Paleo & Whole30 Potato, Leek & Chicken Soup with Kale
Paleo & Whole30 Potato, Leek & Chicken Soup with Kale – a healthy and flavorful detox soup recipe. Gluten free, grain free, sugar free, dairy free, clean eating.
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 Potato, Leek & Chicken Soup with Kale is my favorite recipe to reset and start feeling better. It is packed with vegetables and protein and the tastiest broth. It feels like a cleansing, detox dinner that nourishes your body.
We all got a cold last week, and I wanted to make us a nutritious soup that would soothe our sore throats and fuel immune systems.
I love serving us this potato, leek & chicken soup with kale because it has tons of healthy vegetables: carrots, celery, onion, leek and kale. Lean protein from the chicken thighs. And the most flavorful chicken stock that instantly warms my body and gets me feeling better.
The secret to the soup is the chicken broth. I make a double stock so it is extra flavorful. Because my favorite part of brothy soups is of course the broth. I use chicken thighs in the stock since chicken thighs have so much more flavor than chicken breasts. Love that their more affordable too!
I then also use chicken stock in the soup. Please never ever use water in soup. You can get so much more flavor by using chickens stock!
The chicken stock gets tons of flavor from the leek and vegetables and chicken thighs.
I’ve also made this soup after indulgent weekends filled with lots of food! I made this on New Years Day after we had a very rich and fancy New Years Eve dinner. It’s a great way to reset and start on a healthier path.
Not only is this Paleo & Whole30 Potato, Leek & Chicken Soup with Kale delicious, but it is extremely healthy! Paleo, Whole30 approved, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, sugar free and clean eating made with only real ingredients.
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Paleo & Whole30 Potato, Leek & Chicken Soup with Kale
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
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 medium celery stalks, chopped 1/4″ thick
4 medium carrots, chopped 1/4″ thick
3 cloves of garlic, grated or finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1.25 pounds skinless chicken thighs (I get my chicken from ButcherBox, which I highly recommend)
8 cups chicken stock
3 medium yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2″ cubes (I leave the skin on)
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or dried)
2 bay leaves
8 kale leaves, stems removed and chopped
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 1-2 hours partially covered, until the chicken thighs are cooked through to 165º using an instant read thermometer and the vegetables are fork tender.
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. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container refrigerated for 1 week, or frozen up to 1 year.
Notes
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.
More Whole30/Paleo Soup Recipes:
Paleo & Whole30 Chicken Zoodle Soup with Dill
Paleo & Whole30 Tomato Basil Soup
Paleo & Whole30 Winter Mexican Meatball Soup
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9 Comments on “Paleo & Whole30 Potato, Leek & Chicken Soup with Kale”
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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.
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!
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! :)
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!