Whole30 Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla-Less Soup (Paleo)
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This Whole30 Instant Pot chicken tortilla-less soup is full of flavor and so easy to make! Super quick and filling, this Mexican soup is creamy, spicy, and low carb.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- It’s crazy easy – throw (almost) everything in the Instant Pot, cook for about 18 minutes, dice your chicken, then add the remaining ingredients. You’ll have a complete meal on the table in no time, and with very little effort!
- It’s creamy, filling, and spicy, making it a great one-dish meal and perfect for cold weather. You can even meal prep this Mexican soup ahead of a busy week! I love having access to this delicious soup for a quick lunch.
- It’s also low carb and keto-friendly, with only 8 grams of net carbs per serving! This Whole30 Instant Pot chicken tortilla-less soup fits a variety of diets. It’s just about as healthy as a soup can get!
Key Ingredients
Chipotle Pepper Powder – I have unfortunately yet to find Whole30 compliant chipotle peppers. Therefore, we use chipotle pepper powder to give this soup a hint of that signature flavor. However, if you’re not on a Whole30, you can simply replace the powder with 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, plus 2 teaspoons of the adobo sauce. Also, feel free to include as much or as little chipotle as you’d like based on your spice preference.
Full-Fat Coconut Milk – The coconut milk gives this Whole30 Instant Pot chicken tortilla-less soup an irresistibly creamy texture and flavor! If you’re not a fan of coconut, don’t worry, the flavor barely shines through in this tasty recipe. Also, be sure to use a full-fat coconut milk for that thick, velvety texture!
Chef’s Tips
- If not on a Whole30, feel free to add some shredded cheese in there if you’d like! You can also enjoy this with a side of tortilla chips for a tasty crunch.
- Get creative with this recipe and make it your own! Stir in some spinach, kale, or chard for extra greens. You can even replace the chicken with about a pound of browned and drained ground beef!
- If you have a coconut allergy, replace the coconut milk with cashew cream. To do this, blend 1 cup of raw cashews with 3/4 cup water in a high-speed blender until smooth. This coconut-free option is also Whole30 compliant!
Other Recipes You’ll Love
- Mexican Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (Instant Pot, Whole30, Paleo)
- Whole30 Breakfast Tacos
- Healthy Zuppa Toscana (Whole30, Paleo, Dairy Free)
- Paleo Lime Bars (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
- Instant Pot Bone Broth That Gels (Whole30 Bone Broth)
- 3 Ingredient Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken
- Whole30 White Chicken Chili
- Healthy Chicken Tostadas
- Whole30 Tzatziki (Paleo, Keto, Dairy Free)
- Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole with Eggs and Sausage (Whole30, Dairy Free, Gluten Free)
- Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas
- Whole30 Gyro Meatballs
Whole30 Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla-Less Soup
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 1 ½ pounds
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 10-ounce cans tomatoes with green chiles
- 1 14.5-ounce can chicken broth Whole30-compliant
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1-3 teaspoons chipotle pepper powder 1 teaspoon for mild, 3 teaspoons for hot
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 zucchinis chopped or cut into ½-inch half moons
- 1 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream whisked until smooth
For the Garnish
- fresh avocado slices
- red onions sliced thin
- fresh cilantro chopped
- coconut cream
- lime juice
- shredded cheese if not paleo or on Whole30
- tortilla strips if not paleo or on Whole30
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Instructions
- Sprinkle boneless skinless chicken breasts with salt. Add the chicken breasts to the Instant Pot. Add the remaining ingredients in order, through zucchini.
- Secure the lid on the pot. Cook at high pressure for 18 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release for ten minutes, then use the manual release. Pull out the chicken breasts and add coconut milk. Switch Instant Pot to Sauté mode and stir to combine.
- Dice or shred chicken, then return it to the soup. Serve hot, topped with garnishes of choice.
Notes
- Slow Cooker Method: If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can make this Whole30 chicken tortilla-less soup in the slow cooker. Add all ingredients, except coconut milk, in order listed. Cook on low heat for 7 hours or on high heat for 4 hours. Remove chicken breasts and dice. Stir in coconut milk, then return chicken to slow cooker. Serve with garnishes.
Video
Nutrition Information
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Melody says
This was an amazing taste-fest! Thank you! Pinning and sharing on FB!
Cheryl Malik says
So happy you liked it!!
JoAnna Carpentier says
I’m on Day 2 of Whole30 and this was SO DELICIOUS!
Danielle says
I’m just confused on the chipotle peppers… Am I supposed to pull out two Chipotle peppers from the can and just put those in? Or do I pour in two CANS of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce? ??♀️ i’ve never used them before so I have no idea! ?
Cheryl Malik says
Ha! Just two peppers from the can 🙂
Ann says
First time making soup in the new instant pot – and doing a whole30, this is a great treat – it was a delicious meal. I botched the directions by cooking it with the coconut milk the whole time (whoops) but honestly, it was so good regardless, and I am not a huge fan of coconut so I liked that it was kind of cooked through and I did not taste a note of coconut at all. Used chipotle powder and it was perfect – great depth of flavor and wonderful smokiness. Thanks for making such an easy, delicious & healthy recipe.
Cheryl Malik says
So glad you liked it! Honestly putting the coconut milk in first would not hurt it at all 🙂 As you know now!
Chris says
Seriously the BEST soup I’ve ever had on my Whole 30 journey! Even my “why do I have to eat this crap” husband loved it! I’m slowly converting him away from “the dark side” of eating, and this dish made all the difference!. Anyway, I have a mini pot so it did not hold both zucchinis and only about 1/2 the chicken. So I cubed the chicken and sauteed it in ghee and after a few minutes added the 2nd “mooned” zucchini slices. When I pulled out the chicken breasts from the instapot (to shred), it created enough room for me to put back all the chicken + zuccini. Adding the coconut cream and cilantro at the end took it over the top! Hubby added red onions and sliced avo! Both thought it was way better the next day! And just in case you have some leftovers–i chose to ! threw it in the food processor, along with the leftover “garnishes” to create a sauce that I poured over zucchini and sweet potato noodles for our meatless Friday meal!
Cheryl Malik says
I am soooo glad to hear that! And I’m so glad you shared your mini IP workaround! Genius usage for leftovers too!
Stephen says
This was delicious! It’s very important to note that RO*TEL tomatoes have sugar, thus the recipe is not Whole30 compliant when using RO*TEL. However, I found the store brand of similar diced tomatoes and green chilies without sugar!
Cheryl Malik says
Glad you liked it Stephen! I’m not sure what labels you’re seeing on Rotel cans, though, but they are definitely compliant! They contain calcium chloride, but that’s an acceptable ingredient.
https://smartlabel.labelinsight.com/product/4351309/ingredients
Janice says
This soup was amazing! Extremely flavorful, rich and downright yummy! I will definitely be making it again!
Cheryl Malik says
I am sooo glad you liked it!
Athena says
Calorie wise do you have an estimate? I am calorie counting and didn’t see it mentioned. I appreciate a suggestion.
Cheryl Malik says
I updated with a label! 🙂
Chelsea says
Tasty but very spicy! I think I’ll use 2 regular Rotels next time instead of one regular and one hot.
Cheryl Malik says
Yes! That Hot Rotel is really hot! Two regular would be much milder 🙂
Chey says
Made this tonight and it was delicious!! A smidge too spicy for hubby and I so next time I’ll just leave out one of the peppers. Thank you!
Cheryl Malik says
It can be SO spicy, ha! Did you use regular Rotel? So glad you liked it! 🙂