and use a high speed blender like a vitamix.
- This soup should keep in the refrigerator for 5-6 days.
- This chicken soup freezes well! To thaw, transfer to the refrigerator overnight, and warm gently on the stove before serving. This recipe would be an excellent way to get a bit ahead on some meal prep for nights when you don’t have time to cook!
Other gluten free dairy free soups to try
If you loved this soup, here’s some other soups to try!
- White Bean and Kale Soup
- Anti-Inflammatory Turmeric Chicken Soup
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Nourishing Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Soup
- Creamy Roasted Cauliflower and Mushroom Soup (vegetarian!)
- Ultra Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder
If you enjoyed this recipe, we’d love it if you would take 5 seconds to rate and review it below! It’s also super helpful for other readers if you share any modifications you made to the recipe.
Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK. We’re so grateful you’re here!
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Creamy Dairy Free Chicken and Vegetable Soup
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: about 6 servings 1x
Description
Creamy dairy free chicken vegetable soup is the definition of soup-season comfort food. Ready in less than an hour (easy to make!) and full of flavor and wholesome ingredients. This hearty homemade soup is made with tomatoes, lots of veggies, chicken broth, cashew cream, and fresh herbs and spices. It is also Whole30 compatible, gluten free, and Paleo friendly.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup raw cashews
- 1 ½ cups just boiled water + more to soak
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
- 4 carrots, cut into rounds
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Pinch of chili flakes (optional)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts – about 1 – 1 ½ pounds, or about 3 cups worth of leftover cooked shredded chicken
- A few big handfuls of baby spinach
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by soaking the cashews for the cashew cream. In a small heat proof bowl cover raw cashews with just boiled water and set aside to soak .
- In a large soup pot heat olive oil over medium heat and add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and salt. Sauté veggies, stirring occasionally, for about 8-10 minutes – until soft and starting to caramelize.
- Add tomato paste, poultry seasoning, oregano, salt, and chili flakes if using. Continue to cook until tomato paste has darkened slightly – another minute or two. This step deepens the flavor of the tomato paste and spices.
- Add broth, diced tomatoes, and chicken breasts. Bring back up to a simmer. Simmer for about 20-25 minutes – until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender. Reduce heat to low. If using already cooked leftover shredded chicken, just simmer the veggies and broth together and add the chicken in the next step.
- When chicken is cooked, carefully remove from the soup to a cutting board. Shred using two forks or cut into bite sized pieces. Return the shredded chicken to the soup.
- Prepare the cashew cream. Drain and rinse the soaked cashews and add to a high speed blender with 1 1/2 cups just boiled water. Blend on high for a minute or two, until completely smooth and no pieces of cashew remain. Add cashew cream to the soup along with parsley and stir to combine. Bring back to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes or so – to bring the flavors together and thicken slightly.
- Turn off the heat. Add a few big handfuls of baby spinach and stir until wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
This soup isn’t too spicy, but if you’re sensitive to spicy foods leave out the chili flakes and check your all purpose seasoning for chili flakes or cayenne before you start cooking.
To make this soup vegetarian – use a veggie broth in place of chicken broth, and substitute chickpeas or another canned bean for the chicken for some plant based protein!
If you’re allergic to cashews and can’t use cashew cream consider substituting it with a generous pour of unsweetened full fat non-dairy creamer. You could also substitute the cashew cream with coconut milk, but expect a more coconut-y flavor with this swap.
For quick and easy prep start soaking the raw cashews the night before.
For the CREAMIEST cashew cream start with raw cashews and use a high speed blender like a vitamix.
This soup should keep for 5-6 days in the refrigerator.
This chicken soup freezes well! To thaw, transfer to the refrigerator overnight, and warm gently on the stove before serving. This recipe would be an excellent way to get a bit ahead on some meal prep for nights when you don’t have time to cook!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: soup
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: american
Buffy says
I’m wondering if you have ever added diced potatoes? Would that be good
Nyssa Tanner says
Hi Buffy! I haven’t tried adding diced potatoes but I think they would be a delicious addition! I would suggest adding 1-2 cups diced potatoes at the same time as all the other veggies during step 2 of the recipe. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you give it a try, and happy cooking! – Nyssa
Leo says
Would cashew butter work instead?
Nyssa Tanner says
Hi Leo, I have not attempted to make cashew cream with cashew butter, but I suspect it might work if you have a raw cashew butter with no other ingredients besides cashews. I would still suggest blending it with water until you achieve the consistency of runny sour cream. Hope that helps, and happy cooking! – Nyssa
Lisa says
Would nondairy cream work as a substitute for the cashew cream? Thank you!
Nyssa Tanner says
Hi Lisa! Yes I think it would work beautifully. It might not have quite the same thick creamy consistency, but it’s definitely a suitable substitute! I would suggest using 1 – 1 1/2 cups dairy free creamer to replace the cashew cream. I hope that’s helpful, and happy cooking! – Nyssa
Payton says
This was so simple to make but oh soooo delicious! I’m making this for the second time tomorrow. Don’t hesitate to make this dish, you won’t regret. Thank you Nessa!
Nyssa Tanner says
Aw, yes!! I’m so glad to hear that you loved this soup! Thanks for leaving your thoughtful review, and happy cooking! – Nyssa
Lacey says
This was outstanding! We live on and island off the coast of Alaska so making things stretch while also making healthy meals can be a challenge. This fit the bill and then some. I had to sub a few things since then resupply boat has missed us…twice. I used frozen spinach instead of fresh and celery seed instead of fresh. It was so good my husband and daughter were fighting over leftovers.
Nyssa Tanner says
Love love your creative use of substitutes and so happy that the soup turned out so well even without having everything called for on hand! It must be an adventure pulling meals together with limited access to fresh produce, but it sounds like you’ve got it down to an art! The leftover test is always a good way of finding out how much everyone REALLY enjoyed dinner from the night before 😉 Thank you for your thoughtful review, and happy (adventurous!) cooking! – Nyssa
Leah says
Loved this recipe and will definitely be using way more cashew cream from now on! I found it a little mild in flavor, so I added a heaping tablespoon of white miso paste and some lemon black pepper spice mix while it simmered. The miso gave it the perfect funk (and is also gluten free).
Nyssa Tanner says
Yes! That’s exactly how I felt when I first started cooking with cashew cream 🙂 Love hearing that you enjoyed this recipe, and your additions sound delicious! Happy cooking – Nyssa
Kristy says
I was looking for a dairy free soup that was creamy and hearty. This is a great option and was liked by our company as well!
Nyssa Tanner says
So glad that you and your company enjoyed it Kristy! Filling, creamy, and so full of veggies – a real win win 🙂 Happy cooking! – Nyssa
Kate says
I made this with white beans and coconut cream and wow… amazing. I went through it with my husband in two days now I’m making more!! This time, with the cashew cream 🙂 thank you for this recipe, it is truly amazing.
Nyssa Tanner says
Ohh, yum! White beans sound like the perfection addition to bolster this cozy soup with more fiber, protein, and texture. So glad you enjoyed it! Happy cooking 🙂 – Nyssa