Sunday Soup #60: (Low-Carb) Creamy Garlic Chicken Soup

I've recently changed up my diet to be more low-carb, but I'll likely end up making my Sunday soup my one cheat meal per week, so have no fear that there is about to be a non-stop parade of diet soups. However, this week I thought I'd try a low-carb soup that sounded yummy. Let's see how it went...

This recipe came from: https://ketogasm.com/creamy-garlic-chicken-soup-recipe/

*Pic 1 - https://ketogasm.com/creamy-garlic-chicken-soup-recipe/

Variations from Recipe as Written: I doubled the recipe. That's it!

General Thoughts: This could have been the easiest to prepare soup that I've made in this project. I bought the pre-pulled chicken at Costco, so the only prep work was leaving the butter and cream cheese out of the fridge to soften. :-) After that, it only took 20 minutes from start to finish! So, if you are eating low-carb (keto, paleo, etc.), and you're looking for a good, quick soup option on a weeknight, this might be a good one for you.

 

*Pics 2 & 3 - Pictures from when I made it

There was no question, from my first bite, that the base of this soup was heavy, fatty dairy (i.e., butter, cream cheese, heavy cream). That was not necessarily a bad thing, and quite the opposite if your tastes run that way. People eating a keto diet, in particular, get the biggest part of their calories from fat, so this would be a good fit for them. Despite all of the fat, though, the soup was not quite as thick as I expected it to be. It also felt a little light on bulk (as chicken was really the only "solid" ingredient).

I felt the flavor was a bit bland and one-dimensional. The original recipe only called for the addition of "Stacey Hawkins Garlic Gusto Seasoning" (which was kind of pricey, ordered online) and some salt, which did not really create an interesting flavor profile. I understand that this soup is meant to be simple and healthy (for the right diet), but you can't do those things at the expense of flavor if you want me to crave it.

Potential Improvements? Next time, I'd definitely look to "kick it up a notch" with some cayenne pepper or other dried chiles. Also, garnishes are a must! I set out shredded cheese, bacon bits, and croutons (I used chile pork rinds, which were a great addition), which all helped give the soup some additional bulk, structure, and flavor. A good bread (sourdough recommended) would also be a good accompaniment for those who are okay with carbs.

Polling the Fam: Meh... This soup wasn't bad, and it certainly has appeal to those eating a low-carb diet, but I was uninspired. I might be persuaded to give it another star if I upped the spice level or found a way to make it more interesting to my palate. Becky thought it was good but very rich, saying that bread was important to her enjoyment of it. Jayson also liked it, and said it had good a good volume of chicken, but it was "heavy," so a single bowl with garnishes was enough for him. Hunter said it was only okay and he wasn't a "super fan," opining that it tasted too much like butter. And, finally, Fox's only input was, "The meat was well cooked." So, there's that... LOL

Verdict: It was okay. (3 stars)