My Whole30 Buffalo Chicken Soup is all the flavors you love of a good buffalo chicken dip in a soup! Loaded with flavor and nourishing ingredients, it’s one you will add to your regular rotation. It’s easy to make and can be made in the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or on the stove.
Why We Love This Buffalo Chicken Soup
First, it’s Whole30, Paleo, Keto, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free (depending on which cream cheese you use), and egg-free. That means it’s allergen-friendly and such a great option for a variety of dietary needs. Plus, I love that it can be cooked with a variety of methods!
Next, I love that it’s freezer-friendly! Soup makes a big batch and can be a great meal prep food if it freezes well. This is super easy to store in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Heat and eat as needed for a quick, nourishing hot meal from freezer to table!
TIME-SAVING HACK: I often don’t feel like I have time or want to chop a bunch of veggies. An easy hack? Chopping all the veggies together in a food processor! This takes less than a minute. Plus, smaller, finely chopped veggies can help this soup feel more approachable to kids or those who are veggie-adverse ; ).
Ingredients
- Oil – Olive or avocado oil works great here
- Carrots – As you need 1 cup chopped total here, you can use 2 large whole carrots or 10-12 baby carrots. Use whatever you need to use up or is accessible to you!
- Celery – Fresh celery, ends trimmed, finely chopped.
- Onion – Yellow or white onion, finely chopped.
- Fresh or frozen riced cauliflower – I usually use frozen, since that is what I have on hand, but either works equally well in this recipe!
- Chicken breasts – Boneless, skinless, put into the soup whole and then shredded once cooked.
- Chicken broth or chicken bone broth
- Dairy-free cream cheese – Kitehill has a Whole30-approved dairy-free cream cheese which you can find local to you here. If not on a Whole30, I love the Violife brand, as it is also nut-free. But, it does have an ingredient in it that is derived from cornstarch and sadly not Whole30 compatible.
- Canned full-fat coconut cream – No, canned coconut creme is not the same as canned coconut milk. It’s higher in healthy fats and its ability to get solid. Make sure you are using canned coconut CREME or the results will be thin. I prefer this one by Thai Kitchen that I find at Walmart.
- Hot sauce or buffalo sauce – Frank’s hot sauce is an easy-to-find Whole30-compatible hot sauce that works great in this soup. Or, if you have another hot sauce or buffalo sauce that works for you on hand, use that!
- Garlic powder – I buy this in bulk from Winco or Sam’s Club. Garlic powder or granulated garlic works equally well here.
- Salt
- Pepper – Basic black ground pepper
How to Make It
First, add the oil to a large stock pot over medium heat on the stove or the Instant Pot on saute. Or, if using the slow cooker, do this in a small saute pan on the stove. Add finely chopped veggies and saute for 5 minutes.
Then, add the riced cauliflower on top of the veggies, followed by the whole chicken breasts. Pour chicken broth on top. Add the cream cheese, coconut cream, hot sauce, and the spices. No need to blend it all together at this point.
INSTANT POT: Seal the Instant Pot and cook on Manual at High for 15 minutes.
SLOW COOKER: Close the lid and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
STOVE: Put a lid on the pot and cook on medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
All methods: Cook until veggies are tender and chicken breasts are cooked through. Remove the chicken breast and shred it either with a hand or standing mixer or with two forks. If using a mixer, I recommend covering it with a towel while shredding to prevent splatter.
Add shredded chicken back in and serve with optional chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, and additional salt to taste. Store leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Whole30 Buffalo Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- 2 large carrots finely chopped, or 10-12 baby carrots finely chopped
- 3 stalks celery finely chopped
- 1/2 medium yellow onion or white onion
- 1 12-ounce bag fresh or frozen riced cauliflower or 3 cups
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts whole
- 4 cups chicken broth or chicken bone broth
- 8 ounces dairy-free cream cheese
- 1 13.66 ounce can full-fat unsweetened canned coconut cream
- 1/4 cup hot sauce or buffalo sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 bunch cilantro chopped, to serve; optional but recommended
- 1 medium avocado optional, to top
Instructions
- Add the oil to a large stock pot over medium heat on the stove or the Instant Pot on saute. Or, if using the slow cooker, do this in a small saute pan on the stove. Add finely chopped veggies and saute for 5 minutes.
- Add the riced cauliflower on top of the veggies, followed by the whole chicken breasts. Pour chicken broth on top. Add the cream cheese, coconut cream, hot sauce, and the spices. No need to stir if using an instant pot or slow cooker. If using the stove, give a quick stir to blend it all together.
- INSTANT POT: Seal the Instant Pot and cook on Manual at High for 15 minutes.SLOW COOKER: Close the lid and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.STOVE: Put a lid on the pot and cook on medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- All methods: Cook until veggies are tender and chicken breasts are cooked through. Remove the chicken breast and shred it either with a hand or standing mixer or with two forks. If using a mixer, I recommend covering it with a towel while shredding to prevent splatter.
- Add shredded chicken back in and serve with optional chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, and additional salt to taste. Store leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition
This is a family favorite…it is on repeat at our house! I leave out the cream cheese cause that isn’t a stable in our home! Just as good!
Love that it’s become a family favorite and part of your regular rotation! And so great to hear it’s still delicious without the cream cheese—love a flexible recipe win. Thank you for leaving a review!
This sounds so good but I was wondering how to make this in the crockpot without making it a soup. Making it more like buffalo chicken to eat on tortillas or something. Any tips? Thank you!
Great question and good idea! I can’t say for sure, as I haven’t tested it, but it turns into a soup mostly when you add those 4 cups broth. So, definitely start with taking those out. The celery and carrots could also be omitted. The rest would be in line with what you are looking for; you just might want to add more chicken breast (.5-1 lb) to make it less saucy. I hope that helps, and let me know if you try it!
My favorite whole30 soup I have made and easy to make. Each time I make it, we wonder why we don’t make it more often. Delicious.
Aw, I’m so happy it’s a favorite! You know it’s good when you make it and it makes you want to make it more often every time. Thank you for the review!
Love this recipe so much. It’s easy, delicious and a family favorite!
WOOT WOOT! I’m thrilled it’s a family favorite and one you find easy and delicious. Thank you for the review!
This was good! I was a little worried about adding the hot sauce in since I was making it for dinner and my kids are younger, but they love it. It wasn’t hot at all but had the flavor of the hot sauce. I will definitely be making this again!
I’m so glad it was a family win you want to make again! YAY! Glad you found the flavor spot on. Thank you for the review!
We loved this! It was so good!
Hooray! Happy to hear it was an easy, delicious win. Thanks for the review!
This soup comes together so fast and is delicious. I know it is buffalo chicken, but the spiciness with the coconut cream also gives it a bit of Thai flavor. Leftovers are already gone, so will have to make it again!
So good leftovers are disappearing?! Now that’s a delicious recipe. So happy it’s one you enjoyed and want to make again. Thank you!
This was so delicious! I will definitely be making it again! 😃
WOOT WOOT for an easy tasty option! So happy it was enjoyed. Thank you for the review!
I just made this for the second time and it’s absolutely divine! I wasn’t feeling well today so I made a batch and had to make myself stop eating it so I would have some for the week. Thank you for this recipe, it’s greatly helped me on my second round of Whole30, and is perfect for the cold weather in Massachusetts.
I’m so happy you love it and it’s one you wanted to make again! Thrilled it’s nourishing you well when you aren’t feeling good and on a Whole30. Thanks so much for the review!
This soup looks delicious! I am currently doing Whole 30 BUT this recipe is not Whole 30 because of the dairy free cream cheese. There is absolutely no cheese of any kind allowed on Whole 30.
I am wondering if it would still be good without using it?
Hello! You are right, Sharon, that it’s really important in an elimination protocol like Whole30 to adhere to the rules. And also, nut cheese with compatible ingredients is allowed now on Whole30. You can read more about that in these two Whole30 blog posts:
https://whole30.com/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/ (under “nut cheese”)
https://whole30.com/kite-hill-is-whole30approved/
But, yes, you can leave out the cream cheese and it will still be a tasty soup : ).
Thank you for the information it is very helpful. I will be making the soup tomorrow!😋
This was so good!! I love Buffalo but it wasn’t overpowering and you really can’t taste the veggies, it almost is just for texture.
I’m so glad you loved it! happy the flavor was spot on and the veggie blend in well. Thank you for the review!