Low-Carb Chicken Vegetable Soup

Name: Low-Carb Chicken Vegetable Soup
Prep time: 16 min
Cook time: 24 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs; 3 tbsp butter; 2 leeks, white and light green parts, halved and sliced thin; 3 celery ribs, chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 8 cups chicken broth; 1 bay leaf; 2 cups small cauliflower florets; 1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces; 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill; 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus salt and pepper

⏲ ~40 min total · prep 16 · cook 24 · 4 servings

Soups⏱ 45 min total🔥 15.4g net carbs

By the KFI Test Kitchen · Tested & approved by Jason Lieu, KFI recipe editor

Published Sep 15, 2026 · Updated Nov 2, 2026

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 tbsp butter
2 leeks, white and light green parts, halved and sliced thin
3 celery ribs, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
2 cups small cauliflower florets
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus salt and pepper

Instructions

Melt the butter in a 6-quart pot over medium heat, add the leeks and celery, and cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the leeks are silky and just turning golden at the edges.
Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
Pour in the broth, drop in the bay leaf, and slip in the whole thighs. Bring to the barest simmer — bubbles should just break the surface — and poach uncovered 16 to 18 minutes, skimming any gray foam, until the thighs register 165°F.
Lift the chicken to a plate and shred it with two forks.
Add the cauliflower to the pot and simmer 6 minutes, then add the zucchini and simmer 4 minutes more, until both are crisp-tender.
Return the shredded chicken and any plate juices and warm through, about 2 minutes.
Fish out the bay leaf, stir in the dill and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and ladle hot.

Why this recipe works

Thighs poached whole Boneless thighs go into the broth whole and come out at 165°F, so the meat seasons from the outside in while it cooks. Breast would need gentler timing to stay tender.
Staggered vegetables Cauliflower gets six minutes alone before the zucchini joins for four more. Both land at crisp-tender instead of one turning mushy while the other catches up.
A butter and leek base Three tablespoons of butter and eight minutes with the leeks and celery build the flavor before any broth is poured. Rush that step and the whole pot tastes thinner.

Tips for making this recipe well

Skim as you go

Gray foam collects on the surface while the thighs poach. Skim it off with a spoon each time it appears, because the broth stays noticeably clearer when you do. It costs ten seconds per pass.

Hold a bare simmer

Bubbles should barely break the surface for the whole 16 to 18 minute poach. A rolling boil tightens the thigh meat and clouds the broth, so back the heat down if the pot starts moving faster.

Shred it warm

Two forks pull the thighs apart easily while the meat is still hot. Chilled chicken shreds into stiff chunks instead of ragged pieces, so shred before anything else pulls you away from the plate.

Dill and lemon go last

Both stir in at the finish, after the bay leaf comes out. Long cooking fades fresh dill and dulls lemon, so resist adding them earlier even when the pot looks plain.

Taste before you salt

Broths differ in saltiness by brand. Season after the lemon goes in, since acid changes how salty a soup reads, and you will likely use less salt than you expected.

Serving suggestions

We ladle this into wide, shallow bowls and scatter a little extra dill over each one with a grind of black pepper. The pot runs big, eight cups of broth big, so it feeds a table or a week of lunches. At 7 net carbs a bowl, it works as a full meal, since every serving carries shredded thigh meat and tender vegetables in a broth that actually tastes like chicken.

Storage and meal prep

Covered in the fridge, the soup keeps three to four days. It freezes for two to three months, though the zucchini and cauliflower soften as they thaw, so expect a softer bowl rather than a ruined one. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stove until steaming, without letting it boil hard. The dill fades in storage, so a fresh handful at reheating, plus a squeeze of lemon, brings the last bowls back to the level of the first.

Variations worth trying

Breast swap Boneless breasts stand in for the thighs if you prefer them. Keep the 165°F target and start checking a few minutes early, because lean meat turns chalky fast once it passes done.
Rotisserie shortcut Shred a store-bought bird and skip the poaching step. Build the butter, leek, and celery base as written, simmer the cauliflower and zucchini in broth, then warm the chicken through in the last two minutes.
Creamy version Stir in a splash of heavy cream along with the dill and lemon at the end. The broth turns velvety and the carbs barely move.
Tarragon instead of dill Tarragon and chicken are old friends. Use the same two tablespoons, added at the same late stage, and expect a more anise-leaning bowl.

Frequently asked questions

How many net carbs are in a serving?

Seven. The count comes from the cauliflower, the zucchini, and the aromatics, since nothing starchy ever goes in the pot.

Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?

Yes, though thighs fit this recipe better because they stay tender through the long poach. If you swap in breasts, keep the 165°F target and start checking early so they don't dry out.

Why did my broth turn cloudy?

Cloudiness usually traces back to the gray foam that rises during the poach, or to a boil that ran too hard. Skim the foam as it appears and hold the pot at a bare simmer.

Can I make this soup ahead?

It keeps three to four days covered in the fridge, and the flavor often deepens by the second day. Hold the dill and lemon until you reheat, then stir them in fresh.

Can I freeze the leftovers?

For two to three months, yes, in airtight containers with a little headspace. The vegetables turn soft after freezing, which suits the soup fine, though it is a texture change worth knowing about first.

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