Sunshine Lemon Chicken Chowder

This lemon chicken soup is comforting and light at the same time, with shredded chicken, tender potatoes, and cauliflower in a golden broth. It’s naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, and works in the slow cooker, Instant Pot, or on the stove.

My Favorite Healthy Lemon Chicken Soup

This easy lemon chicken soup has been on my site since 2018, and it’s still the one readers tell me they make when someone they love is sick. New baby, rough week, friend going through something, it works for all of it!

It’s chicken soup that also happens to be dairy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free all at once, so you can hand it to almost anyone without asking a single question first. Plus it can be made in the slow cooker, Instant Pot, or stovetop; whichever you’ve got!

In updating this recipe, I made one change based on years of your comments: garlic and black pepper now go in with the turmeric. Readers kept adding both on their own, and one told me the original tasted like it was missing something, which, upon re-testing, I agreed with!

On that note, the lemon juice at the end is not optional, skip it and everything tastes muted, so make sure not to leave it out. Now, the questions I get most. Does it taste like coconut? And the answer is, no, the coconut milk is there for creaminess only, and heavy cream or half-and-half work just as well if you’d rather.

Can you add rice or quinoa to make it heartier? Yes, but cook it separately and stir it in at the end so the liquid ratio doesn’t shift. And if yours comes out pale instead of golden, that’s your turmeric, since the color varies a lot by brand and how long it’s been in the cabinet, so don’t worry about it too much.

If you make your own slow cooker chicken stock, this is a great place to use it, though store-bought is what I reach for most weeks. And when you want something similar with a more classic profile, my chicken vegetable soup is the one to make.

Welcome to My Kitchen, Let’s Make Creamy Lemon Chicken Soup!

Robyn’s Testing Notes for Lemon Chicken Soup with Potatoes

• Don’t go heavier on the turmeric hoping for more color. I tested past ½ teaspoon and it turned bitter and medicinal instead of warm and earthy.
• I’ve finished this with dill instead of parsley and it’s a completely different soup, in the best way! Readers turned me onto that one, and it’s what I reach for now when I want it to feel a little more special.
• Make it a day ahead if you’re bringing it to someone. I’ve done this dozens of times and the flavor deepens overnight, though you may want an extra squeeze of lemon when you reheat since the brightness softens as it sits.

4.92 stars (68 ratings)

Sunshine Lemon Chicken Chowder

Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs

Servings: 5 servings

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 4 hours hrs

Total: 4 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Creamy lemon chicken soup with chicken, potatoes, and cauliflower. Dairy-free, and made in the slow cooker, stove and Instant Pot.

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Equipment

• Instant Pot optional
• Slow Cooker optional

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• ¼ teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 ½ pounds baby potatoes, halved or quartered
• 1 medium head cauliflower, separated into florets (about 4-5 cups)
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)

To Add at the End

• 2-4 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• ½ cup coconut milk (from a can), see notes

Instructions 

Slow Cooker Instructions

• Cook the Onion: Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a medium pan over medium heat. Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon of the salt, cooking until soft and stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
• Add the Aromatics: Add the black pepper, turmeric, and garlic, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add to the Slow Cooker: Carefully transfer the onion mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the celery, potatoes, cauliflower, and ¾ teaspoon of salt, stirring to combine.
• Add the Stock and Chicken: Add the chicken stock and chicken, stirring until well combined.
• Cook: Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 6-8 hours, until the chicken is cooked-through and the vegetables are tender.
• Finish: Remove the chicken and shred or chop into bite-sized pieces, then add back to the slow cooker.
• Stir in the lemon juice, coconut milk, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Taste, adding additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice if desired.

Stovetop Instructions

• Cook the Onion: Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon of salt, cooking until soft and stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
• Add the Aromatics: Add the pepper, turmeric, and garlic, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add the Vegetables: Add the celery, potatoes, cauliflower, and ¾ teaspoon of salt, stirring to combine.
• Add the Stock and Chicken: Add the chicken stock and chicken, stirring until well combined.
• Simmer: Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked-through and the potatoes are tender.
• Shred the Chicken: Remove the chicken and shred or chop into bite-sized pieces. Add back to the pot.
• Finish and Serve: Stir in the lemon juice, coconut milk, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Taste, adding additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice if desired.

Instant Pot Instructions

• Cook the Onion: Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to an electric pressure cooker. Turn to sauté, then add the onion and ¼ teaspoon of salt, cooking for 7 minutes and stirring occasionally.
• Add the Aromatics: Add the pepper, turmeric, and garlic,, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Turn off the sauté setting.
• Add the Vegetables: Add the celery, potatoes, cauliflower, and ¾ teaspoon of salt, stirring to combine.
• Add the Stock and Chicken: Add the chicken stock and chicken, stirring until well combined.
• Pressure Cook: Secure the lid, select the manual setting, and set to high pressure for 20 minutes.
• Release the Pressure: When the timer is done, quick release the pressure and carefully remove the lid.
• Shred the Chicken: Remove the chicken and shred or chop into bite-sized pieces. Add back to the pressure cooker.
• Finish and Serve: Stir in the lemon juice, coconut milk and ½ teaspoon of salt. Taste, adding additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice if desired

Notes

• Coconut Milk: Use coconut milk from a can (not coconut beverage) for this recipe. Be sure to give the can a good shake, as sometimes the cream separates from the coconut water. If it’s separated when you open the can, stir it with a fork until smooth. Coconut milk does not lend a strong coconut flavor to this soup, and I used it to keep it dairy free. If you don’t have it or don’t want to use it, heavy cream is an excellent substitute.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 5), Calories: 400kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 38g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 87mg, Sodium: 971mg, Potassium: 1690mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 136IU, Vitamin C: 82mg, Calcium: 74mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition disclaimer

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