Instant Pot Green Chile Chicken Chowder (paleo, Whole30, keto, GAPS)

This Instant Pot Green Chile Chicken Chowder is so creamy but still light, and it’s Whole30, keto/low-carb, GAPS, paleo, gut-healthy, and FULL of fiber-rich veggies. Get this hearty and nourishing Instant Pot Green Chile Chicken Chowder on the table in under 30 minutes!
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Instant Pot Green Chile Chicken Chowder is my idea of the perfect warm weather or cold weather soup!
All that fresh lime and cilantro brightens it up and makes me feel like I should be eating at a beachside resort instead of fighting back tears because we got six inches of snow in mid-April! (Which actually happened. And, I actually tested this recipe during that blizzard…) 🙂
I love that I can take raw chicken, a really ugly root vegetable, and nourishing bone broth (along with a few other delish ingredients) and concoct a creamy but light chowder that’s Whole30, keto/low-carb, paleo, gut-healthy, and FULL of fiber-rich veggies!
Plus, this soup makes A LOT. Like 12 servings.
For my family of four, that means 3 full meals! Feel free to halve the recipe or freeze the leftovers for later!
What?? A Keto Chowder?
Chowders are usually made with potatoes… And, there’s nothing wrong with potatoes, except…
- They’re out if you’re low-carb/keto.
- No potatoes if you’re working on healing your gut because they’re too starchy.
- Potatoes are nightshades, which many people are highly sensitive to.
What’s a chowder without potatoes?!
Well, actually, it’s still a chowder!
Because… celeriac!
Or celery root, as it’s also called.
This is the ugliest vegetable you’ll ever find. It’s brown and dirty with gnarled roots. But it’s the BEST potato substitute, especially in soups!
(I also use celeriac as the potato stand-in in my Instant Pot Clam Chowder, Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Stew, Low-Carb No-Tato Salad, and Instant Pot Fish Chowder!) Celeriac is WAY lower in carbs than potatoes, so it’s the perfect substitute for starchy potatoes in chowders!
Chowders are typically made with copious amounts of heavy cream. I have nothing against heavy cream, but for those of you who are dairy-free, heavy cream poses a problem.
So, to cut the dairy in this dairy-free green chile chicken chowder, I used another of my favorite veggies — cauliflower!
A quick cauliflower “cream” gets stirred into the finished chowder, thickening it to perfection and adding even more valuable plant fiber to this meal.
And yes, this chowder definitely stands on its own… especially if you load up on the toppings!
Because there’s no dairy in this chowder and it’s made with nourishing, low-carb veggies, this Instant Pot Green Chile Chicken Chowder recipe is paleo, keto, low-carb, and Whole30-friendly!
You Want All The Toppings for Your Instant Pot Green Chile Chicken Chowder!
My favorite thing to do is to make a giant pot of this chowder and then lay out a spread of various toppings so everyone can mix and match their own toppings and create custom bowls of yumminess!
Here are our favorite toppings. Adjust these for your dietary needs and pile ’em on your nourishing chowder!
- grated raw cheddar (if dairy is tolerated)
- cultured sour cream (if dairy is tolerated)
- wedges of lime
- fresh cilantro
- slices or cubes of avocado
- guacamole
- pico de gallo
- diced red onion
- extra salsa verde
- fermented jalapeno peppers
Ingredient Subs & Recipe FAQs
This recipe makes a LOT. Can I freeze leftovers?
Absolutely! I like freezing this chowder in a gallon-size zip-top freezer bag. Make sure you label it with the name of the recipe and date. It will be good in the freezer for 6 months!
I don’t have/don’t like celery root/celeriac; can I use potatoes?
Yep, you can sub potatoes for the celery root! Use an equal amount or half and half. Whatever works for you!
What salsa verde do you use?
Though I make my own salsa, I don’t make salsa verde very often. We go to Trader Joe’s once or twice a year and stock up on their salsa verde. Most store brands contain added sugar, so read your ingredients!
Can I use heavy cream if I don’t want to use cauliflower cream?
Because I don’t eat dairy, I have not tested this recipe with heavy cream. So, I can’t say how it will perform for you. But take a look at the comments and see how many people have made it with the cauliflower cream and LOVED it!
I don’t have chicken breast. Can I use a whole chicken?
Cooking a whole chicken is part of my weekly meal prep. If you have the meat from a cooked chicken, you can totally use that! Simply cook the soup without adding the deboned chicken. Once the soup is cooked, stir in the shredded or diced chicken meat and serve.
And now, see how easy it is to make a nourishing, homemade Instant Pot Green Chile Chicken Chowder!

Instant Pot Green Chile Chicken Chowder
This Instant Pot Green Chile Chicken Chowder is so creamy but still light, and it's Whole30, keto/low-carb, paleo, gut-healthy, and FULL of fiber-rich veggies. Get this hearty and nourishing all-weather soup on the table in under 30 minutes!
Ingredients
Cauliflower "Cream":
- 2poundsfrozen cauliflower florets
- 1cupbone broth
Green Chili Chicken Chowder:
- 3tablespoonsnourishing fat of choicelard, tallow, butter, ghee, coconut oil, etc.
- 7cupspeeled and diced celeriac - 1/4" cubescelery root
- 3cupsdiced onion
- 2-1/2poundsorganic/pasturedboneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3cupsbone broth
- 1tablespoonsalt
- 1tablespoonground cumin
- 2teaspoonsgarlic powder
- 1-1/2teaspoonsdried oregano
- 1teaspoonchipotle powder
- 1/2teaspoonwhite pepper
- 1cupsugar-free salsa verdehomemade or jarred, just read ingredients
- 26oz. cans diced green chiles
- 2limeszest and juice
- 1/2cupfinely chopped cilantro
Instructions
For The Cauliflower "Cream":
- Add the frozen cauliflower and broth to the stainless insert of your Instant Pot. Place the lid on the pot, seal the vent, and press the "Manual" button. Adjust the time to 2 minutes on high pressure.
- When the pot beeps, immediately release the pressure.
- Open the Instant Pot and carefully transfer the all of the cooked cauliflower and broth to a blender. Then, blend on high speed until smooth.
- Set aside.
For The Chowder:
- Now, don't even wash the Instant Pot! Press the "Saute" button and add 3 tablespoons fat of choice to the stainless insert pot.
- Then add the diced celery root, onion, and all seasonings. Stir to combine.
- Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Next, add the chicken thighs — don't cut them up; add them whole — and the remaining 3 cups bone broth.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, seal the vent, and press "Keep Warm/Cancel". Next press the "Manual" button and adjust the time to 13 minutes on high pressure.
- When the pot beeps, immediately release the pressure.
- Using tongs, carefully remove the chicken thighs and shred with 2 forks (or use your stand mixer).
- Add the shredded chicken back to the pot, along with the Cauliflower "Cream", salsa verde, green chiles, lime juice, lime zest, and chopped cilantro.
- Stir everything together, taste, adjust seasonings if necessary.
- Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Topping Suggestions:
- fresh lime wedges
- chopped cilantro
- grated raw cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
- sliced or cubed avocado
- cultured sour cream
- a sprinkle of chipotle powder
- crushed blue corn chips
- crushed cassava flour chips
- pico de gallo, salsa, or salsa verde
- guac
- chopped black olives
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Do you love a good chowder, even without potatoes and cream? Will you give this paleo, keto, Whole30 Instant Pot Green Chile Chicken Chowder recipe a try?
Originally published May 6, 2018. Updated with new text and images on April 21, 2020.
[…] Instant Pot Green Chile Chicken Chowder […]
Is there a particular kind of bone broth that I should buy? Oh beef or chicken
I saw another suggestion that said that you could use rutabaga if you can’t find the salary road. What are your thoughts?
I make my own broth, but Kettle and Fire is a good brand. You can use a rutabaga if you can’t find celery root.
Absolutely wonderful! I opted for rutabaga instead of celery root & subbed chicken breast. Yummy!
[…] Get The Recipe On All The Nourishing Things […]
Hi there, Just wanted to say I’ve made this soup twice now & I think it’s a keeper! Celery root is for some strange reason kind of expensive near me, so I only used half the amount of celery root, 1.5 lbs of chicken thighs, half the salsa (it’s all i had) & 1/3 of the green chiles. I didn’t have chipotle powder so i used 1 sm chipotle in adobo this time. I think last time I used a combo of half chile powder & half paprika instead of the chipotle powder. The chipotle in adobo is the one… Read more »
Hey Liz! Glad you found a keeper! This is one of our favorite soups, too. Love the additions and changes you made to make the recipe work for you and that your husband thought it wasn’t bad. LOL
Ummmm on the home stretch of Whole30and made this for me and the boy and holy cow. The mix of flavors between the lime and chili and cauliflower cream! I used potatoes instead of the other fancy root mentioned and also used whole canned green chiles and diced them up. I had a client meeting and gave her the recipe immediately. I was also asked this AM as the boy was leaving for work if the rest was for him (heck no). Also just realized I made your Tikka Masala tonight that turned out incredible! You are making Whole30 WAYYYYY… Read more »
I love comments like this! So glad you are ENJOYING your Whole30 and that my recipes are helping! Thank you!
So….we don’t have celeriac at my local store. I am going try and get to the “big city” (ha) and get some to try this but I’m not sure when I’ll be able to do that. Could I use potatoes as a straight sub? I know it’s not recommended and I understand why, but I really want to try this and I don’t know when I can get the actual ingredient! Sorry, I hate to substitute before trying a recipe generally!
Yes, you can use potatoes as a direct sub. Potatoes are healthy; they’re just not low-carb!
Turned out great! A little spicy for my husband so I may cut that a bit next time although I enjoyed it as is. Only other change I made was on accident, I misread the chicken as half a pound (I think the lines showed up weird on my phone) so I only used about a pound and a half of chicken but wouldn’t make much difference.
So glad you loved it!
Can this be frozen since it makes a big batch?
Absolutely! I freeze it all the time!
This is currently one of your favorite recipes to make. So amazing!!!
Thank you so much, Holly! So glad your family is enjoying it!
question: i realize the size of the celeriac may vary, but is there any way to gauge approx how many are needed for 7 cups diced? same with onion–approx how many for 3 cups diced? thanks!
Celeriac and onion are tricky to measure that way because of the varying sizes. I find that 3-4 baseball size celeriac makes about 7 cups, once you peel it and get all the hairs off. And 1-2 tennis ball size onions for 3 cups. If the measurements aren’t exact, your soup will still turn out just fine. 🙂
Made this soup and let me say, it was simply amazing. The flavors were great and it was surprisingly so creamy.
This makes me SOOOOOO happy! So glad you loved it!
Some of favorite flavors in this one! Can’t wait to try it!
Wow, wow and wow!