This CAJUN CHICKEN SOUP is quick and simple, thanks to the Instant Pot. Big, bold flavors with minimal work. The whole family loves this soup recipe.
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I’m back with another warm and cozy soup recipe!
It’s been the perfect weather to cuddle up with soup and I’m taking full advantage!
Cheesy soup, loads of tender chicken, and a little kick. What more could you want for dinner?
This time we’re spicing things up a bit with some of my favorite Cajun seasoning.
Do you guys have Tony Chachere’s seasoning blend in your spice cabinet? Because oh man, it is our FAVORITE spice blend.
We put it on everything in our house. If it needs salt, it gets Tony’s instead.
This isn’t an ad or a sponsored post from Tony’s, we just love the stuff. 😉
We’re using Tony’s in this spicy cajun ranch soup today. I know Cajun and ranch don’t typically go together, but I couldn’t decide what to make for dinner and they’re my two favorite flavors so here we are!
I used the same herbs I use in my keto ranch dressing in this soup to give it the ranch vibe. So good!
This recipe is a riff on our reader favorite low carb soup. You know it’s good!
This one is big on flavor, just like our creamy dijon chicken!
Instant Pot Method:
We make this chicken soup in the Instant Pot for a few reasons.
(We have this Instant Pot – it’s amazing!)
It’s quick – it pressure cooks for just 18 minutes, releases for 10, and is ready from start to finish in about 50 minutes.
Pressure cooking soup makes it taste like it’s cooked all day long. It really lets the flavors meld!
Clean up is a breeze. This recipe calls for fried bacon and I love that I can cook it right in the Instant Pot instead of dirtying a skillet on the stove. One dish dinners for the win!
Slow Cooker:
I know not everyone has an Instant Pot, so I’m including slow cooker instructions here too.
The soup will be just as tasty, but it does take a few hours to cook this way.
You’ll need to fry the bacon separately unless you have a slow cooker with a sauté function, but otherwise this cooks basically the same way with just some extra time in there for things to cook.
You can use whatever slow cooker you have, but if you’re in the market for a new one (or a Christmas gift!) check out the Ninja Foodie! It’s a slow cooker, pressure cooker, and air fryer all in one! It has amazing reviews.
Leftovers:
This soup reheats well, though I haven’t tried freezing it.
This soup does separate a bit in the fridge, so we prefer to store it in individual containers OR reheat the whole bowl at once, depending on if we’ll be using it as an entire other meal or just a grab and go thing for lunch.
Reheat this on the stove for the best results, so that you can stir it together as it cooks.
More keto soup recipes:
- Keto Vegetable Soup
- Keto Cauliflower Soup
- Keto Cabbage Soup
- Chicken Fajita Soup
- Crockpot Broccoli Cheese Soup
Instant Pot Cajun Ranch Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon diced
- 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 jalapeno minced, see note
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning more as needed
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried chives
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 2 cups baby spinach
- ½ cup shredded white cheddar
- Cilantro jalapeno slices, green onions, for garnish
Instructions
Instant Pot Method:
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté and add the bacon to the pot. Cook until bacon is crisp, stirring often.
- Pour the broth into the pot and deglaze the pan by scraping up any browned bits that are stuck to the bottom.
- Add the chicken, garlic, jalapeno, Cajun seasoning, dill, parsley, and chives to the pot and stir to combine.
- Cover, set the vent to sealing, and cook on high pressure for 18 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and shred with two forks.
- Microwave the cream cheese in a small bowl until easily stirred.
- Set the pot to sauté and add the cream cheese. Whisk well until the cream cheese has fully melted into the soup.
- Return the chicken to the pot along with the spinach and cheddar. Stir well until the spinach has wilted and the cheese has melted.
- Taste and add additional Cajun seasoning, if needed.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with cilantro, jalapeno, and green onions, if desired.
Slow Cooker Method:
- Fry the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Add the bacon pieces to the a 6 quart slow cooker.
- Add the chicken broth, chicken, garlic, jalapeno, Cajun seasoning, dill, parsley, and chives to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
- Remove the chicken and shred with two forks.
- Microwave the cream cheese in a small bowl until easily stirred. Stir into the slow cooker until well combined.
- Return the chicken to the pot along with the spinach and cheddar. Stir well and cover the pot. Cook on high for 30 minutes.
- Taste and add additional Cajun seasoning, if needed.
- Stir again to combine and then ladle into bowls and serve with cilantro, jalapeno, and green onions, if desired.
Amy says
This is delicious. It will definitely be on the menu this winter!
Karly Campbell says
So glad you gave it a try, Amy! 🙂
Autumn says
Hi! What would you serve with this? Or is it hefty enough on it’s own? Thanks!
Karly Campbell says
We usually serve soup with salad or our low carb cornbread or a garlic bread chaffle. 🙂
Shawna says
My slow cooker has the stove top function so i just cooked my bacon right in the slow cooker. I removed the bacon grease. Should i have left it in? Also is there a reason not to just throw the cream cheese in with everything else in the slow cooker? Currently have this in the cooker and i did throw the cream cheese on top of everything else . It already smells amazing!!!
Karly Campbell says
Hi Shawna! We don’t remove the grease, but you certainly can if you like. I don’t love cream cheese that’s been in the slow cooker – it gets a little lumpy and almost looks curdled to me. I just prefer to stir it in at the end. 🙂 Hope you enjoyed the soup!
Janet says
I have a couple questions: where is the ranch seasoning in this recipe and did you use Cajun seasoning as the recipe states or Creole Seasoning as the picture depicts?
Karly Campbell says
Hi Janet! The ranch is the mix of spices used – dill, parsley, chives, etc. These are all found in ranch mix. We used the seasoning linked – I guess it is a creole seasoning, but we’ve always called it Cajun seasoning. Haha. Either will work – they’re very similar.
Janet says
Thanks for clearing that up for me, Karly!
Adam Campbell says
6 servings with only 2 cups of chicken broth seems a little off…. Is there something I’m missing?
Karly Campbell says
The chicken also releases juices as it cooks and the cream cheese gives the soup some body. But you can increase the broth or decrease the servings if you like. 🙂
Adam Campbell says
Definitely increased the broth! I would have had a chicken goulash had I not! Really good, although I used a chicken bouillon powder. Definitely not low-sodium, and I should have listened to your recipe. Quite salty. My own dumb fault. Other than that, REALLY good! Thank you!
Allison says
Do your recipes for Insta Pot translate the same to a Ninja Foodie?
Karly Campbell says
They should work the same in any pressure cooker, though I’ve only tested in an Instant Pot.
Susan Avery Mitchell says
I do not have fresh spinach. Can I use frozen or would it be best to leave out the spinach? Thank you.
Karly Campbell says
I think this would work fine with frozen spinach, but I haven’t tried.
Paula Brubaker says
My chicken breasts are frozen. Do I need to defrost them for this recipe first ? (I have an instapot) thanks!
Karly Campbell says
Hi Paula! I’ve only made this with fresh chicken, but I think you could throw frozen in there and it’ll work the same. It’ll just take longer to come to pressure.
julia kilpatrick says
Well all i have is a big pot I normally cook soups in so Im not sure which recipe to follow. Would I boil the chicken in chicken broth or just water? Please help
Karly Campbell says
Hi Julia! I haven’t made this on the stove, but yes, you’d simmer the chicken in the broth.