Easy and comforting food is what I’m all about.

Even if you’re following a low-carb diet, doing a round of Whole30, or have dietary restrictions, your food can still partake in delicious and non-restricting food if you get creative! However, if foods that are reminiscent of things that may be deemed “unhealthy” are triggers for you to overeat, always proceed with caution!

This Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan Soup is a new favorite of mine! I personally love some (by some, I mean A LOT) Italian food with parmesan cheese, however it can be extremely heavy on the stomach and I can easily overeat and feel like a bloated blob that doesn’t feel like doing anything afterwards. You guys know that feeling and it’s just not fun. It may have been delicious, but is it really worth it? Or rather, worth it that often? Sometimes, it happens and you eat ALL of that chicken parm. haha! But, when you’re feeling like a lighter version, try this!

This Chicken Parmesan Soup may be lacking in the breading department, but you still get all of that good flavor that you’d normally get in the original dish. It’s paleo, whole30, and keto-friendly – meaning it’s free of dairy, gluten, and grains and still low in carbs!

Sign me up – especially since I’m just starting my January Whole30!

For this recipe, I made everything in my Instant Pot (two separate cooking times), but feel free to cook the spaghetti squash however you like (i.e. microwave or oven) while cooking your soup then adding it to the instant pot once it’s finished cooking.

Or, you can make the soup on your stove top! I’ll include the directions for that method too – check out the recipe notes below!

Print Recipe

Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan Soup {Paleo, Whole30, & Keto Friendly}

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

25 minutes

Servings

servings

Ingredients

• 1 3 lb Spaghetti Squash You'll need about 5 cups of cooked squash (feel free to use two small ones)
• 1 lb Boneless, skinless chicken you can use breasts or thighs
• 1 Onion - large diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 20-24 oz Jar of spaghetti sauce I used Rao's Tomato Basil
• 4 cups Beef broth sub chicken/veggie (I think beef just adds a richer flavor)
• 4 oz Tomato paste (you can use 6 oz for extra rich tomato flavor)
• 1/3 cup Nutritional yeast optional - just adds a parmesan flavor
• 1 1/2 tbsp Minced garlic
• 1 tbsp Onion powder
• 2 tsp Dried basil
• 2 tsp Dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp Pink salt you can always add more after it's finished cooking
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper

Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 25 minutes Servings servings Ingredients 1 3 lb Spaghetti Squash You'll need about 5 cups of cooked squash (feel free to use two small ones) 1 lb Boneless, skinless chicken you can use breasts or thighs 1 Onion - large diced (about 1 1/2 cups) 20-24 oz Jar of spaghetti sauce I used Rao's Tomato Basil 4 cups Beef broth sub chicken/veggie (I think beef just adds a richer flavor) 4 oz Tomato paste (you can use 6 oz for extra rich tomato flavor) 1/3 cup Nutritional yeast optional - just adds a parmesan flavor 1 1/2 tbsp Minced garlic 1 tbsp Onion powder 2 tsp Dried basil 2 tsp Dried oregano 1 1/2 tsp Pink salt you can always add more after it's finished cooking 1/2 tsp Black pepper

Instructions

1. Cut spaghetti squash in half (long ways or short ways! I've done it both ways and it turns out just fine!) and remove the seeds. Add the squash and 1 cup of water to the instant pot. Cover, seal, and cook for 12 minutes (smaller squashes can cook in as little as 8 minutes) on high pressure - then do a quick release. You can cook your squash in the microwave or the oven. Whatever you prefer!
2. Once the squash is finished cooking, remove from the pot. Clean/rinse out your instant pot and set the squash aside to cool slightly so it's easier to handle.
3. To the instant pot, add the chicken, diced onions, spaghetti sauce, broth, tomato paste, nutritional yeast, and all of the seasonings.
4. Attach the lid, seal, and set for 15 minutes on high pressure.
5. While the soup cooks, use a fork and remove the "noodles" from the inside of the spaghetti squash. Be careful to not shred into the skin of the squash. It's hard and just not fun to bite into in the soup!
6. Once the soup has finished cooking, hit 'cancel' and do a quick release to release the steam.
7. Shred chicken pieces - you can do this directly in the pot with a couple of forks or by removing them and shredding them separately on a plate or in a bowl.
8. Add the squash noodles to the soup and mix. Your soup should be hot enough to heat the noodles through within a minute or two. If not, you can hit the saute button and cook it for a couple minutes.
9. Once the noodles are heated through - serve and ENJOY!

Recipe Notes

For stovetop option:

1. Saute onions in a large soup pot over medium heat (I usually add a tbsp or two of oil too) until they are slightly softened - about 5 minutes. 
2. Add in chopped chicken breasts/thighs and saute for 5-6 minutes, just until slightly cooked on the outside. Smaller pieces will help them to cook quicker. 
3. Add in spaghetti sauce, broth, tomato paste, nutritional yeast, and seasonings. 
4. Stir and bring to a boil.
5. Cover, reduce to med-low heat, and cook for 20-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and shreddable. 
6. Add in spaghetti squash noodles.
7. ENJOY!