Slow Cooker Spinach Artichoke Chicken Soup

Why This Is Strictly Keto

Cream cheese and Parmesan give this soup its body, so there is no flour roux, cornstarch or potato thickener. The rest is chicken, artichokes, spinach, onion and garlic — all whole foods — simmered in chicken broth.

Ingredients

• 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 14 oz jar or can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
• 4 oz fresh baby spinach
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 8 oz cream cheese, cubed
• 2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
• ½ yellow onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1½ teaspoons dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Load the slow cooker: Place the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker and sprinkle with the basil, parsley, salt and pepper.

2. Add the vegetables and broth: Add the onion, garlic, artichoke hearts and chicken broth.

3. Add the cream cheese: Scatter the cream cheese cubes over the top. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours.

4. Shred the chicken: Lift out the chicken and shred it with two forks. Meanwhile, stir the spinach and Parmesan into the soup, cover and let the spinach wilt.

5. Finish: Return the shredded chicken to the pot, cook on high 10 more minutes, stirring until smooth, and serve topped with extra Parmesan.

Nutritional Info (per serving, approximate)

Tips

• Use already-quartered artichoke hearts in water (not marinated in oil with sugar) and rinse them well.
• Chicken thighs or a shredded rotisserie chicken work too — with rotisserie chicken, shorten the cooking time to about 1 hour.
• Drop a Parmesan rind into the pot while it cooks for extra depth.
• Reheat gently and stir; freezing can make the creamy base separate.