Creamy Dairy Free Chicken and Vegetable Soup {gluten free + whole30 + paleo}

This creamy dairy free chicken and vegetable soup is the definition of healthy comfort food. Ready in less than an hour, and full of flavor and good-for-you ingredients. A flavorful nourishing broth is made creamy with the addition of cashew cream, and the soup is loaded up with lots of veggies, chicken, and fresh herbs for the most satisfying soup! Whole30 and Paleo friendly!

One of the greatest joys of summer’s warm and long days slipping into the cool crisp days of fall is a warm pot of flavorful soup simmering away on the stove.

I always eagerly await the first soup of the season, and honestly once I start making soup, it’s hard for me to make anything else 😂

We’re always a fan of a classic chicken and veggie soup, and this creamy (paleo and Whole30 friendly!) chicken and cauliflower rice soup is another favorite choice. But for this recipe, I decided to keep some classic flavor inspo and switch up the ingredients just a little bit.

The classic base of onions, garlic, carrots, and celery are all here, but I also added some extra spices, tomato paste, spinach, and parsley for a boost of super-duper yummy flavor + nurtrition!

Something a little different but also SO crazy delicious! And just in time for the coziest time of year 😉

Let’s warm up the house and get cooking!

What’s in this creamy dairy free chicken and vegetable soup?

This creamy dairy free chicken and vegetable soup is made with some simple and classic soup ingredients that are combined to make the most delicious fall dinner. Also makes excellent leftovers for lunch the next day. Because who doesn’t love the thought of a cozy bowl of homemade soup for lunch on a cold day? YUM.

Here’s a list of the ingredients that you need:

• Good tasting broth – Any type of tasty broth will work, but I love incorporating a collagen rich bone broth any chance I get so that’s always what I reach for. Kettle & Fire is my go to for a high quality store bought bone broth when I don’t have any homemade on hand. Use the code NYSSA15 for 15% off your order if you wanna stock up!
• Boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Raw cashews
• Olive oil
• Onion
• Garlic
• Celery
• Carrots
• Baby spinach
• Tomato paste
• Spinach
• All purpose or poultry seasoning
• Chili flakes
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• Parsley

How to make this creamy dairy free chicken and vegetable soup

1. First things first, you’ll want to start making the cashew cream. To do this, the cashews are soaked in hot water until soft and plump, and then blended with a little more water into a smooth and silky cashew cream.
2. While you’re waiting for the cashews to soak, start chopping the veggies and prepping the rest of the soup.
3. In a large soup pot, saute the chopped onions, carrots, celery, and garlic with the olive oil and a little bit of sea salt until soft and starting to caramelize.
4. Once the veggies start to brown, add the tomato paste and spices and cook a bit longer – until the tomato paste begins to darken in color. Don’t skip this step! It brings a more complex depth of flavor to the soup that is swoon worthy.
5. Next comes the broth, some diced tomatoes, and the whole boneless skinless chicken breasts.
6. Simmer the soup until the chicken breasts are cooked through and the veggies are nice and tender.
7. Remove the chicken breasts to a large cutting board and allow them to cool slightly while preparing the cashew cream in a high speed blender.
8. Once the cashew cream is ready and the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred into bite sized pieces using two forks, or cut into bite sized pieces with a large knife.
9. Return the chicken to the soup pot along with the cashew cream and simmer for another 5 minutes or so to marry all the flavors.
10. Finish with the baby spinach (it cooks so fast – you want it to just barely wilt before serving!) and parsley and DIG IN!

What does this creamy dairy free chicken and vegetable soup taste like?

This chicken and veggie soup has all the flavors of a classic creamy chicken soup, with the addition of some umami rich tomato paste and a little kick of spice.

A delicious + flavorful twist on a classic creamy chicken soup!

This creamy chicken soup is:

• Flavorful
• Full of vegetables
• Packed with protein
• A little spicy
• Super creamy
• Dairy free
• Paleo + Whole30 friendly

If you’re not into spicy food, simply leave out the chili flakes.

To kick up the flavor a notch I include all purpose or poultry seasoning in the recipe. I love the 21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joe’s, but really any all purpose seasoning will work. Just make sure to check the salt content and adjust as needed based on how much is already in your seasoning blend.

Is this creamy chicken and vegetable soup healthy?

100% YES.

Unlike traditional “creamy” soups, this soup is completely dairy free. Instead of cream, milk, or cheese, this recipe relies on cashew cream to make the base of the soup creamy. If you have a nut allergy, look for a full fat oat milk and substitute the cashew cream with about 1 1/2 cups oat milk instead (I love Oatly’s full fat oat milk for recipes like this!).

This soup also contains a ton of nutrient rich vegetables, protein, and healthy fats to fuel your mind and body! The perfect nutritional trifecta.

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 before you start cooking.
• If you’re allergic to nuts and can’t use cashew cream consider substituting it with a healthy pour of unsweetened full fat oat milk or an unsweetened 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 use a high speed blender like a vitamix.
• For the best texture, start with raw cashews. I know they can be a little harder to find, but they will blend so much more smoothly than roasted cashews. Trader Joe’s carries them, and most natural food stores will have them in their bulk section. If you can’t find them in stores, or simply want to order online, you can find them HERE.
• This soup will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.

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