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Close up angled photo of keto chicken tortilla soup

Keto Chicken Tortilla Soup

This keto chicken tortilla soup is creamy, rich, a little spicy, and easy to make in about 30 minutes. Loaded with toppings like avocado and shredded cheese, this dish is super low in carbs but you won't miss them at all - and neither will your family!
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Yield:6 servings

Equipment

  • 1 Large pot
  • shredding method of choice see Notes
  • 1 Medium bowl
  • 1 ladle
  • 1 whisk

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil or other neutral oil
  • ½ of one medium white onion diced; or 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 jalapeños finely diced, see Notes
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese softened, see Notes
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts approximately 2-3 medium chicken breasts
  • 2 limes juiced, plus wedges for garnish
  • 1 ½-2 teaspoons salt
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup cilantro leaves roughly chopped
  • 1 large avocado optional, for topping; pitted, sliced
  • shredded Monterey cheese optional, for topping; see Notes

Instructions

  • Heat avocado oil in large pot over medium-high heat. When hot, add onion and cook 2 minutes, until softened. After 2 minutes, add minced garlic and diced jalapeños. Cook 1 additional minute.
    Onion and jalapeño in large pot
  • Add chicken broth, cumin, and fire-roasted tomatoes to pot. Stir well and bring mixture to boil. When mixture begins to boil, reduce heat to simmer and add uncooked chicken breasts. Let chicken cook 20 to 25 minutes or until just cooked through, being careful not to overcook. Transfer cooked chicken to bowl or cutting board and let rest.
  • Once chicken is cool enough to handle, shred using method of choice (see Notes). Set aside. Place softened cream cheese in medium bowl. Note: if cream cheese is not already softened, microwave it for roughly 1 minute until softened but not melted or hot. Cream cheese must be softened before next step.
    Shredded chicken breasts on a cutting board with 2 forks, next to whole cooked chicken breast
  • Ladle a little hot soup over softened cream cheese in medium bowl. Whisk vigorously until mixture is smooth. Pour cream cheese mixture into pot and add lime juice, salt, black pepper, and fresh cilantro. Return shredded chicken to pot and stir well.
    Keto chicken tortilla soup in large pot
  • Ladle soup into serving bowls. Top with avocado slices, cheese, additional jalapeños, sour cream, etc. as desired.

Notes

  • To make this lower-carb, you can leave out the onions and the fire-roasted diced tomatoes. It will change the overall flavor of the soup, though.
  • Jalapeños: For a milder flavor, use just one jalapeño and remove the seeds first. For an intense flavor, use two jalapeños with the seeds in.
  • Cream Cheese: Philadelphia original cream cheese has the lowest carb count of any I've found. Feel free to use any cream cheese you like best, but be sure to look for one with the fewest carbs.
  • Shredding Methods: Use your favorite of my 5 chicken shredding methods. I typically use the 2-forks method or the stand mixer method.
  • Cheese: If you're adding shredded cheese to your soup, use a block of cheese that you shred yourself! Prepackaged shredded cheese contains fillers and anti-clumping agents that add unnecessary carbs.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1serving | Calories: 315kcal | Protein: 24g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 1435mg | Potassium: 525mg | Total Carbs: 10g | Fiber: 2g | Net Carbs: 8g | Vitamin A: 543IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 2mg
Recipe By:Cheryl Malik