Healthy Potato and Leek Soup with Chicken & Kale
This healthy chicken kale soup with potato and leeks is a delicious and flavorful detox soup recipe. A cozy, filling, dairy-free soup you’ll enjoy any time of year!
Table of Contents
What Makes This Recipe Great
If you are feeling even slightly sick with a cold or flu, or perhaps you indulged in some rich, decadent food over the weekend, this Paleo & Whole30 Healthy Potato and Leek Soup is my favorite recipe to reset and start feeling better.
This chicken kale soup is packed with vegetables and protein and the tastiest broth. It feels like a cleansing, detox dinner that nourishes your body!
Recipe Highlights
- Whole30, Paleo, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, & Sugar-Free!
- Prepped in 15 minutes
- Easy One-Pot Recipe
- Minimal cleanup
- Healthy Detox Soup!
Ingredient Notes
Vegetables: Carrots, celery, onion, leek, and kale.
Chicken: I prefer chicken thighs, the fat adds so much more flavor. You could use chicken breasts. This soup is also a great use for leftover chicken or turkey! I first made this the day after Thanksgiving with leftover turkey. Just add 2 cups of chopped cooked chicken or turkey to the soup before adding the chicken stock.
Potatoes: While I personally love Yukon gold potatoes, any potatoes would work, such as russet or red or fingerling.
Chicken Stock: Homemade chicken stock is always best, but if you are buying it my favorite is Kettle + Fire (code TASTESLOVELY for savings!).
Thyme: I prefer fresh thyme, but you could use dried thyme as well. Same quantity for fresh or dried.
Recipe Step by Step
- Heat a dutch oven (or large soup pot) over medium heat. Add the olive oil, leeks, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until the vegetables, are softened.
- Add the chicken thighs, potatoes, chicken stock, thyme, and bay leaves.
- Simmer over medium-low heat for 1 hour, partially covered, until the potatoes are fork tender and the chicken thighs are cooked through to 165º using an instant-read thermometer.
- Remove the chicken thighs and bay leaves. Discard the bay leaves. Chop the chicken thighs into bite-size pieces then return to the soup. Add the kale leaves and cook another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and taste for salt and pepper, add more if desired.
- Serve this chicken kale soup warm.Â
Expert Tips
Leftovers: Leftover chicken kale soup will keep in an airtight container refrigerated for 1 week.
Water vs. Broth: The secret to this healthy potato and leek soup is the chicken broth. I make a double stock so it is extra flavorful. Please never ever use water in the soup. You can get so much more flavor by using chicken stock!
Recipe FAQs
No need! The kale will get tender by simmering in the soup!
You can! Remember, dairy isn’t typically part of a good detox, so if you’re eating this soup for health benefits, I would leave the dairy out. If you want your chicken kale soup to be a little creamy, feel free to add 1/4-1/2 cup heavy cream for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Yes! I freeze the soup after it has cooked and cooled to room temperature. You can reheat it straight from frozen, or thaw it overnight. It will keep frozen for up to 1 year!
More Delicious Soup Recipes
Healthy Potato and Leek Soup with Chicken & Kale
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium leeks, white and light green parts of the stem cut in half and chopped 1/8" thick
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 4 ribs of celery, chopped 1/4″ thick
- 4 medium carrots, chopped 1/4″ thick
- 3 cloves of garlic, grated or finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1.25 pounds skinless chicken thighs,
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 3 medium yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2″ cubes (I leave the skin on)
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 kale leaves, stems removed and chopped
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat a dutch oven (or large soup pot) over medium heat. Add the olive oil, leeks, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened.
- Add the chicken thighs, potatoes, chicken stock, thyme and bay leaves.
- Simmer over medium low heat for 1 hour, partially covered, until the potatoes are fork tender and the chicken thighs are cooked through to 165º using an instant read thermometer.
- Remove the chicken thighs and bay leaves. Discard the bay leaves. Chop the chicken thighs into bite size pieces then return to the soup. Add the kale leaves and cook another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and taste for salt and pepper, add more if desired.
- Serve the soup warm.
- Leftover chicken kale soup will keep in an airtight container refrigerated for 1 week.
- See the Recipe Notes below for more tips, FAQ's and ingredient substitutions.
13 Comments on “Healthy Potato and Leek Soup with Chicken & Kale”
So much flavor with simple healthy ingredients. Â Paired with warmed rolls with garlic butter. Â
Absolutely amazing! We had just gotten our Bountiful Basket which had all of the produce.this recipe called for, so I was ready to roll to make this soup! The only thing I changed is I always do extra garlic, and I used ground thyme instead of fresh. Half a teaspoon. So delicious and easy. Thank you for this recipe!
Thank you, Tammy!! How fun that you had all that fresh produce for this recipe! Perfect timing!
Hi. Can you help me convert the cooking time from crock pot to instant pot? Not sure how long to let it cook initially (after sautéing the veggies – that was easy) to make sure the chicken thighs are cooked through?  Thanks!
Yes! After sauteeing the veggies, add in the potatoes and chopped chicken thighs and cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 10 minutes, followed by a quick release. Great for the instant pot!
This is amazing! I didn’t have any kale so added corn cut from the cob.  I had never cooked it on low like that before but the chicken was tender and not dry. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe with us!
I love that you substituted fresh cut corn for the kale Rebecca. That sounds absolutely delicious! I love a good corn chowder. When you cook the chicken low and slow it really does come out so tender. Glad you enjoyed it!Â
Absolutely delicious! And hearty, too. Relatively easy to make, just a bunch of chopping at first.
I love to hear that it was easy to make and hearty Katie. I like to have everything chopped and ready to go before I start to make it. Makes it so much easier! :)
First found this recipe because I got a pair of leeks in a co-op box and had no idea what to do with them. It’s now one of my go to’s when I need a solid reliable meal prep for the week. It’s filling, has so many great flavors and I’m never sick of it by the end of the week (which is a high bar to meet, let me tell you!).
I make it in my crockpot- just throw it all in and let it go for 8 hours, and add the kale 20 minutes before serving. Some day when I’m not in medical school anymore and actually have time I’ll try making it on the stove, I’m sure it’ll be even better with the saute step added.
When I first bought leeks I too did not know quite what to do with them Ally! LOL! They are so delicious and so good for you! I love to hear that it is filling, flavorful and you aren’t sick of it at the end of the week. Congratulations to you for going to medical school. That’s fantastic!Â
This is fantastic! I make it at least 2 times a month. It’s like a chicken stew, very rich in flavor.
I am so happy you like my soup recipe Anna. I am so thrilled you make it twice a month, that is fantastic. I also love the rich flavor, plus it’s so good for you and comforting! Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it.