This healthy chicken pot pie soup is super rich, creamy, and comforting. Made in the Instant Pot, it’s paleo, Whole30, dairy free, and gluten-free, too, without skimping on any flavor. This healthy soup comes together in about 30 minutes and is good enough to eat all week!
This recipe is from my digital cookbook The Paleo Instant Pot, which you can buy for $25 by clicking here! It includes over 30 Whole30-approved recipes designed for the Instant Pot and focused on flavor. It’s the perfect last-minute Christmas gift for a healthy food lover, and it’s a must for anyone you know getting an Instant Pot under their tree!
Let’s be really clear:
My husband is the winner here.
We’re testing new, healthy recipes daily, usually Whole30 and paleo, but always as flavorful as I can dooty them up to be. When he does a Whole30? It’s like this: he comes home from lawyering all day and sits down to either a brand new dish or one of our regular faves, like egg roll in a bowl, zuppa toscana, or – let’s face it – the chicken zucchini poppers from One Lovely Life.
Got the context? He tries a lot of really good food. So when he tried this soup and said,
“Definitely the best Whole30 soup you’ve ever made.”
I knew we had a seriously good healthy chicken pot pie soup on our hands.
Why we love this healthy chicken pot pie soup
There’s no surprise, really:
- This healthy chicken pot pie soup is made creamy with a coconut-cashew cream, doubling down on the richness of the soup with no dairy at all.
- It’s made in the Instant Pot, and it’s quick and easy.
- This creamy Whole30 soup is insanely comforting and satisfying.
I was inspired by one of my all-time favorite dishes–chicken pot pie–to make a healthier version that I could eat on a Whole30 or our paleo diet.
Variations
- Use fresh herbs, like thyme or rosemary, if you prefer.
- If you can’t eat coconut or are worried about a coconut flavor, you can simply replace the coconut cream with water, almond milk, or chicken stock. However, the coconut cream is delicious in this recipe and doesn’t leave a coconutty flavor!
- Make this healthy chicken pot pie soup in the slow cooker or on the stovetop instead. See directions below.
Use cooked chicken to make this paleo and Whole30 recipe even faster
To do this:
Simply sauté the mirepoix (the onion, carrots, and celery) and garlic on the stovetop instead of the Instant Pot as detailed in the first step of the recipe, then add the potatoes, chicken broth, and thyme to your pot.
Make your cashew-coconut cream as directed in the recipe.
Bring to a boil and boil until potatoes are fork-tender. Add your chicken and cashew-coconut cream to the pot and stir well. Finish with plenty of salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Is this recipe dairy free?
It is if you use olive oil in the place of ghee. Most people don’t have a problem with ghee, even if they’re lactose intolerant, but if you’re avoiding all, even minute, instances of lactose, or cow’s milk proteins (for a breastfeeding sensitivity, for example), use the olive oil.
What is coconut cream?
It’s more complicated than it sounds. In this recipe, coconut cream means just the white, solid part of a can of coconut milk or coconut cream. Wait, what? Here’s the deal: “coconut cream” in a can means it contains more of the rich, solid cream than a can of coconut milk does. I like to buy cans of “coconut cream” (unsweetened, of course) since I can get nearly a cup of pure coconut cream from those. You may need 2 cans of full-fat coconut milk to produce 1 cup of coconut cream.
Can I substitute something for the cashews?
Sure! Try 1 cup of steamed cauliflower blended together with the coconut milk in place of the cashews if you have an allergy. If not, use the cashews! They are so, so important to this recipe.
How to make this Instant Pot healthy chicken pot pie soup
Start by sautéing your onions, carrots, and celery in ghee or olive oil in the Instant Pot on Sauté mode until onions are soft. Add the garlic and sauté briefly, about 30-60 seconds, until fragrant.
Add the potatoes, chicken broth, chicken, and thyme to the Instant Pot. Seal the lid and cook on Manual High Pressure for 10 minutes. It’ll take about 10-15 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure.
In the meantime, make your cashew-coconut cream. In a high-speed blender, blend your cashews and coconut cream until very, very smooth. If you do not have a high-speed blender, soak your cashews in hot water for a few hours then drain and proceed with the directions.
After the Instant Pot is finished cooking, Quick Release and stir in the cashew-coconut cream. Season with lots of salt and freshly cracked black pepper and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
How to make this healthy chicken pot pie soup on the stovetop
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can absolutely make this recipe on the stovetop!
Heat the ghee or olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery until the onions are soft, then sauté the garlic about a minute or until fragrant. Add the potatoes, chicken broth, and thyme to your pot.
Bring to a boil and cook 4 minutes.
Add your chicken breasts and cook 6 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are fork-tender.
Meanwhile, make your cashew-coconut cream as directed in the recipe.
Add your cashew-coconut cream to the pot and stir well. Finish with plenty of salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
How to make this chicken pot pie soup in the slow cooker
Heat the ghee or olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery until the onions are soft, then sauté the garlic about a minute or until fragrant. Transfer the sautéd mixture to the slow cooker. Add the potatoes, chicken broth, chicken, sage, and thyme to your pot.
Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6.
In the meantime, make the cashew-coconut cream as directed in the recipe. When the slow cooker time is up and potatoes are tender, stir in cashew-coconut cream and season with plenty of salt and pepper.
On our free Whole30 meal plan.
Other recipes you’ll love:
- Dreamy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
- Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Thighs
- Immune Booster Shot Recipe (Maximum Strength!)
- Instant Pot Brown Rice
- Easy Black Bean Soup
- Mango Habanero Wings
Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Soup (Paleo, Whole30)
A super-rich and creamy chicken pot pie soup is so comforting and satisfying. It's made in the Instant Pot, and it's dairy free, grain free, gluten free, paleo, and Whole30.
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized chunks
- 2 Tbsp. ghee or olive oil
- 1 onion diced, 1 cup
- 3 carrots diced, 1 cup
- 3 stalks celery sliced, 1 cup
- 5-6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound red potatoes diced
- 2 cups chicken broth or stock
- 1 cup full-fat canned coconut cream or milk
- 1 cup cashews
- 2 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 tsp. dried sage
- freshly cracked black pepper
- fresh parsley leaves chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot on Sauté mode. Melt ghee in the pot, then add onion, carrots, and celery, stirring regularly. Cook until onions are soft, then add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Add potatoes, chicken broth, chicken, dried sage, and fresh thyme to Instant Pot. Secure lid with the valve in Sealing position and cook Manual High Pressure for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add coconut milk and cashews to a high-speed blender. Blend until very, very smooth.
- When time is up, Quick Release, then stir in the coconut-cashew mixture and add salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
If you do not have a high-speed blender, soak your cashews in hot water for a few hours then drain and proceed with the directions.
If you don't have an Instant Pot:
On the stovetop:
- Heat the ghee or olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery until the onions are soft, then sauté the garlic about a minute or until fragrant. Add the potatoes, chicken broth, sage, and thyme to your pot.
- Bring to a boil and cook 4 minutes.
- Add your chicken breasts and cook for 6 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are fork-tender.
- Meanwhile, make your cashew-coconut cream as directed in the recipe.
- Add your cashew-coconut cream to the pot and stir well. Finish with plenty of salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
In the slow cooker:
- Heat the ghee or olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery until the onions are soft, then sauté the garlic about a minute or until fragrant. Transfer the sautéd mixture Add the potatoes, chicken broth, chicken, sage, and thyme to your pot.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6.
- In the meantime, make the cashew-coconut cream as directed in the recipe. When the slow cooker time is up and potatoes are tender, stir in cashew-coconut cream and season with plenty of salt and pepper.
I Have found this recipe quite amazing.
Thank you so much for sharing .
I am going to try this out very soon.
My family will love it. Thanks for posting !!
Your recipes alone are responsible for me living the Whole 30 lifestyle.:) I made a batch of this soup and ate it all week. it’s so nice to have a hearty ,tasty dish and not feel like I’m depriving myself. Thanks!
I’ve never commented on a recipe before and this is by far my (picky) familys favorite! Thank you!!
Thanks, Amy!
This was awesome! I added broccoli as I felt it needed something green and I had it on hand…. also added the parsley on top! My potatoes cooked down and the soup was pretty thick already so I think neck time I’ll cut bigger chunks… although potatoes don’t freeze well (and I freeze all left overs to lower histamine) so maybe I’ll cook separate and add after next time. Thank you 🙂
Thanks, Nicole!
This recipe is FANTASTIC!
Easy to prep and tastes amazing. No conconutty flavour like you usually get with dairy free creamy dishes.
I will be making this AGAIN & AGAIN!
Thank you for sharing.
Emily
Thanks, Emily!
Thank you so much for this delicious recipe! I’m sharing your post on my blog today for my readers. 🙂
Oh my gosh thank you so much!!! This made my day!
I made this for dinner tonight, and I doubled it hoping to freeze some for a later meal.
This is SOOO good!!!!! Absolutely delicious!!! Everybody loves it, which is a rare occurance with kids. I’m not sure if I’ll have enough to freeze. Lol
I’m so glad!!! 🙂
Making this for tonight’s dinner and the house smells fabulous. Pre-dinner tasting? I’m calling it a winner. My guys are going to love it. I made it with cooked chicken rather than raw and it worked perfectly.
I’m so glad you liked it!! Even if just a pre-dinner tasting 😉
I’m on Keto, so I can’t touch this with a 10-foot pole. But I made it for my wife so she’d have dinner when she got home and some leftovers for lunch. I was totally in the dark with how it tasted. But she came home, ate it, and said to me, “I think this is the best thing you’ve ever made. It’s better than chicken pot pie. If it wouldn’t look so tacky, I’d be licking the bowl right now.” So it’s a winner! I’ll definitely make this again.
Oh my god! This made my day!! I’m so happy she liked it so much.
Amazing! My husband and I have been on a sugar detox and have been eating no dairy, grain, corn, soy or sugar for almost 3 months and I have been craving creamy, cheesy and everything dairy so much lately. Tonight he was feeling sick and requested soup. I found this recipe on Pinterest and it came out DELICIOUS! I didn’t use potatoes (didn’t have any) and I rebelled and used double the amount of chicken broth in the recipe (and it was still incredibly creamy!) and I had some shrimp so I threw it on top and it was the most satisfying dish I’ve had in a very long time. YUM!!
delicious! i love it. made it last night after this popped up on my insta and i had all the ingredients. so quick and so easy. and so delicious. I think if i make again, i’ll use chicken thighs instead of breasts.. i find breasts dry out a bit when instant potted w/out being brined and browned first. but w/ the creaminess of the soup, it was hardly noticeable.
OMG! Thank you for your recipe! This one is a keeper! Delicious!
Wow!!! This soup was SO SO good!!!! Honestly I can’t get over how creamy and delicious it was!!!! If I hadn’t known it was Whole30, I would have never known it was GF/DF! It tastes like the inside of a pot pie but better!! I used the cashews and presoaked them for about 5 hours, and then I used my immersion blender to make the cashew coconut milk creamy deliciousness! So. Dang. Good!!!!! Thank you for the recipe! I needed this comfort food tonight and it did not disappoint!!!
I loooove this soup! It’s SO easy and hearty it’s hard to believe it’s actually healthy. I like making this on Sundays and having it for lunch and dinner throughout the week. It tastes great with a bit of rosemary added, too, which is a nice complement to the potatoes.
This was very good, however it tasted more like a thai chicken soup to us due to the coconut milk. Still good, but not what was expected. I bought Trader Joe’s full fat coconut milk, maybe it was the brand? I will make it again though!
AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS! This is probably the first review of a recipe I’ve made and this was too good to not comment. I enjoy your site and my husband and I have thoroughly enjoyed every recipe we’ve tried. Thank you!!!
Hi there sorry if you already answered this question but I’m making it on a slow cooker should the broth cover the chicken and potatoes. I may have used too many potatoes because the broth did not cover the ingredients. Should I add more to cover?
Thanks!
It should be fine not covering the potatoes! Keep the lid on and it will still cook them 🙂
Thank you so much! My husband and I enjoyed it. He had 2 bowls plus some of mine. Love this recipe!
This was so creamy and comforting! I could very slightly taste the coconut but i have a sensitive palate for it. Definitely tastes more decadent than it is!
This soup was so so so good – I was practically licking my bowl clean!
I’m so glad you liked it! This makes me so happy!
The ONLY thing disappointing about this was that I didn’t make a double recipe! This was SO good. I had been anticipating this for some time. FINALY made it for dinner tonight; there is nothing left. I may have to make this for dinner tomorrow night…as a double batch! OMG this was ridiculously good.
OMG I know!!! It’s so good! I always feel like I need more in my life when it’s all gone. Haha
Do you add the chicken in already cooked or raw?
I made this tonight. It is delicious!! I will be making it again!
Delicious!
Hi Cheryl, I made this before according to your directions, and it was excellent. Now I want to make again but don’t have any cashews. Do you think I can add almond flour instead? I have lots of that. Thanks!
I happened to have everything on hand last night, so I made it! It was really good. Thank you for the recipe. My only problem was that my potatoes disintegrated in the pressure process – is that supposed to happen? It was still extra delicious and made the soup even creamier so I didn’t mind, but my kids would like to eat chunks of potato. They’re still young and picky.
Wow! This soup is amazing! I was so excited to eat red potatoes. The cashew coconut cream sauce is delicious. You have been a life saver during Whole30. Your recipes are amazing. Thank you!!!
Thank you! I’m so pleased you like them!