Keto Chicken Jalapeno Popper Soup
Chicken Jalapeno Popper Soup
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The Spicy Stuff
All the heat of this Keto Chicken Jalapeno Popper Soup is mostly in the seeds. Less seeds means less heat. First, I like to cut off ALL the tops of the jalapenos and then slice ALL in half lengthwise.
With all the jalapenos sliced I then use a small teaspoon to scrape the seeds out for each jalapeno from stem end to tip. Without 99% of the seeds this soup still has some heat.
If you want you soup spicier then leave some of the seeds in the soup.
Start the cooking
Start your Keto Jalapeno Popper Soup by heating a large heavy bottomed stockpot over a medium high flame. Then I add the chopped bacon to the heated pot.
Let the bacon start to cook a bit and the fat to render down before stirring. Continue stirring the bacon a few times to get all sides of the bacon brown.
Once the bacon is done to your desired crispness remove from the stockpot with a slotted spoon. Turn the flame off on your stove and set the cooked bacon on a paper towel to dry and crisp up even more. Save the crispy bacon for later.
Remove all but 1-2 tbsp of the bacon grease from the stock pot. Toss or save the removed bacon grease for another use on another recipe.
Soften the Vegetables
Turn the heat back on the pot to a medium high heat again. Stir in the jalapenos, as well as the red and green bell peppers right into the bacon grease for the Jalapeno Popper Soup.
The optional olive oil listed in the ingredient list could be added here or omitted if you are using more of the bacon grease.
Stir in and soften the vegetables into the heated oil/grease. Cook the vegetables for about 3-5 minutes just to get them cooking. Once the vegetables are starting to soften up I add in all the seasonings.
I give the vegetables a good stir to fully coat with and the wonderful flavors.
The Chicken & The Cheese
With heat still on medium high pour the chicken stock over the vegetables. Stir the Jalapeno Popper soup to fully combine the stock and the vegetables.
Bring the soup to a rapid simmer and then whisk in the cream cheese. Softened cream cheese is best as this will melt easily. If the cream cheese is cold from fridge, I suggest you give the cream cheese a minute or two in the microwave to soften up quickly.
Once the cream cheese has melted into the Jalapeno Popper Soup, add in the shredded cheddar cheese. Stir to melt the shredded cheddar into your creamy soup.
The Final Steps
Fold in the shredded or cubed cooked chicken and the cream into your soup. The recipe calls for 2 cups of cooked chicken, but feel free to use more for an even chunkier Jalapeno Popper Soup.
Taste for seasonings. My guess is that the flavor from the cheeses and the chicken stock give the perfect salt level, but everyone has a different palate.
Substitutes for the Vegetarians
After making this soup several times I skipped the bacon one time. I do not want to say that the bacon is optional, but this Keto Chicken Jalapeno Popper Soup is pretty darn delicious without the bacon.
Taking this soup full vegetarian would then just have you substitute out the chicken stock and the chicken. Using vegetable stock along with 2-4 cups of par-boiled cauliflower pieces will hold the integrity of this recipe.
Still all the delicious flavors of the jalapenos and cheese, but with a vegetarian twist.
Garnish
Remember that crispy bacon we made a while back? Now is the time we use that bacon as a garnish on top of each bowl of soup.
Laddel your Jalapeno Popper Soup into each bowl. Then sprinkle each cup of soup with a few bacon crumbles on top. You can also garnish with chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of extra shredded cheese.
Store for leftovers
When I make this Keto Chicken Jalapeno Popper soup I double the recipe….almost always. I use a huge stock pot and I make soup for a crowd.
When there are leftovers I simple package up individual portions and store in the fridge for up to a week or freezer for 1-3 months.
Simply thaw and reheat your soup for a delicious and quick dinner.
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Keto Jalapeno Popper Soup
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon raw and chopped
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper small dice
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper small dice
- 2 garlic cloves mashed
- 1 cup jalapeno seeded and small dice (about 6 large)
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 8 oz. cream cheese room temperature, soft
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 2 cups cooked chicken shredded/diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil (optional) optional
- 1 tbsp cilantro (optional garnish) chopped
Instructions
- Add chopped raw bacon to large heavy stock over medium high heat and stir to cook. Cook bacon for 3-5 minutes until crisp to your liking. Turn heat off after bacon is done cooking.
- Remove the bacon from the heavy stock pot with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel to dry. Also remove the excess bacon grease from the stock pot, leaving 1-3 tbsp of bacon grease in warm stock pot.
- Turn heat back on the stock pot to medium high again. Add in the chopped jalapeno, red and green bell pepper to the heated oil and stir to coat. Cook to soften the bell pepper and jalapeno for 3-5 minutes. Add in the garlic and stir to cook about 1 minute.
- Add in all the paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir to coat all the vegetables with the seasonings. Once the vegetables are coated with the seasonings pour in the chicken stock and turn the heat to high.
- Bring the stock to a slow boil. While the stock is add in the softened cream cheese. Using a whisk, mash and melt the cream cheese into the stock. Then whisk in the cheddar cheese into the soup until melted.
- Once both cheeses are melted whisk in the xanthan gum to the entire soup to thicken the soup slightly.
- Fold in the cooked shredded chicken and the cream into the soup and heat through.
- Serve with various garnish (cilantro, shredded cheddar, sour cream or fresh jalapenos)
Notes
Nutrition
MEDICAL AND NUTRITION DISCLAIMER…Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nutritional break downs are done using a commercial nutrition calculator. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctorbefore starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers, this should never be construed as medical advice.