This is a recipe for a healthy soup broth that’s thick and creamy like everybody’s favourite Cream of Chicken Soup, but with a mere 45 calories per serving!! It’s super tasty, ultra easy, and there’s no weird ingredients in it.
So what’s the secret? PEELED ZUCCHINI. Neutral flavour that’s easily disguise-able with seasonings. Purees smooth – and white. This is life changing – imagine the possibilities! {Gluten free, low carb, nutrition dense}
45 calorie Creamy Healthy Soup broth
This recipe isn’t one of those healthy food hacks that calls for an enormous amount of effort, or weird ingredients, or where you sacrifice flavour for the sake of less calories.
It is, quite simply, my Creamy Zucchini Soup made using PEELED zucchini to make it white rather than keeping the skin on which makes the soup green.
So it’s not a desperate recipe creation designed to drastically strip calories from my life. That’s the side benefit. It is genuinely a creamy, silky white soup broth that’s extremely tasty that happens to be unbelievably low calorie, gluten free, low carb and packed with hidden nutrition!
What it tastes like
Like a savoury, creamy soup broth like Cream of Chicken Soup. It doesn’t taste like zucchinis. They’re pretty neutral in flavour anyway, easily overpowered by flavour additions! It doesn’t have that mouthfeel of richness that cream and butter provides in typical creamy soups. But it’s tasty in its own right!
Healthy Cream of Chicken Soup
For the sake of putting the broth into practice, I’m sharing the creamy white soup broth in the form of a healthy Cream of Chicken Soup today. So I’ve added little bits of chicken, carrot, celery, capsicum/bell peppers and peas. Not an enormous amount because it’s not supposed to be a chunky, fully loaded soup – though you absolutely could if you wanted to.
I’m making it just like Heinz canned soup – except with a fraction of the calories, preservative free, made from all natural ingredients! 🙌
The neutral flavour of zucchinis makes it ideal to use as a base for a super low cal savoury white soup broth!
Creamy healthy soup broth ingredients
Here’s what you need for this magical low cal creamy broth. See? No weird health food ingredients. That’s just not how I cook!
How to make the creamy healthy soup broth
I find that many “healthified” recipes tend to require an enormous amount of effort. Soaking, salting, squeezing out excess liquids, lots of pureeing.
Not this one.
The broth part is just a peel-chop-15 minute simmer-blitz job.
The soup part involves sautéing the veggies slowly to bring out the flavour, then adding our magic low cal creamy soup broth.
Isn’t it so nice to come across a healthy soup recipe that’s so incredibly simple??
Healthy Soup Add Ins – Cream of Chicken Soup
And here’s what you need to make the healthy version of Cream of Chicken Soup.
Yes, there’s a smidge of butter there. We need a bit – or oil – to sauté all those veggies slowly to bring out the sweetness and intensify the flavour. Little trick for getting the most flavour out of veggies, especially essential when you want to make healthy food using less oil and more vegetables!
Thick and creamy!
I really wanted to show you how thick and creamy the soup really is but found it hard to capture in photos. You will see it in the recipe video below – but as for photos, I found the best way was to use bread!! Which I realise contradicts the whole point of sharing a healthy recipe though I would totally understand / applaud if you chose to use your calorie credits on warm crusty bread slathered in butter to dunk into that creamy soup…..😂
The possibilities! Soups / stews / pasta bakes / casseroles
The neutral, savoury flavour of this creamy low calorie soup broth makes it ideal to use as a healthier, more nutrition dense option in place of richer creamy white soup broths that are typically made with butter and flour. Some examples include:
But why stop there? Use it to make rice casseroles. Make pasta bakes. Make white stews. Broccoli au gratin.
Oh the possibilities!! Tell me what you’re thinking! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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45 Cal Creamy HEALTHY Soup!
Ingredients
Healthy Creamy Soup Broth:
- 700g/ 1.2 lb zucchinis (4 largish), peeled and cut into 1.5cm / 3/5″ slices
- 1/2 large onion , roughly chopped (brown, white, yellow)
- 2 garlic cloves , whole
- 2 cups (500 ml) chicken broth (or veg broth)
- 2 cups (500 ml) water
- 1/2 tsp each garlic and onion powder (or 1 tsp of one of them)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup (250 ml) 0% fat milk (or other milk of choice)
Soup Add Ins:
- 1 tbsp (15g) butter or olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/2 large onion , finely chopped
- 1.5 cups carrot , peeled and finely diced
- 1.5 cups celery , finely chopped
- 1 small red capsicum/bell pepper , finely chopped
- 1.5 cups cooked chicken breast , diced
- 3/4 cup frozen peas
Garnish:
- Fresh thyme (high recommended, or sub chives)
Instructions
Healthy Creamy Broth:
- Place all Broth ingredients EXCEPT milk into a pot, cover with lid and bring to energetic simmer over medium high heat.
- Lower to medium and simmer for 15 minutes until zucchinis is very soft.
- Remove from heat, add milk. Use a handheld blender to blitz until smooth. Add salt to taste. Marvel at creamy broth with so few calories!
Healthy Cream of Chicken Soup:
- Melt butter in a pot or large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add garlic, onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 3 minutes, then add capsicum. Cook for another 2 minutes until onion is translucent and sweet.
- Add Broth, chicken and peas. Bring to gentle simmer for just 2 to 3 minutes or until peas are cooked.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with a pinch of fresh thyme leaves. Devour, and marvel at how such a creamy, totally delicious bowl of soup has so few calories!!
Recipe Notes:
3. Nutrition per serving for broth only (about 1.5 cups per serving).Nutrition Information:
More soups to soothe the soul
Life of Dozer
Just a little peek into Dozer’s rough life…
Looking forward to making this! Do you think it would still taste as good if I omitted the chicken? If so, would I have adjust measurements of the other ingredients? And can I use lactose free or skim milk instead? Thanks Nagi!
I dont put chicken in mine and just have the recipe as is. Love it.
I’ve never had a bad meal from this blog, and this soup is no exception. So simple, yet so delicious!
Really great! I made a couple of modifications (used all broth and no water, plus a little extra chicken bouillon; instead of peas, I added frozen mixed veggie blend – the one with green beans, lima beans, carrot, peas, corn). I love how creamy this broth is, considering it’s mostly zucchini. I will definitely make again.
This is a great low calorie cream of chicken veggie soup. I made it as per recipe and would recommend changing the broth using a total of 4 cups of chicken broth and no water as it was a bit bland. I ended up adding a generous Tbsp. of chicken flavored bouillon. It needed the thyme for sure to give it that chicken flavored soup we all love. Will definitely be making it over and over again. Genius use of zucchini!!!
I have followed you for a long time now and love everything. I made this soup this afternoon and it was another delicious recipe! Thankyou
Nagi!
This soup was excellent! My garden is producing zuchinni faster then I can bake and this soup allowed me to use up an overgrown zuchinni which is a bonus. Love that this soup is jam packed full of vegetables. I did increase the chicken by a full cup as I had roasted chicken to use up. Served it up with homemade bread. I didn’t have fresh time for that finishing touch, will have to try that next time. Homemade garlic croutons might be nice too!
Thanks!
Holly x
So good! Thanks so much Nagi 🙂
Hello.
I’m new to your website but loving your recipes so far. Is it possible to include weights for ingredients as well as cup measures. Being British I have never used cups to measure ingredients like meat and vegetables, we always weigh things. Also can you tell me why you peel the courgettes for the soup base, aren’t the nutrients in the skin ?
Thanks.
What kinda of sorcery is this? How is this so good and creamy with only one cup of 0% milk? Amazing.
You’re converted now!!! N x
Cooked this on Monday for my lunches this week. Have enjoyed every mouthful.
Partner, who detests zucchini, said he loved it and that I should “keep making creamy potato based soups cos they’re bloody beaut”
I near wet myself since there wasn’t a potato in sight and funnily none in the pantry either. 🤪
As always.. love your recipes and thank you for sharing them.
My partner (who is a potato fiend) can’t stand zucchini either and yet LOVES this soup! 😜
I don’t like soup, but I have learned to blindly trust you, so I made this because my partner is doing F45. Wowow what a surprise! Using zucchini to make a ‘creamy’ soup – that is just short of sorcery (or is that saucery hahaha). Whatever dark magic this was, it was really delicious, and we both ended up eating 2 servings (in one sitting). But it was really THAT good. I still don’t like soup – but I really like THIS soup. Fantastic ! Thank you Nagi!
Hi Nagi
Just finished a bowl of this delicious and innovative soup.
Will use base next week with mushrooms from our forage next weekend. I can also imagine it great with fresh asparagus in season (or from my frozen stash). Have not long discovered your site and am working through your lovely recipes.
Thanks so much from WA for a great site. 🍒
Cooked this the day before and reheated it in the pot the next day.
Delicious and Creamy. Can’t taste the zucchinis (not that it would have been an issue). Just tastes like a creamy vegetable and chicken soup.
Added one chopped long red chilli and served with a spoon of cream cheese.
Healthy and will do again.
Hi Nagi (and Dozer),
made this soup last night and it was delicious. We don’t really like courgettes as they are pretty tasteless but just as you said they add a lovely creaminess. Great way to lower the calories. I didn’t have chicken so I substituted gammon stock that I had in the freezer and threw in a piece of gammon. Will definately make again.
Domo Nagi !! I just made this. My hubby(from Singapore) and myself were feeling quite tired today so I made him chicken congee and this soup for myself. It turned out so good! Do you have a version of chicken congee? Ja ne 🙂
Hi Nagi! I try to have soup with my lunch and usually I make butternut squash soup in the cooler months and gazpacho when tomatoes are in season. I have to admit I get soooo tired of butternut squash soup. This is a great way for me to change up the lunch routine. Besides using up some leftover chicken, I threw in some sliced mushrooms I had in the fridge, and some frozen corn (it was fresh corn last summer, I cut it off the cob and froze it). Turned out great! Thank you for the great recipes!
This is fabulous! I made it with all the add ins. I did 3 cups broth and one cup water. Also thickened it at the end, before add in, with a little cornstarch and water paste. I recommend kosher salt to wake it up. Poached boneless, skinless chicken breasts for the chicken add in. So so good! I will be using the broth for lots of things! Thanks so much, Nagi!
I was a little hesitant about the sauce but it turned out to be an amazing recipe. The lack of a calorie load was a pleasant surprise.
I made the Cream of Chicken version, soooo good! Love visiting your site! Thanks for sharing Nagi 🙂
I’m so glad you loved it Tracey, thanks so much! N x
I come to this website EVERY week to plan my family’s meals. It’s so hard to find things that fit my calorie budget and please my husband’s taste buds. This soup is always a hit with both of us. It’s just so darn good!