Zero Waste Keto Chicken Vegetable Soup

Nothing beats a hearty soup that soothes the soul and heals the body. This chicken and vegetable Keto soup is packed with nutritious ingredients and generous flavors. It is one of the BEST zero waste recipes out there because it is quick and easy to prepare, chock-full of nutritional components, and leaves no waste behind. Prepared using a zero-waste stock and topped with crispy chicken skin, this soup is beneficial for your body, soul, and environment.

How to prepare a zero-waste chicken stock?

The secret to preparing a zero-waste chicken vegetable soup is utilizing the vegetable scraps to make a flavorful stock. Wash the celery, onions, carrots, and zucchini and scrub them using a sponge if necessary. Peel the carrots and onions, cut off the ends of all the veggies, and separate the celery leaves from their stalks. Add the peel, ends, and leaves to a large pot and cover with water. Add the chicken and bring to a boil. Use bone-in chicken to get a rich and flavorful stock. Cook the stock for 1 hour or until the chicken is cooked through. Strain, shred the chicken, and discard vegetable scraps and bones. You can add more vegetable scraps to this stock, as long as they are washed. Use the stock to prepare this soup or store it for other recipes.

How to prepare chicken skin crackling?

Chicken skin is often omitted from soups because it becomes rubbery and unpleasantly fatty when boiled. One solution is to separate the skin from the meat and transform it into a crunchy soup topping. Stretch the chicken skins, lay them flat on a lined baking sheet, and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and crispy. Transfer the crackling to a plate and discard the chicken fat.

What goes into this Keto soup recipe?

The main ingredients in this soup are bone-in skin-on chicken thighs and zucchini. The chicken is an excellent source of protein, and the zucchini is high in fiber and essential nutrients. These ingredients are brought to life by adding aromatics like onions, celery, carrots, and garlic, then stewed in the waste-free chicken stock prepared earlier and seasoned with salt, crushed red pepper, and lemon juice. Finally, the soup is topped with crispy chicken skin to add a little crunch. Not only is this soup good for the environment, but it is also comforting, satisfying, and absolutely addictive.

How can you customize this low-carb soup?

This detox soup recipe is super versatile and can be customized to your liking. For the protein source, you can swap the chicken thighs for chicken breast, turkey breast, or turkey thighs. As for the zucchini, you can replace it with broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, or kale. To flavor the soup, you can add seasonings and herbs to your preference.

Net Carbs

4 g
Fiber

1.8 g
Total Carbs

6 g
Protein

30.9 g
Fats

21 g

339 cals

Quantity

Serving Size

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Chicken thigh with skin

4 large
Carrots, raw

1 medium - 6" to 7" long
Onion

1 small
Celery

2 medium - stalk - 7 1/2" to 8" long
Zucchini

1 large
Water

6 cup
Oil

2 tbsp
Salt

1 tsp
Black pepper

0.5 tsp
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

1 tsp
Lemon juice

1 tbsp
Fresh Parsley (for flavoring only)

1 tbsp

Step 1

Wash all your vegetables thoroughly and scrub using a sponge to remove any dirt, if needed. Peel the onions and carrots, cut off all the vegetables’ ends, and separate the celery leaves from the stalks. Place the scraps in a large pot.
Step 2

Preheat your oven to 200 C/400 F and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Remove the chicken skin from the meat and stretch them on the baking sheet. Trim any large pieces of fat from the edges with a knife and scrape away any extra fat on the underside of the skin.
Step 3

Season lightly with salt and pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and transfer to a plate.
Step 4

Transfer the skinless chicken thighs to the pot with the veggie scraps. Cover with water and place the pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then drop the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.
Step 5

When the chicken is fully cooked, take it out of the pot, shred it, and discard the bones. Strain the stock and throw away the wilted scraps. You should end up with 4 cups of stock; if you get less, compensate with water. Set them aside and start assembling the soup.
Step 6

To the same pot, add the oil and place it over medium heat. Finely chop the onion and celery, grate the carrot, and add them to the pot. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 7

Dice the zucchini and add it to the pot. Stir for 3 more minutes, then add the chicken stock. Return the shredded chicken and season with salt, pepper, and crushed pepper. Bring to a boil, drop the heat to low, and let the soup simmer for 15 minutes.
Step 8

Stir in the lemon juice, taste the soup, and adjust seasoning if needed. Ladle into 4 bowls, and top each with a piece of crispy chicken crackling. Garnish with parsley leaves and serve immediately.