This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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 soups that fill you up, warm you up, and taste so good you want seconds (Just like my Shepherd’s pie soup!)! 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 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.
You may also like
Healthy Mississippi Pot Roast with Beef Gravy Recipe
Whole30 Harvest Sheet Pan Dinner
Beef and Broccoli Ramen Stir Fry (Gluten Free)
This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you use one of my links to make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Mary’s Whole Life!
This post was originally published on November 11, 2021 and updated with new copy on July 29, 2022.
Absolutely love this soup, even when it’s hot in Florida! Used rotisserie chicken and it worked great. Thank you!
Thanks Kim!
Made this again tonight for dinner and for some lunches. Love how feeling this soup is and how easy it is to make. And as always great tasting!
Thank you Sheleena!
This is on repeat in my house. A true staple. It’s hearty, delicious, and easy to make. I love how macro friendly it is too!
Thanks Hailey!
What is the substitution for the coconut milk
You can use either coconut milk, the cashew cream in the original recipe, or heavy cream or 1/2 and 1/2!
I have made this recipe over and over again in my Instant Pot. It is so easy and so delicious! I am always so surprised at how creamy it comes out using the cashew cream! You honestly can’t tell it is dairy free. The only swap I make is frozen peas for the green beans. Love this paired with the gluten free biscuits. Thank you so much, Mary, for this and all your wonderful recipes!
Thank you, Michelle!!
I made recipe it was delicious! I didn’t have celery so I used broccoli instead. I used stove top recipe very simple however, packed with lots of flavor! I used heavy cream instead of cashew cream. I highly recommend this recipe! You won’t regret it!
Thanks Angela!
LOVE! LOVE! LOVE this soup! Goes so great with your gluten free biscuits!
I may have missed it but what is the serving size in regards to your nutrition info?
Thanks, Christine! The serving size is 1/4 of the total recipe. I don’t know the exact measurement but probably about 1.5 cups!
Best comforting soup and super tasty can’t tell that’s dairy free either.
Thanks Jess!
This is probably the recipe I have on repeat the most from Mary. I cannot say enough good things about how creamy and perfectly seasoned this soup is. I’ve also made it and not had nutmeg or rosemary so I googled substitutions I had on hand and it still was 10/10.
As always I love the ease of Mary’s recipes that fully deliver on flavor. Also phenomenal when paired with her GF biscuits.
Thank you Danie!!
Seriously the best soup I’ve ever made! I omitted the cashew cream b/c of my son’s allergies and it was amazing. Thank you for creating such yummy and healthy dishes for us all.