Soups, soup and more soup. With this unrelenting New England winter, I am just wanting all the soup. I can make up a batch in no time flat and have my lunches for the week plus a little extra for a dinner or two. And creamy soups are so comforting and stick to the ribs and just make me feel all warm inside.

Click here to print this recipe

But the problem with most creamy soups is they are so full of hidden fats that just aren’t the best choice, particularly when you’re trying to eat clean. If this is you my friend, I’ve come up with the perfect compromise! All the creamy decadence and comfort with none of the guilt!

As always, here’s the recipe and I’ll add some helpful hints or ideas for tweaks.

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 tbsp almond flour
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 28 ounces diced tomatoes with juice
• 2 cups water
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 cups chopped zucchini
• 3 cups brown rice pasta (I find rotini works best), uncooked
• 1/2 cup non-dairy mozzarella cheese
• 3 cups chopped spinach
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 2 tbsp basil
• 1 boneless chicken breast, cooked and chopped or shredded

Heat olive oil in stock pot, add onion and cook until translucent, adding a bit ow water if needed. Add garlic and sautee until fragrant. Add almond flour and combine to make a roux.

Add italian seasoning, chicken broth, diced tomatoes with juices, water and tomato paste. Stir and bring to a boil. Add chopped zucchini and allow to cook roughly 5 minutes. Add brown rice pasta and allow to cook until desired tenderness of pasta. Turn down heat to simmer. Add the non-dairy cheese and allow to melt. Gradually stir in almond milk. Add basil and spinach and allow to cook about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken and simmer 20 minutes to allow flavors to combine and develop.

Now for my hints and tweaks. I don’t buy chicken broth anymore–too much added crap and to be quite honest, I’m not a huge fan of spending time in the grocery aisles reading labels. Teeny, tiny printed labels. Even the stuff labeled organic has added starches and preservatives, believe it or not. So, I fire up my instant pot, put 4 seasoned boneless chicken breast halves in with 3 cups of water, pressure cook for 20 minutes, and voila, fresh chicken broth and my chicken for not only my soup, but also a dinner or two.

If dairy-free isn’t super important to you, go ahead and use grated parmesan in place of the dairy free mozzarella. Also delicious.

This recipe makes 7 servings, 2 cups each. As you can see, it’s thick and hearty. If you like your soup a bit thinner, feel free to add another 2 cups of water–and you’ll get another couple of servings out of it.

As always, you can throw in any other veggies you may enjoy–chopped carrots, beans, peas (none for me, thanks), cauliflower, broccoli…sky’s the limit. And you can easily make it vegan by using vegetable broth and omitting the chicken.

And, this soup pairs quite nicely with a grilled cheese sandwich, because, or course!!!

Let me know when you make it, and what you think!! Enjoy!!