“This tasty keto chicken soup uses thighs because I use the skins to make great little crispy, crackling garnishes! Truthfully, they may not even make it to the table because it’s likely you will eat them all before it comes to serving. No judgement here, I think that’s #ChefsPrivilege! – Monya

Fats of Life® is a keto and low carb recipe blog that I love to run as a hobby in my spare time. I am also the author of the best-selling Keto Kitchen Series of cookbooks. This includes my debut best-seller Keto Kitchen (2020). The fun and exciting Lazy Keto Kitchen (2021). And, the clever and inspiring Budget Keto Kitchen (2022). My 4th cookbook, Quick Keto Kitchen (2023) is as fantastic as the first three, and packed with spectacular, easy creations!

The links above will take you to Amazon UK. For USA and other countries, see the global Amazon links here: Keto Kitchen ; Lazy Keto Kitchen ; Budget Keto Kitchen ; Quick Keto Kitchen.

The Glow Factor, 2025 by Penelope Corwin is available worldwide. The image above will link to Amazon UK. For USA and all other countries, click here.

More on Chicken Soup for the (Keto) Soul…

Indulging in a comforting bowl of soup need not be a guilty pleasure, especially when you can savour the delightful flavours of a creamy keto chicken soup. Especially, when it is topped with a garnish of crispy chicken skin. This culinary creation not only caters to your taste buds but also aligns perfectly with a low-carb, high-fat ketogenic diet.
 

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The foundation of this soup lies in its velvety texture. The addition of creams ensure a rich and satisfying mouthfeel. The tender chicken thighs make it a protein powerhouse.
 
What truly elevates this dish is the crispy chicken skin garnish. These thinly crisped pieces offer a fantastic contrast to the creamy soup, introducing a satisfying crunch.
 
The soup’s keto-friendly nature ensures your carbohydrate are kept in check, while supplying essential fats and proteins to fuel your body efficiently. Additionally, the soup’s creamy texture combined with the crispy garnish offers a symphony of textures.
 

It is important to note that to maintain ketosis, it’s essential to track carbohydrate intake and ensure it aligns with your daily macro goals. Consulting with a healthcare professional is advised before making significant dietary changes. Scroll to the bottom to see the full macros and allergens for this Chicken Soup, as well as all the Soups, Stocks & Broths on Fats of Life®.
 

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Chicken Soup for the (Keto) Soul

This tasty keto (low carb, high fat) chicken soup uses chicken thighs (skin on) because I remove and use the skins to make great little crispy, crackling garnishes.

Cook ModePrevent your screen going dark while you cook

Course Main Course, Main Dish, Soup

Cuisine General

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Monya Kilian Palmer

Per serving

Calories: 859kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.9g | Protein: 57g | Fat: 68g

Equipment

• kitchen scale
• sharp knife
• pestle and mortar
• pot / saucepan
• BBQ tongs

Ingredients

• 1 kg (35.3 oz) chicken thighs, (skin-on, bone-in)
• 30 g (1.1 oz) unsalted butter
• 100 g (3.5 oz) celery, sliced
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 500 g (17.6 oz) chicken stock
• 500 g (17.6 oz) water
• 150 g (5.3 oz) double cream
• 4 TB soured cream
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Remove the skins from each chicken thigh and slice the skins into thinner strips, approx. 2-3cm thick (they will shrink further when we roast them). NOTE: I find it tricky to slice fatty skin, even with my sharpest knife. It helps to place the skins onto a sheet of baking paper and leaving them in the freezer for 20-25 minutes. Slicing them partially frozen makes it much easier. Once done, keep the slices in the fridge until needed.
• For the soup, melt the butter in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery, onion and garlic and cook until softened and just starting to caramelise, approx. 10minutes. Add the skinless thighs, bay leaf, half the thyme sprigs, the chicken stock, and the water. It should cover the chicken. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover with a well-fitting lid and cook for1 hour 30 min. Check in on it regularly: if your lid is not well-fitting, there will be too much evaporation.
• About 30 minutes before the chicken soup time is up, start on the crispy skin garnish. Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan-assisted). This is 220°C for conventional ovens (or 425°F / gas mark 7).
• Place the strips of skin (skin side up) onto a well-greased cooking rack set over a baking tray. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and place in the oven, cooking until the pieces are golden and completely crispy, approx. 15-18 minutes. You could also use your air-fryer (same temperature, air-fryer setting for around 10-15 minutes).
• After the full 90minutes of the soup is up, remove the lid and use tongs to remove the chicken thighs from the soup and place them in a large bowl. Find and discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs, then pour the cream into the saucepan. Use a hand blender right there in the pan to blitz the soup smooth. Leave on a gentle heat to warm through.
• Now, turn your attention to the bowl of cooked chicken. Slide the meat off the bones and discard the bones. This should be easy, because the low and slow cooking of the chicken will result in it being incredibly tender. Use two forks to shred / pull the soft meat into smaller pieces. Return the meat to the saucepan – along with any juices from the bowl.
• Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with salt, if needed, as well as several generous cracks of black pepper. Ladle the chicken soup between warm bowls and stir in a tablespoon of soured cream in each. Garnish with the crispy skin and the remaining picked thyme leaves.

USEFUL TIPS:

• You need not eat the crispy skins as a soup topper. Some may sink and turn soggy anyway – but it does make an attractive, textural garnish. Truth be told, they are so delicious, you may just eat them all before even serving the soup!

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My name is Monya Kilian Palmer. If you loved this recipe, please follow and tag me @mkilianpalmer on Instagram so we can all see your lovely creations!

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The links above will take you to Amazon UK. For USA and other countries, see the global Amazon links here: Keto Kitchen ; Lazy Keto Kitchen ; Budget Keto Kitchen ; Quick Keto Kitchen.

Nutritional Information per serving
Calories                        859Kcal / 3594kJ
Fat                                68g
Carbohydrates              5.9g
Protein                          57g

Allergens
Milk
Celery (may be present in store-bought stock - check labels)

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See all the Soups, Stocks & Broths on Fats of Life:

Green Thai Curry Fish Soup (Keto)

Asparagus and Spinach Soup (Keto Vegan)

Chicken Soup for the (Keto) Soul

Roasted Curry Cauliflower and Coconut Soup (Keto Vegan)

Fragrant Duck and Shiitake Soup (Keto)

Ginger and Shiitake Egg Drop Soup (Keto)

Load More

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Disclaimer: The nutritional analysis, macro and allergen breakdown of the recipes on this site have been manually and carefully calculated using the cloud-based software NUTRITICS®. NUTRITICS® is fully approved by the relevant Trading Standards organizations and is EU and FDA-compliant. The macro calculations are provided as a courtesy to you based on the author's weighing of ingredients when creating the dishes. If Erythritol (a sugar polyol) has been used in any of the recipes, it has already been manually excluded from the final carbohydrate count. The author is a chef - not a medical professional - and this website has been designed to provide you with recipe ideas to suit the low carb lifestyle you have discussed with your GP.

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