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Paleo Chicken Tetrazzini Soup is a fabulous dairy-free soup with pasta and a creamy base.
Paleo Chicken Tetrazzini also works great with leftover turkey (and has a with-dairy variation).
Depending on the version you choose, this recipe is AIP, Gluten-free, Grain-free, Low Carb, Whole30, GAPS and VAD.
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Ingredients in Paleo Chicken Tetrazzini Soup
This soup comes together really fast, but a handful of ingredients makes it seem to take longer: optional onion and garlic powders, ginger or pepper, dried herbs, optional fresh garlic, lemon juice, fresh thyme and optional Dijon. Don’t worry: they measure up quickly.
The main ingredients are:
- Jovial Foods Cassava Pasta, for Paleo and AIP: fusilli or preferred shape
- or Jovial’s Brown Rice Pasta for Gluten-free: spaghetti or preferred shape noodles
- Okay to use cooked spaghetti squash for Low Carb, GAPS or Whole30
- For VAD and Ancestral, it also works great to use organic 1-ingredient semolina pasta from Italy. I find this at Trader Joe’s and Market of Choice. Most natural or gourmet grocery stores have this.
- olive oil
- cooked chicken — I used boneless skinless thighs from making Meat Stock, but you can use any leftover chicken, including a whole poached chicken from making stock or leftover roasted chicken. (OR leftover turkey, after Thanksgiving, for example)
- white mushrooms, sliced — optional, omit for VAD or sub with chopped celery (as you see in the photos)
- onion — omit for VAD
- green onions — For non-AIP, it’s okay to use frozen peas, if you prefer, which are traditional with Tetrazzini. Omit both for VAD.
- tapioca starch/flour
- chicken broth (homemade or store bought), Homemade Meat Stock (this recipe is recommended because it yields both the meat and the flavorful broth you’ll need for this recipe! in just 15 minutes) or Bone Broth
- full fat coconut milk, for dairy-free — For VAD or Dairy version: you’ll use part heavy cream + part broth, or replace with just broth if the other variations in the recipe don’t work for you.
- sea salt, or Potassium Salt (for more of the main food mineral we need)
How to make Chicken Tetrazzini Soup
First, decide to use store bought/already made broth or a fresh batch of Homemade Meat Stock or Bone Broth.
If you make Homemade Meat Stock, the biggest advantage is that you end up with both the cooked meat you’ll need for this recipe and the broth you’ll need. The Homemade Meat Stock recipe takes only 15 minutes and 3 ingredients. If you choose to go this route: use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the easiest approach, or a whole chicken may also be used.
Next, here are the steps for this easy Chicken Tetrazzini Soup recipe:
- Set aside broth and chopped chicken if you made them fresh for this recipe.
- Over medium high heat, heat extra big sauté pan, low pot or Dutch oven style pan. Add olive oil, and sauté onion, whites of green onions and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. If using mushrooms, wait to add them. For celery, add it with the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes, over medium heat, reducing heat as needed (after 5 to 10 minutes), so veggies don’t get too dark. Add mushrooms after 10 minutes, if using.
- After 15 minutes, stir in optional onion and garlic powders (include these unless you can’t have them), plus dried herbs and dried ginger powder. Sauté 2 minutes until fragrant. Add fresh garlic, and stir until mixed in.
- While the veggies cook, heat a large pot of water, and cook pasta according to package instructions. Cook pasta one minute shy of done, so it is truly al dente (this is 9 to 10 minutes for cassava pasta). Strain, and set aside. (At this point, the cooking can pause if you’d like to wait to finish the recipe. This can be the “Meal Prep” part of the meal, to do early.)
- Shortly before you’re ready to serve: Measure 1 cup coconut milk into larger measuring cup or small mixing bowl — or for dairy version: 1/2 cup heavy cream + 1/2 cup broth. Add to it and whisk in: tapioca flour and optional Dijon mustard. Set aside momentarily.
- If you turned the heat off under the veggies, return the heat to Medium. Add 2 cups of the overall chicken broth.
- When the veggies and portion of broth begin to simmer, freshly whisk the creamy tapioca slurry, and pour it in all at once. Use whisk to move the veggies and cream around until they’re well mixed. Add final 2 cups chicken broth. Whisking, bring to a simmer again. The soup will thicken. Simmer slowly while whisking 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add chicken, pasta, greens of green onions and fresh lemon juice. Heat until very hot, stirring gently (so as not to break up pasta too much). Once heated through, sprinkle in most but not all of the fresh thyme. Serve, topped with the last of the fresh thyme.
- NOTE: Chicken Tetrazzini Soup is very thick (and satisfying!). If it sits for a few hours, it will thicken. If this happens (with leftovers, for example) and you want the soup thinner, it’s fine to add an additional 2 cups of broth.
Substitutions
To make this recipe Low Carb, GAPS or Whole30, sub cooked spaghetti squash for the pasta.
For those who can eat dairy, substitute a combination of broth and heavy cream for the coconut milk. This works well for VAD and many of you who are gluten or grain-free but not dairy-free.
If you can’t eat coconut or dairy, plain almond or oat milk could work, but the soup will not be as creamy. Nonetheless, the tapioca flour and pasta do make the soup creamy. You may also use plain nut pods creamer if you want a creamier outcome. Lastly, flavorful broth or stock can take the place of any milk used.
Paleo Chicken Tetrazzini Soup (Gluten-free, AIP)
Paleo Chicken Tetrazzini Soup is a fabulous dairy-free soup with pasta and a creamy base.Depending on the version you choose, this recipe is AIP, Gluten-free, Grain-free, Low Carb, Whole30, GAPS and VAD.Paleo Chicken Tetrazzini also works great with leftover turkey (and has a with dairy variation).
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 366kcal
Cost: $10
Equipment
- large low pot or pan
- pot for cooking pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz Jovial Foods Cassava Pasta for Paleo and AIP; or Jovial's Brown Rice Pasta for Gluten-free: spaghetti or preferred shape noodles; okay to use cooked spaghetti squash for lower carb or Whole30; for VAD, okay to use organic 1-ingredient semolina pasta from Italy
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 to 4 cups chicken cooked, chopped or shredded; amount depends on how much chicken you want in your soup. I used bonelesss skinless thighs from making Meat Stock, but you can use any leftover chicken, including a whole poached chicken from making stock or leftover roasted chicken. (or leftover turkey)
- 1 pound mushrooms sliced (optional, omit for VAD or sub with several stalks chopped celery)
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 bunch green onions whites and greens divided (For non-AIP/VAD, it's okay to use frozen peas if you prefer, which is traditional with Tetrazzini. )
- 1 teaspoon onion powder omit for VAD
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder omit for VAD
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder or use white or black pepper if not AIP/VAD
- 2 garlic cloves crushed or minced
- ¼ cup tapioca starch /flour
- 4 to 5 cups chicken broth amount depends on if you make the dairy or non-dairy version, Homemade Meat Stock (this recipe yields both meat and broth) or Bone Broth
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk or a dairy free creamer like plain nut pods if you can't have coconut; VAD or Dairy version: use ½ cup heavy cream + ½ cup broth, or replace with just 1 additional cup broth if none of these work.
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard omit for AIP and VAD
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons dried poultry seasoning; for VAD, use 1 teaspoon dried rosemary powder
- 1-½ teaspoons sea salt or Potassium Salt (for more of the main food mineral we need), + more to taste
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme leaves plus more to garnish
Instructions
- Set aside broth and chopped chicken if you made them fresh for this recipe.
- Over medium high heat, heat extra big sauté pan, low pot or Dutch oven style pan. Add olive oil, and sauté onion, whites of green onions and ½ teaspoon sea salt. If using mushrooms, wait to add them. For celery, add it with the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes, over medium heat, reducing heat as needed (after 5 to 10 minutes), so veggies don't get too dark. Add mushrooms after 10 minutes, if using.
- After 15 minutes, stir in optional onion and garlic powders, plus dried herbs and dried ginger powder. Sauté 2 minutes until fragrant. Add fresh garlic, and stir until mixed in.
- While the veggies cook, heat a large pot of water, and cook pasta according to package instructions. Cook pasta one minute shy of done, so it is truly al dente (this is 9 to 10 minutes for cassava pasta). Strain, and set aside. (At this point, the cooking can pause if you'd like to wait to finish the recipe. This can be the "Meal Prep" part of the meal, to do early.)
- Shortly before you're ready to serve: Measure 1 cup coconut milk into larger measuring cup or small mixing bowl -- or for dairy version: ½ cup heavy cream + ½ cup broth. Add to it and whisk in: tapioca flour and optional Dijon mustard.
- If you turned the heat off under the veggies, return the heat to Medium. Add 2 cups of the overall chicken broth (and optional peas, if you're using).
- When the veggies and portion of broth begin to simmer, freshly whisk the creamy tapioca slurry, and pour it in all at once. Use whisk to move the veggies and cream around until they're well mixed. Add final 2 cups chicken broth. Whisking, bring to a simmer again. The soup will thicken. Simmer slowly while whisking 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add chicken, pasta, greens of green onions and fresh lemon juice. Heat until very hot, stirring gently (so as not to break up pasta too much). Once heated through, sprinkle in most but not all of the fresh thyme. Serve, topped with the last of the fresh thyme.
- NOTE: Chicken Tetrazzini Soup is very thick (and satisfying!). If it sits for a few hours, it will thicken. If you want leftovers thinner, it's fine to add an additional 2 cups of broth.
Notes
How to store and reheat
Seal and refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days. To reheat, add up to 2 cups broth, and stir gently over medium heat. As it begins to heat, reduce heat to low, and cover over lowest heat for 5 to 10 minutes until heated through. (Don't stir too much to protect the pasta from breaking up. If you used cassava pasta, it doesn't keep its shape well with leftovers, but they're still good.)Nutrition
Calories: 366kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 630mg | Potassium: 631mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 194IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 4mg
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Heidi Culver says
This was a super tasty soup! My only replacents were red cabbage (I didn’t have any onion), Healthy Noodle fettuccine, scapes (instead of green onion) and 1 teaspoon of turmeric. We used our homegrown turkey and bone broth. Wonderful flavor! Thank you!
Megan says
Beautiful, Heidi! Thanks so much for sharing. Your subs sound great, and so glad you loved it! 🙂