Buffalo Chicken Soup

Instructions

1. Start by washing and chopping all the vegetables so they're ready to go.
2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat butter or ghee over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the onion, celery, carrots, cauliflower, and zucchini. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until they begin to soften.
3. Add all of your spices (Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill, salt, and pepper). Mix well.
4. Stir in the chicken broth and hot sauce, and then submerge the chicken breasts in the soup mixture. Let the chicken cook for about 10-12 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 155-160 degrees F.
5. Once cooked, take the chicken out and set aside (it will continue to cook a bit and also be added back to the soup mixture to simmer at the end).
6. Now for the creamy trick! Grab a blender or food processor and ladle about 1/2 of the soup mixture (including the cauliflower, veggies, and some broth) into the food processor/blender. Blend until smooth and then pour the blended mixture back into the soup pot.
7. Add in the softened cream cheese (if using) and mix until it's melted and well combined.
8. Cut or shred the chicken into small pieces and add back into the soup. Cook on medium-low for about 10 minutes.
9. Top with chopped green onions, chives, and cheese of your choice, and enjoy!
10. Store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freeze it for easy meals in the future!

Notes

• As mentioned, you can make this dairy-free by substituting the cream cheese for dairy-free cream cheese or leaving it out altogether. Blending half the mixture will add a natural creaminess to the soup without the cream cheese (although it is a nice flavor boost!)
• Feel free to swap in or out veggies that you prefer. 
• You could also use ground chicken, turkey, or beef - just make sure to brown it first and then add it to the soup at the end. 
• I've only made this with Frank's Red Hot Sauce, but I'm sure any buffalo hot sauce would work great!