Keto Chicken & Rice Soup
Published March 2, 2025 • Updated February 2, 2026
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This copycat version of Panera's classic chicken and wild rice soup features a rich, creamy broth, tender chicken, and a hearty low-carb rice alternative - without using cauliflower. Using a rotisserie chicken to save time, make the perfect cozy, comforting meal in under 20 minutes.
If you’re missing Panera’s creamy chicken and wild rice soup but want a keto version without cauliflower rice, YOU MUST MAKE THIS RECIPE!! The broth has that same rich, comforting flavor that is perfect to soak up with my famous keto rolls. And if you make this soup with homemade bone broth, it’s even better.
Key features that make it keto
- Keto rice – Instead of using wild rice, I use lupini rice – a high protein, low-carb alternative made from fiber-packed lupini beans. It cooks up just like traditional rice, blending seamlessly into the broth for a hearty, filling bite. Lupini rice is a far better alternative to rice than cauliflower which can change the flavor of the soup and isn’t the same texture as traditional white rice or wild rice.
- Rotisserie chicken – To keep things easy, I used a rotisserie chicken, which not only saves time but also adds built-in flavor since it’s already seasoned. No need to spend extra time cooking and shredding chicken when you can grab one from the store and have dinner ready even faster! Plus, rotisserie chickens tend to be juicier than plain cooked chicken breast, giving the soup a richer taste.
- Thickener – Instead of using all-purpose flour to thicken the soup, I add in a little bit of arrowroot powder. This is my go-to thickener since it has a greater thickening ability compared to flour so you don’t need to add too much of it, which keeps the carbs down.
Explore 681+ keto recipe videos with step-by-step instructions, tips, and tricks to make keto easy.
Ingredients
1 rotisserie chicken (about 4 cups shredded, cooked chicken) -
1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick)
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1 cup diced yellow onion
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1 cup sliced carrot
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1 cup sliced celery
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1 teaspoon garlic powder
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1 teaspoon onion powder
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1 teaspoon salt
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1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
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1/2 teaspoon black pepper
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1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
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1 cup heavy cream
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4 cups chicken broth
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4 oz (1/2 package) lupini rice
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Shred the chicken
Remove all the chicken (dark & white meat) from the rotisserie chicken. Shred or chop into bite-sized chunks. Set aside. Should end up with 4-6 cups of shredded chicken.
- 1 rotisserie chicken
Cook veggies
Place butter in a Dutch oven or large pot and melt over medium heat. Once melted, add onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until almost tender.
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
Season & creamy
Stir in garlic powder, onion powder, salt, oregano, black pepper and arrowroot powder. Whisk in cream, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Cook until thickened, 2-3 minutes.
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
- 1 cup heavy cream
Turn it into soup
Pour in chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add lupini rice and cook over medium heat until rice is tender, about 6-10 minutes.
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 4 oz lupini rice
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros (Free) →Frequently Asked Questions
What can I substitute arrowroot powder with?
Instead of arrowroot powder, you can use cornstarch to thicken the soup. Or use one egg yolk. Another option is to omit the thickener altogether. The soup will have a thinner consistency, but will still be delicious.
How can I lower the carbs even more?
If this soup still has too many carbs for your needs, then try omitting the carrots and lowering the amount of diced onion in the soup. The arrowroot powder can be decreased or substituted with an egg yolk.
My son thought we ordered from Panera, which is the most generous thing he's ever said about a meal I cooked.
Ha, that kid has good taste. The lupini rice really does nail the texture.
made this last night with rotisserie from costco. used it up before it went bad and had soup in like 25 min
Costco rotisserie is my go-to for this. The pre-cooked chicken cuts it down to basically just sautéing veg and simmering.