I've been thinking about this soup for weeks now. I knew I wanted to make a Pulled Pork Soup, but I was stuck between using chicken stock and pork stock. Which would take the soup's flavors over the top? Stick with me to find out. I also thought about the veggies and how they would all come together. I gave the soup a long thought, but it was well worth it. You'll love its hearty, rustic nature.
This recipe is:
-
- Low Carb
-
- Gluten Free
-
- Dairy Free
-
- Paleo
Table of Contents
8 Reasons to Love This Pulled Pork Soup
I always make a large batch of this hearty pulled pork soup recipe in the cold season for its warm, comforting nature. Other reasons why I enjoy making it are:
- A hearty soup that is super filling.
- Great for a winter warmer on a cold day.
- Perfect for a weekday lunch, or dress it up with a salad for dinner.
- It’s got a crazy amount of flavor with the pork, veggies, and tomatoes.
- I love serving this low-carb soup to people who think low-carb food is bland.
- Easy to portion and reheat in the future, making it perfect for meal prep.
- Super-easy to customize to your preference or ingredient availability.
- It’s a meal in a bowl that tastes so good.
Is Pulled Pork Soup Low-Carb?
Yes, pulled pork soup recipes prepared with low-carb ingredients are great for a low-carb diet. This soup is low-carb as it only contains 12 g net carbs per serving. The carb count is okay for most low-carb eaters as it is a complete meal in a bowl. Plus, I give tips on how to reduce the carb load in the substitutions section below.
Pulled Pork Soup Ingredient List
These are the ingredients you need to make soup with pulled pork:
- 8 cups chicken stock (homemade preferable)
- 4 cups cooked pulled pork
- 2 cups carrots, (diced)
- 2 cups onions, (diced)
- 2 cups celery, (diced)
- 2 cups kale, (torn leaves with no stems, loosely packed)
- 1 cup zucchini, (diced)
- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, (strained)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pinch fresh cracked black pepper
Ingredient Substitutions
Replace some of the ingredients listed above with these top-quality alternatives:
- Chicken stock: Use bone broth, veggie stock, beef stock, or water with bouillon cubes.
- Olive oil: Avocado oil, deodorized coconut oil, ghee, or clarified butter are great options.
- Carrots: Add some parsnips if you are not watching your carb intake. If you are, add about 10 diced radishes.
- Onions: Use shallots or leeks. If you want to lower the carb count, decrease the amount of onion. If you remove ½ of the onions, add 1 teaspoon of onion powder in their place.
- Celery: Try fennel or the white bottoms of bok choy. Otherwise, omit.
- Zucchini: Yellow squash or green beans will do.
- Canned tomatoes: Use fresh, seeded tomatoes, or try my tomato coulis recipe. It adds so much flavor!
- Pulled pork: Replace the pork with shredded chicken or shredded beef. I’ve also added diced shrimp to this recipe, which turned out delicious.
- Kale: Swap the kale for spinach or Swiss chard. Lacinato kale without the rib and torn into smaller pieces will also do.
Additional Ingredients
The best addition to this delicious shredded pork soup is a good squeeze of lemon or some lemon zest. The citrus flavor brightens up the soup.
Cooking Tools
Grab these simple tools for this flavor-packed pork soup:
- Heavy-bottomed soup pot
- Wooden spoon
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Strainer
How to Make Pulled Pork Soup: Complete Cooking Guide
Cooking Method
Sautéing
- Simmering
Preparation Steps
- Gather the tools and ingredients.
- Wash, peel, and dice the carrots.
- Peel and dice the onions.
- Dice the zucchini and celery.
- Wash and remove the stems from the kale. Tear the leaves into small pieces.
Cooking Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a heavy-bottomed soup pot and heat over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and a pinch of salt. Stir and sweat the mirepoix for 6 minutes.
- Add the zucchini and continue to cook for another 4-5 minutes. Add the strained tomatoes, pulled pork, and chicken stock. Increase the heat to high.
- Bring the soup to a boil for 1 minute, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Add the kale and stir to submerge. Add the remaining salt and pepper.
- Taste. Adjust seasonings and taste again.
- Enjoy hot and happy eating!
Sweating Vegetables For Soup
Ok. Sweating vegetables for soup is an important step to building flavor. The trick is to give the aromatics (the veggies) a head start in the cooking process. This is best achieved by sweating the veggies in olive oil and a pinch of salt. The salt draws the moisture out of the cut vegetables and releases it as steam. As the moisture evaporates, the veggies break down in the pan, and their flavors meld.
Another reason for sweating the veggies, particularly for this pulled pork soup, is to allow the harder veggies (think carrots) to soften. We can increase the soup's cook time to soften the vegetables, but it would turn mushy. The pulled pork will disintegrate, and the zucchini will fall apart before the carrots are cooked. Yikes—it sounds like the soup apocalypse!
Making Chicken Stock Vs. Buying Chicken Stock
Years ago, I made a post on a different blog (now long gone) comparing the absolute best-boxed beef stock you can buy against the homemade beef stock. The pictures were worth a million words alone. I poured both stocks into canning jars and let them sit for an hour. The results were astounding. The boxed stock had different layers of "stuff" that looked gross. The color of the stock was pale gray, with the brown coloring settling to the bottom of the jar.
On the other hand, the homemade stock was brown all the way through and just looked great. I wish I still had the picture. You'll have to take my word for it!
You can make simple chicken stock from the bones of a rotisserie chicken you have for dinner or by picking up a few necks and backs from the market. Stock doesn't need to be made in huge quantities. A few veggies, some bones, and a little time make all the difference in the world. The nutrients and rich flavor of homemade stock are just wonderful.
Now, I understand that making your own stock isn't always an option. If you must buy stock, choose one with the fewest ingredients on the label. Make sure you understand all the ingredients as well! When I buy stock, I opt for organic if it is available. Most importantly, purchase stock with NO SALT to control the salt you add to your soup. The people who manufactured the boxed stock don't know how much salt you like!
💡 My Pro Tip
We'll make everything in one pot. This reduces the amount of cleanup and makes the pulled pork soup a really easy recipe to make again and again. The most crucial tip is to add the vegetables in the order in the recipe below. Why? They have different cooking times, and we want the carrots, for example, to cook longer than the celery. If we add everything at once, the carrots will undercook, and the celery will overcook.
Oh yeah... a quick note about straining the tomatoes. Canned tomatoes pack a lot of flavor, and the juice, in particular, is very strong. I wanted tomatoes in the soup but not a tomato-tasting soup. Simply strain the tomatoes over a juice glass and save it for a more tomato-based soup, or enjoy it on the spot. It is so tasty! Pour it away if you don't like it, but straining the tomatoes helps balance the soup's flavor.
⏲️ Time-Saving Tips
- Use leftover pulled pork. Making the pulled pork for this soup takes quite a bit of time!
- Cook the vegetable ingredients in the order provided in the recipe. This is the fastest order to cook the veggies, so they turn out perfect.
- Buy stock rather than making it yourself. As always, read the ingredients! This is a huge time saver.
What to Serve with Pulled Pork Soup?
Although this pulled pork soup is a complete meal in a bowl, you can pair it with some low-carb sides to enhance its flavors and make it more filling:
- Cauliflower Puree: Pour the pork soup over this smooth cauliflower puree. It is perfectly light and will let the soup's flavors shine.
- Zoodles: The zucchini noodles will absorb the soup's flavors and add texture. Serve them together for a filling dinner meal on a cold night.
- Keto Cheese Chips: The crispy golden brown cheese crisps are a light and savory accompaniment to the soup.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Storage
- Cool the leftover pulled pork soup to room temperature and store it in an airtight container for up to a week.
Reheating
- The preferred reheating method is on the stove in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring until warmed through. You can also microwave on medium-high until heated, stirring to prevent hot and cold spots.
Freezing
- The pork soup freezes well. Add it to the appropriate number of freezer-safe containers, leaving enough space for the liquid to expand while freezing. Keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and heat according to your preference.
Conclusion
The Pulled Pork Soup recipe yields plenty of soup—twelve cups is more than some people may want to have on hand. I wanted to make enough to freeze at least four cups to enjoy on another day! The funny thing is that the soup disappeared quickly after lunch today. Everyone loved it.
Want to make pulled pork but don't have six hours to do it? Check out my delicious pressure-cooker pulled pork recipe, which is ready in under two hours. It's tender, juicy, and flavorful! Alternatively, use some of my easy shredded chicken, which is ready in much less time than it takes to make slow-cooked pulled pork.
More Healthy Soup Recipes
Looking to explore more delicious soup recipes? Try these:
FAQs
While many soups benefit from longer cooking times to enhance flavor and texture, it's important to monitor the soup and adjust cooking times based on the recipe and the desired outcome. Balancing the cooking time ensures you achieve a delicious, well-rounded soup without overcooking or compromising the freshness of delicate ingredients.
Yes, you can replace pulled pork with shredded leftover smoked pork. It will yield delicious smoked pork soup.
If you love a thicker consistency, purée some of the soup in an immersion blender and add it to the soup pot. You may also use low-carb thickeners like heavy cream or xanthan gum.
Healthy Pulled Pork Soup
Ingredients
- 8 cups chicken stock homemade preferable
- 4 cups cooked pulled pork
- 2 cups carrots (diced)
- 2 cups onions (diced)
- 2 cups celery (diced)
- 2 cups kale (torn leaves with no stems, loosely packed)
- 1 cup zucchini (diced)
- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (strained)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pinch fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- Gather the tools and ingredients.
- Wash, peel, and dice the carrots.
- Peel and dice the onions.
- Dice the zucchini and celery.
- Wash and remove the stems from the kale. Tear the leaves into small pieces.
Cooking Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a heavy-bottomed soup pot and heat over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and a pinch of salt. Stir and sweat the mirepoix for 6 minutes.
- Add the zucchini and continue to cook for another 4-5 minutes. Add the strained tomatoes, pulled pork, and chicken stock. Increase the heat to high.
- Bring the soup to a boil for 1 minute, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Add the kale and stir to submerge. Add the remaining salt and pepper.
- Taste. Adjust seasonings and taste again.
- Enjoy hot and happy eating!
Notes
Nutrition
“This website provides approximate nutrition data and information for convenience and as a courtesy only.”
Recent Low Carb Recipes:
Is it low carb? Learn more about it:
Jeff the Chef says
Ths soup sounds and looks delicious. I'm so glad I stumbled onto your site.
Scott Groth says
Hi Jeff:
Somehow I missed your comment- sorry about that! Glad you like the soup- it is really good. I just added my recipe for pressure cooker pulled pork that might help cut down some of the prep time too.
Thanks for reading, I appreciate it very much. Hope to see you back soon.
Take care,
Scott
Dereck somers says
What a amazing soup, and great for my growing family. We're all out getting fresh veggies at our local market and sharing this site along the way. This site has given us several healthy recipes that we still use often.
Thanks chef
V/R Somers family
Scott Groth says
Hey Derek:
So glad to hear that you were inspired by my recipes - this truly gives more meaning to what I'm doing. And it inspires me to discover better ones.
Than you so much- I appreciate it more than you think.
Take care and have a fantastic day!
Scott
Eliza Dinmore says
Warming and wonderful. I used a bunch of my leftover pulled pork in this recipe and it was just perfect. The whole fam dug in for a filling lunch.
Scott Groth says
Hi Eliza:
I love having lunch with my family. Thanks for making this divine soup and giving me some feedback.
Have a delicious day in the kitchen!
Scott
Jenn says
Found this recipe this morning to figure out a new way to use my leftover carnitas... this soup is going to the front of my recipe scrapbook! Everyone loves it and I can't wait to take it in to work and swat my coworkers away at lunchtime! Thank you!!
Scott Groth says
Hi Jenn:
So happy to hear you liked it. I can't wait to make it again!
Thank you so much for taking the time to tell me how it went.
Have an excellent day in the kitchen!
Scott
Mindy says
Fantastic soup ... I will make this again and again. My two teen/tween-age kids loved it.
Scott Groth says
Hi Mindy:
Excellent! My kids love it too.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful thoughts.
Hope you have a delicious day in the kitchen!
Scott
Pam Hackbarth says
Hi - I just stumbled on this recipe - I just went KETO and have lost 13 lbs in 2 weeks! I put this recipe in my nutrition calculator and it says there are 42 carb grams per serving! That is a lot of carbs even though they are good carbs - right?? What modification would you suggest?
Kate says
Thank you! Making Pulled Pork to have on hand for a variety of recipes. Also making Chicken Stock from Chicken backbones. So happy to find this Pulled Pork Soup Recipe. We are also following Whole30 diet and this is perfect!
Mehak Paaris says
Super delicious!