Whew – this winter has been all over the place! Since we came back from our trip, we’ve seen temperatures in the negatives, swinging up to the 30’s, and back down to zero again. Not surprisingly, keto soup has been making frequent appearances at our house. And since we’ve been constantly craving more intense flavors after the bland food we had while away, this low carb buffalo chicken soup recipe has been a welcome addition. It’s a relief that the past few days have been a little less frigid, but they are still plenty cold. (Remind me again why we live in Minnesota? It’s pretty sad when 20-something degrees is considered warm-ish.) At least it’s an excuse to make a warming pressure cooker chicken soup…
Pressure Cooker Chicken Soup for Busy Nights
This is the second buffalo recipe that I’ve posted in a row, after last week’s buffalo cauliflower bites. (And baked buffalo chicken is delicious, too!) It may have something to do with wanting to make lots of spicy, flavorful food in the weeks following our trip. I love traveling and try to research the best restaurants when we do. But, when it comes to an all-inclusive resort, the choices are limited. So now that we are back, bring on the spicy food! There’s another reason I couldn’t wait for this low carb buffalo chicken soup recipe. It was another opportunity to use my Instant Pot! I’ve been falling more and more in love with it as time goes on. It was about time to make a keto pressure cooker chicken soup in it. I’ll be the first to admit that the Instant Pot takes some time to get used to. With a slow cooker, the oven, or stove, you can see how things are going in the process. Unlike every other cooking method, the main issue with a pressure cooker is that you can’t “check on” your food to see if it’s done. Fortunately, the Instant Pot makes up for that slight downside. It just takes some practice – or an arsenal of great recipes! The huge advantage is that you can make things a lot faster, and it tends to be less cleanup, too. Win, win! If you’re looking for more low carb Instant Pot recipes, try my easy shredded chicken, low carb paleo chili, keto chicken and dumplings, and the crustless quiche from my friend’s cookbook. In fact, you’re going to need the shredded chicken for the creamy buffalo chicken soup recipe I’m sharing today. And if you love creamy, spicy flavors, you’ll probably like this Instant Pot buffalo chicken dip as well. Probably my favorite way to use a pressure cooker is for soup. (Have you tried this beef cabbage soup yet?) You can saute any ingredients that need it, right in Instant Pot. Then, simmer the soup in the same place under pressure. Yay for less dishes to wash! The best part is, any soup will cook a lot faster under pressure. Cooking low carb soup in the Instant Pot takes just minutes, yet it tastes like it’s been slowly simmering for hours. And, Instant Pot buffalo chicken soup is no exception…
How To Make Buffalo Chicken Soup in a Pressure Cooker
The process for how to make buffalo chicken soup in a pressure cooker is very straightforward. The Instant Pot does all the work. Start by sauteing the onion, celery, and garlic in a little olive oil, at the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add the shredded chicken, broth, and buffalo sauce. You can use any kind of broth you like, but I prefer chicken bone broth. It’s extra flavorful and has loads of benefits! Now, close the lid and adjust the timer. Believe it or not, your Instant Pot chicken soup needs just five minutes to cook once it reaches pressure. Isn’t that amazing? After the low carb buffalo chicken soup is done cooking, wait five more minutes for natural release. Ladle a little bit of broth into a blender, add some softened cream cheese, and blend until smooth. Once it’s uniform, you can add it to the soup.
Don’t make the mistake I first made and add the cream cheese directly to the buffalo chicken soup. It will form chunks and not melt. No good! It works much better to blend the cream cheese with a little liquid first, then add it in. Make sure it’s softened and not too cold, or it won’t blend either. The last step is to add the half and half, or heavy cream. It’s up to you which one you want to use, but don’t skip it. The soup is very spicy without that part – even for me, and I love spicy food. The cream or half and half mellows it out. I opted for half and half to lighten it up a bit, and the carbs per serving are still not too high. It comes out to 3.6 grams of carbs per serving. But, if you prefer to lower the carbs further, at the expense of higher calories, you definitely can! It’s 2.6 grams of carbs per serving if you use the cream. Of course, it tastes more creamy if you use heavy cream, too. Either way is delicious, though. If spicy food is your thing, you won’t regret adding low carb buffalo chicken soup to your menu. (UPDATE: By popular demand, I’ve added instructions to make this buffalo chicken soup in a slow cooker, too!)
Crock Pot – It’s simple and inexpensive, but I love it for all my low carb slow cooker recipes! Instant Pot – Makes a much quicker low carb buffalo chicken soup.
More Low Carb Soup Recipes
If you like this low carb buffalo chicken soup recipe, here are more to try:
Broccoli Cheese Soup – only 5 ingredients, and it’s the most popular soup on Wholesome Yum! Low Carb Taco Soup Slow Cooker Keto Chili Mexican Caldo de Pollo Soup – both low carb and dairy-free!
Need more? Browse all the low carb soup recipes here! Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our Facebook support group, too - I’d love to see it!
