Paleo Chicken Soup with Kale combines the benefits of a comforting soup with the nutrition of kale, all in your Instant Pot!
It's wintry cold and you want something warm and cozy to eat ASAP. You also want to stick to your nutrition goals. What do you do? Pull out your Instant Pot and make paleo chicken soup with kale! This is a recipe for exactly what you need: a delicious comfort food soup that is loaded with flavor and nutrients. Kale makes this paleo chicken soup even better, adding a touch of bitterness, along with lots of nutrition. With any luck, you may find yourself reaching for seconds. We think this soup is auditioning for the role of "new favorite comfort food for the colder months." Give it a try!
We love it just as it is, because it's so delicious, but if you want more veggies, a green salad is never a bad idea alongside some soup.
Paleo Chicken Soup Ingredients
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 ½ cups medium onion, chopped
- 1 ½ cups carrots, chopped
- 2 cups chopped kale
- 8 celery stalks
- 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 whole chicken
How to Make Paleo Chicken Soup in the Instant Pot
The beauty of a pressure cooker such as the Instant Pot is that everything cooks right in the same pot and it happens more quickly than it would take otherwise if you were just simmering a soup on the stove.
You start with the saute function and add the avocado oil and veggies, along with seasonings. Add the whole chicken, set the Instant Pot, and walk away! Once it's ready, release the pressure and remove the chicken to a cutting board. Then, remove as much meat from the bones as possible. It's as easy as that!
How to Store Paleo Chicken Soup
Soup is one of those things, like stew, that tastes better the second or third day. Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freeze any leftover soup. As we like to say around here, future you will be so happy you did that. Freeze in individual servings if that makes the most sense for you, or in 2 or 4-cup increments, which can also be helpful depending on the size of your household. It should keep for up to 6 months. Defrost overnight and reheat on the stove, or use the microwave to speed things along.
Benefits of Kale
Often referred to as a "superfood," kale offers high levels of many vitamins and minerals, which are essential for normal body function. The nutrients in a serving of kale will support your immune system, brain, eyes, skin, muscles, heart, and many other pathways within your body. Kale has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, making it helpful for preventing and fighting many diseases including heart disease and cancer. Kale contains iron, too, which is doubly important for vegetarians and vegans.
As with most vegetables, kale is low in calories and high in fiber, which helps you stay full and helps digestion, and contributes to healthy cholesterol levels. Did you know adults need at least 25 grams of fiber per day? Many of us fall short. Eating something like this paleo chicken soup with kale makes it easier to get your good green veggies into your diet-and the fiber they bring, too. (Sources Dr. Axe; National Institute of Health, Arthritis Foundation, Healthline)
Substitutions and Alterations
Feel free to use chicken parts, whether that means chicken breasts, thighs, drumsticks and/or some combination of any of those pieces.
If you're not a fan of kale, spinach works great here, and so does Swiss chard. In a pinch, beet greens would do, too. Anything dark green and leafy is a nutritional win!
Tips for Paleo Chicken Soup
You can take the leftover chicken carcass and use that to make stock if you like. Kitchen efficiency at its best. Then, transfer it once it's cool to containers you can label with the date and contents. Freeze if you like, or leave it in the fridge to make more soup-paleo chicken or something else.
READ MORE: Set it and forget it with this Slow Cooker Lentil Soup!
Equipment
- 1 Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 ½ cups medium onion chopped
- 1 ½ cups carrots chopped
- 2 cups chopped kale
- 8 celery stalks
- 1 teaspoon salt or more, to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper or more, to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups water
- 1 whole chicken
Instructions
- Place the oil, onion, carrots, kale, and celery in the Instant Pot, along with the salt and pepper. Turn on the "saute" function and cook for a few minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.
- Turn off the saute feature. Then, add the chicken, 4 cups of chicken broth, and 4 cups of water.
- Seal the lid and set the timer for 25 minutes.
- Release the pressure when it's finished cooking. Then, transfer the chicken from the pot to a cutting board. Remove the meat from the bones and add the meat back into the pot.
- Stir the soup to recombine the ingredients. Serve and enjoy!
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