Creamy Low-Carb Spinach & Artichoke Soup

This keto recipe is adapted from your creations shared in our KetoDiet Support Group. Whether you are too busy to cook (perfect for meal prep!), or you don't have any fresh vegetables on hand, make this deliciously creamy soup with just a few common pantry staples. Perfect for a rainy day!

This soup is a creamier, more satisfying version of our Low-Carb Artichoke Soup, but this time we are adding spinach for an electrolyte boost, lemon for an extra zing, and cheese for creaminess and flavor.

Instead of flour, which is commonly used in similar soups as a thickener, we are simply going to part-blend the soup to make it just as creamy and delicious but with none of the carbs and gluten.

This keto soup can be served as an appetizer or main dish. For a more satisfying meal you can serve this Spinach & Artichoke Soup with some Italian Bread Pizza Chaffles or 90-Second Keto Bread.

Recipe Tips

This Creamy Spinach & Artichoke Soup is so easy to make! All you need is just a few common ingredients. We are using Homemade Chicken Stock although you could use ready-made stock or broth, or even vegetable stock.

To convert this soup into a high-protein meal and make it more satisfying, add some leftover rotisserie chicken shredded into small pieces, or some cooked chicken breasts or chicken thighs.

This low-carb soup can easily be made vegetarian. To do that, simply use the vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, and use other hard Italian-style cheese instead of the Parmesan.

Preparation time

Hands-on:    10 minutes
Overall:     40 minutes

Nutritional values (per serving, about 1 cup, 240 ml/8 fl oz)

Total Carbs	13.8	grams
Fiber	5.6	grams
Net Carbs	8.2	grams

Protein	14.3	grams
Fat	32.7	grams
of which Saturated	18.6	grams

Energy	377	kcal

Magnesium	89	mg (22% RDA)
Potassium	630	mg (32% EMR)

Macronutrient ratio: Calories from carbs (9%), protein (15%), fat (76%)

Ingredients (makes 8 servings)

2 medium cans artichoke hearts, drained (480 g/ 17 oz)
600 g frozen spinach, thawed and drained (1.3 lbs)
1 small brown onion, diced (70 g/ 2.5 oz)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil (30 ml)
1 L chicken stock, chicken broth or vegetable stock (1 quart)
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice (60 ml)
zest from ¹/₂ organic lemon
1 cup heavy whipping cream (240 ml)
340 g full-fat cream cheese (12 oz)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (90 g/ 3.2 oz)
sea salt and pepper, to taste
Optional: fresh parsley or chives, and Parmesan shavings for serving

Instructions

Prepare all the ingredients. Drain the artichoke hearts and cut into quarters. Defrost the spinach. Squeeze the excess water out. Dice the onion and finely chop the garlic.
Heat olive oil (or avocado oil) in a heavy pot on the stove and then add the onion. Cook over medium-high heat until fragrant, for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the chicken stock (or vegetable stock), spinach, lemon juice and lemon zest. Bring to a simmer over a medium-high heat.
Turn the heat to medium-low. Add the cream, cream cheese and grated Parmesan cheese. Stir through until the cream cheese has melted.
Take off the heat. Use a ladle to transfer about 2 cups of the soup in a blender. Blend until smooth.
Pour the blended soup into the pot with the remaining soup and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve warm, optionally with some fresh herbs such as parsley or chives, lemon, and/or Parmesan shavings on top. Store in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days. This recipe is not suitable for freezing.