Zesty queso chicken soup – keto

Why do I love soup so much? Not just because they are warm and delicious! Many of them are a dump and go recipe. I had a busy day at work so I threw this in the crockpot yesterday afternoon. Only thing that took a minute was to shred the chicken and dump it back in. Literally, took me a minute. Does it get any easier than that? No browning meat. No dirtying a bunch of dishes. Just a creamy soup with great flavor and a little kick. Well, the way I made it anyway. But I love the spicy stuff. This is a keto recipe but can easily be altered.

INGREDIENTS

2 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves

2 tablespoons taco seasoning

14 ounces petite diced tomatoes not drained

2 10 oz cans of rotel

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups chicken broth

8 ounces cream cheese softened

Optional:

2 cups baby spinach

1 tbsp diced jalapeno

 

Optional toppings:

Avocado

Monterrey or Colby jack cheese

Jalapenos

Dash of hot sauce

 

Non keto add ons:

Black beans

Corn

Tortilla strips on top

Notes: The original recipe called for 28 oz of diced tomatoes and 1 cup salsa verde or green salsa. I opted for the combination of diced tomatoes and rotel above because that’s what I had on hand. I also added 2 cups of spinach because I need more greens. I’m allergic to avocado so that’s a no go for me but I did top it with a pinch of shredded Colby jack.

DIRECTIONS

Instapot:

Place chicken, taco seasoning, tomatoes with juices, salt, chicken broth, and green salsa in Instant Pot. Set to manual mode and cook for 10 minutes at high pressure. Allow pressure to release naturally (about 15 minutes), remove and shred the chicken. Set aside. Stir softened cream cheese into the soup in the pot and whisk until fully melted. Return chicken to the soup and serve with diced avocado and monterrey jack cheese.

Slow Cooker:

Place all ingredients except cream cheese in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours or until the chicken is tender and shreds easily. Add cream cheese and stir until melted.

Creamy Avocado Pasta

Review by Jami

Ingredients:

1 medium sized ripe Avocado, pitted

1/2 lemon, juiced + lemon zest to garnish

1-3 garlic cloves, to taste (I used 3 and it was super garlicky, but if you are not a big fan of garlic use 1 clove)

1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste

1/4 cup Fresh Basil, (probably optional)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 servings/6 oz of your choice of pasta (I used 3oz of spelt and 3 oz of Kamut spaghetti)

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Bring several cups of water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add in your pasta, reduce heat to medium, and cook until Al Dente, about 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sauce by placing the garlic cloves, lemon juice, and olive oil into a food processor. Process until smooth. Now add in the pitted avocado, basil, and salt. Process until smooth and creamy.

When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse in a strainer and place pasta into a large bowl. Pour on sauce and toss until fully combined. Garnish with lemon zest and black pepper. Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings.

Please note: This dish does not reheat well due to the avocado in the sauce. Please serve immediately.

Oh She Glows is one of my favorite blogs for recipes. Everything I’ve ever made or tasted is exceptional. Even though I am not a vegan, I try to cook healthy and use natural ingredients. I thought this recipe looked delicious and it had all the ingredients I needed to use up before they went bad. I also added some red bell pepper that was at the end of its life, which ended up being a good decision.

I threw all of the ingredients in the food processor and just a minute later I had a creamy, delicious sauce for a quick and easy pasta dish. I used plain ole spaghetti, but you could use any type of pasta, spaghetti squash or zucchini. I didn’t have fresh garlic on hand so I used a spoonful of minced garlic instead of cloves.

Everyone agreed that the sauce was delish even though it was healthy. I completed the meal with some garlic bread to unveganize it a little. And when I make it again, I think a bit of grilled chicken would be a perfect compliment and add some much-needed protein. The bell pepper gave the sauce a very nice flavor, even though the original recipe did not call for it, I will definitely use it again.  

The original post warned that the sauce does not reheat well, so I kept the leftovers separate in the fridge. I super-heated the noodles, then added the cold sauce which resulted in a semi-warm lunch the next day but it was still just as good. La-la-la love this dish and can’t wait to make this again!

Big ups for 15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta!