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This dairy-free, healthy chicken pot pie soup has all of the flavors of the classic comfort food casserole served in soup form! Creamy, hearty, & delicious, this gluten-free chicken pot pie soup recipe is one you don’t want to miss!
What Makes This Recipe Great
There is nothing better than creamy, chicken soups that fill you up, warm you up, and taste so good you want seconds! It’s even better when they’re healthy! This soup is healthy comfort food at its finest. It tastes decadent and absolutely delicious, but won’t leave you feeling sluggish or bloated after eating.
My healthy chicken pot pie soup is packed with tender chicken, carrots, celery, onion, green beans or peas, and potatoes in a dairy-free creamy broth. Featuring all the flavors of classic chicken pot pie, but is made with clean, better-for-you ingredients!
Recipe Highlights
- Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, & Stovetop instructions
- Nut-Free & Low-Carb alternatives
- Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free!
- An easy, 30-minute recipe!
Ingredient Notes
Ghee: This is clarified butter where most of the dairy has been removed. If you have a dairy allergy, you can also use olive oil or vegan butter.
Chicken Breasts: I use boneless skinless chicken breasts.
Chicken Broth: My favorite is Kettle & Fire. Code MARY gets you 20% off their site!
Cashews: Raw, unsalted cashews work best for the cashew cream.
Recipe Step by Step
Instant Pot
- Press the “sauté” button on your Instant Pot. Add the tbsp of cooking fat along with the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until they begin to soften and the garlic is fragrant. Add in the chicken pieces, potatoes, green beans, chicken broth, sherry, and spices/herbs. Give everything a good stir. Lock the lid, turn the vent to “sealing”, and cook on manual high pressure for 12 minutes.
- Drain your cashews (if you soaked them) and add them to the blender along with ¾ cups of water. Blend on high for 1 minute or until very thick and creamy.
- Once the soup is done, manually release the steam. Use a fork to shred the chicken right in the pot. Add in the cashew cream and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with fresh chopped parsley and a drizzle of sherry, if desired.
Crockpot
- Add all of the ingredients (minus the cashews and water) to your slow cooker. Stir well. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
- Shred the chicken right in the pot. Right before you are ready to serve, add the cashew cream and stir well. Stirring on high heat for a few minutes will help it to thicken up.
Stovetop
- Heat your cooking fat of choice in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until they begin to soften and the garlic is fragrant. Add in the chicken pieces, potatoes, green beans, chicken broth, sherry, and spices/herbs. Bring the soup to a boil and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through.
- Make the cashew cream while the soup cooks. Shred the chicken, add the cashew cream and stir well.
Mary’s Tips & Tricks
Soaking the Cashews: Soaking the cashews in hot water for a couple of hours prior to blending can help to make the creamiest version possible. It’s not totally necessary if you have a good, high-speed blender, though! However, if you don’t have one, I love this blender!
Storage: This gluten-free chicken pot pie makes amazing leftovers. It can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, you can simmer it on the stove or pop it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.
Keto Version: To make this Keto-friendly, omit the potatoes. You can also sub in radishes or cauliflower.
Using Leftover/Pre-Cooked Chicken or Turkey: Rotisserie chicken or leftover turkey also works well with this recipe. Simply follow the directions and omit the chicken. Add 3 cups pre-cooked chicken or turkey at the end with the cashew cream (or ¾ cup half & half) and stir over medium heat (or on sauté mode in the IP or on high heat in the slow cooker) until the meat is warmed through.
Vegetables: Peas can be used instead of green beans! Corn would also be delicious; however please note that it is not Whole30-friendly.
Cauliflower Gnocchi: A while back I shared that I used Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi in this gluten-free chicken pot pie. It tastes exactly like healthy chicken and dumplings! If you want to try this method, simply add them at the same time as the cashew cream at the end! Stir and let them cook on “saute” mode (or high heat for the slow cooker, or just medium heat on the stove) for 2-3 minutes until they’re heated through. You can also use other gluten free gnocchi.
Recipe FAQ’s
If you aren't able to have cashews, you can sub in 1 cup of coconut cream (or just use the thickened part on top of a can of full-fat coconut milk) or ¾ cup half & half of heavy cream.
Yes, feel free to sub ¾ cup of heavy cream or half & half instead of the cashew cream.
Yes! It will stay good for up to 4 months. Store in an airtight, freezer-safe container for optimal freshness.
These Gluten Free Dairy Free Drop Biscuits would be amazing with this soup!
More Healthy Dairy Free Soup Recipes
The Best Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
Slow Cooker Chicken & Wild Rice Soup (Dairy Free)
Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Soup (Whole30, Paleo)
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp ghee or olive oil
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- ½ large onion, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 1.5 lbs chicken breasts, cut into 3 pieces each
- 1 large russett potato (or 2 small – should be about 2 cups diced), peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 cup frozen cut green beans
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 tbsp sherry cooking wine, omit for Whole30
- 1.5 tsp dried sage
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried rosemary
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 2 tsp sea salt, more to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper
Cashew Cream (sub ¾ cup half & half or heavy cream for regular dairy option)
- 1 cup raw unsalted cashews
- ⅔ cup water
Instructions
- If using the cashew cream, add cashews to a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them soak while you chop your veggies and prep the soup.
Instant Pot
- Hit the "saute" button on your Instant Pot. Add in the tbsp of cooking fat (ghee or olive oil). Add in the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Saute for 3-4 minutes until they begin to soften and the garlic is fragrant. Add in the chicken pieces, potatoes, green beans, chicken broth, sherry, and spices/herbs. Give everything a good stir. Lock the lid, turn the vent to "sealing", and cook on "manual" high pressure for 12 minutes.
- While it's coming to pressure, make the cashew cream. Drain the cashews and add them to a blender along with ½ cup of water. Blend on high for 1 minute or until VERY thick and creamy.
- Once the soup is done, manually release the pressure. Use a fork to shred the chicken right in the pot. It should be very tender! Add in the cashew cream and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fresh chopped parsley and an extra drizzle of sherry, if desired. Enjoy!
Stovetop
- Heat cooking fat in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add in the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Saute for 3-4 minutes until fragrant and beginning to soften. Add in remaining soup ingredients (except cashew cream). Stir. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cook for 25-30 minutes until vegetables have softened and chicken is cooked through. While it's simmering, make your cashew cream using directions above. Use a fork to shred the chicken right in the pot. Add your cashew cream and stir. Serve with fresh chopped parsley and an extra drizzle of sherry, if desired. Enjoy!
Slow Cooker
- Add all of the ingredients (minus the cashews and water) to your slow cooker. Stir well. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 7-8 hours. Shred the chicken right in the pot. Combine the cashews and water in your blender and blend on high for 1 minute. Right before you are ready to serve, add the cashew cream and stir well. Stirring on high heat for a few minutes will help it to thicken up. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition facts are an estimate and automatically calculated. While I fact check them using My Fitness Pal, please note that they may not always be 100% accurate and depend on ingredients used. Weigh your total and divide by the number of servings for the most accurate grams per serving size.
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This post was originally published on November 11, 2021 and updated with new copy on July 29, 2022.
So yummy! I swapped in mashed beans bc I didn’t have cashews. Thanks for a great recipe!
Win! It was great. It was the first time using cashews to make a recipe creamy and it worked! I was quite hesitant and didn’t want to wreck or waste the soup I had made but I am thankful I went for it! Mary, thank you for another winning recipe!
Any thoughts on using coconut creme instead of cashew cream?
This was delicious! I used leftover cooked turkey, & made it in the Instapot per your directions, It was quite easy & I’ll definitely make it again. Thanks for another great GF, DF option!
Another delicious, easy meal by Mary! I threw this all together in the crock pot and it was so good. Perfect fall soup. Thanks again, Mary!