This chicken tetrazzini soup keeps the cozy chicken-and-mushroom idea while replacing pasta with cooked spaghetti squash. Homemade chicken meat stock and full-fat homemade coconut milk make the broth creamy, and lemon, green onion, and fresh thyme keep it from tasting heavy.
Use cooked chicken or leftover turkey. The meat does not have to come from the same batch as the stock, which makes this a practical way to bring several prepared kitchen staples into one dinner.
Tetrazzini Soup Without Pasta or Starch
Classic tetrazzini relies on pasta, flour or starch, and cream. This Full GAPS soup takes a different route: eight ounces cooked spaghetti-squash strands replace the noodles, and the liquid stays naturally loose rather than being forced into a flour-thickened sauce.
A well-prepared meat stock still gives the bowl body, while homemade coconut milk rounds out the broth. The finished soup should be creamy and spoonable with visible broth, not as thick as a casserole.
For our household, this is the kind of meal that makes prior kitchen work pay off. A container of stock, cooked chicken, and prepared squash can become dinner without starting every component after a full work and homeschool day.
Where This Soup Fits on GAPS
This complete recipe fits Full GAPS after cooked chicken or turkey, spaghetti squash, mushrooms or celery, homemade coconut milk, mustard, lemon, green onions, and the selected herbs and spices are introduced and tolerated.
Use homemade chicken meat stock made from raw, meaty chicken parts. This recipe does not substitute store-bought broth, bouillon, or bare-bone broth for the measured meat stock.
Make the Hot-Water Homemade Coconut Milk for Full GAPS before beginning, then stir it well and measure one cup. Canned coconut milk and commercial creamers are not the milk used here.
Choose Mushrooms or Celery
The source formula supports one pound sliced mushrooms or several chopped celery stalks. The photographed batch uses mushrooms.
For mushrooms, begin with the onion and green-onion whites, then add the sliced mushrooms after ten minutes. For celery, add it at the beginning with the onions so it receives the full 15-minute softening time.
Keep the rest of the formula unchanged. The mushroom and celery options are measured branches within this one soup; they are not an invitation to add both in full.
Prepare the Chicken, Stock, and Squash First
Have three to four cups cooked chopped or shredded chicken or turkey ready. Measure four cups meat stock, keeping a fifth cup nearby if the soup needs loosening.
Cook the spaghetti squash separately and measure eight ounces of strands after cooking. They should be tender enough to eat but still hold distinct strands when lifted with a fork.
This recipe does not include a second spaghetti-squash method inside the soup post. Prepare the squash first, then add the measured cooked strands near the end so they heat without breaking down.
Soften the Vegetables Without Dark Browning
Heat two tablespoons ghee, coconut oil, or rendered chicken fat in an extra-large stainless sauté pan, low pot, or Dutch-oven-style pot over medium-high heat.
Add the chopped onion, green-onion whites, and one-half teaspoon of the sea salt. If using celery, add it now. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
After five to ten minutes, lower the heat to medium or below so the vegetables soften without getting too dark. For the mushroom branch, add the sliced mushrooms after ten minutes and cook them for the final five.
Add the Dried Seasonings and Garlic
After 15 minutes, stir in one teaspoon pure onion powder, one-half teaspoon pure garlic powder, one-half teaspoon ground ginger or white or black pepper, and one teaspoon dried thyme.
Cook for two minutes. The mixture should smell savory and fragrant without the powders scorching against the bottom. Stir in two crushed or minced garlic cloves after the dried seasonings have bloomed.
Whisk the Coconut Milk and Mustard
Measure one cup homemade coconut milk into a large glass measuring cup or small glass bowl. Whisk in two teaspoons homemade mustard with no additives.
No tapioca or other starch belongs in this Full GAPS mixture. Whisk again immediately before adding it so the coconut fat and mustard are evenly distributed.
Build the Creamy Meat-Stock Broth
Add two cups chicken meat stock to the softened vegetables and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
Pour in the freshly whisked coconut-milk mixture and stir it through. Add another two cups meat stock and bring the soup back to a gentle simmer. Hold the optional fifth cup for the end rather than pouring it in automatically.
The broth should look pale and creamy with the vegetables still visible. It will remain looser than a starch-thickened tetrazzini, which is the intended result for this GAPS version.
Heat the Chicken and Squash Gently
Add the cooked chicken or turkey, eight ounces cooked spaghetti-squash strands, green-onion greens, and one tablespoon fresh lemon juice.
Stir gently until everything is very hot. Keep the squash strands recognizable rather than stirring them into short pieces. Taste and add the remaining sea salt as needed, using the source total of one and one-half teaspoons plus any final adjustment.
Stir in most of the fresh thyme. Ladle the soup into bowls and finish with the remaining thyme.
Serving the Soup
Serve it as a complete bowl with chicken, vegetables, squash strands, fat, and meat stock together. Add the optional fifth cup of stock only when a thinner soup is preferred.
The green onions and lemon belong in the finished balance. Do not replace them with commercial soup seasoning, pasta sauce, or a packaged poultry blend.
Storage and Reheating
Cool leftovers promptly, seal them in a glass container, and refrigerate for up to five days. The spaghetti squash and chicken absorb liquid as the soup rests.
To reheat, add homemade meat stock as needed, up to two cups for a larger leftover batch. Stir gently over medium heat until warming begins, then lower the heat, cover, and heat for five to ten minutes until hot throughout.
Stir only as much as needed so the squash strands stay intact. Reheat the soup on the stovetop.
Recommended Equipment
Use an extra-large sauté pan, low pot, or the Le Creuset Classic 10-quart stainless-steel stockpot shown in the method photographs; a cutting board and knife; dry and liquid measuring tools; a large glass measuring cup; a whisk; a wooden spoon with a real spoon rest; and glass storage containers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Replaces Pasta in This Tetrazzini Soup?
Use eight ounces cooked spaghetti-squash strands. Add them near the end with the chicken so they only heat through.
Can I Use Turkey Instead of Chicken?
Yes. Use three to four cups cooked chopped or shredded turkey in the same place as the chicken.
Can I Use Celery Instead of Mushrooms?
Yes. Replace the one pound mushrooms with several chopped celery stalks and add the celery with the onions at the beginning.
Can I Add Both Mushrooms and Celery?
Choose the source mushroom or celery branch. Adding both full amounts changes the vegetable balance and pot volume.
Why Is This Soup Looser Than Classic Tetrazzini?
The Full GAPS version omits the source’s tapioca thickener. Homemade meat stock and coconut milk provide body while the dish remains a soup.
Does the Chicken Have to Come From the Stock Batch?
No. Use cooked chicken from a stock pot, leftover cooked chicken, or leftover turkey. The meat stock and cooked meat can be prepared separately.
How Do I Thin Leftovers?
Add homemade chicken meat stock a little at a time while reheating, up to two cups for a larger leftover batch.
Chicken Tetrazzini Soup Recipe
Chicken Tetrazzini Soup with Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Have the meat stock, cooked chopped chicken or turkey, and 8 ounces cooked spaghetti-squash strands ready.
- Heat the fat in an extra-large stainless pot over medium-high. Add the onion, green-onion whites, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. If using celery instead of mushrooms, add it now.
- Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and lowering the heat after 5 to 10 minutes so the vegetables soften without getting too dark. For the mushroom branch, add the sliced mushrooms after 10 minutes.
- Stir in the onion powder, garlic powder, ginger or pepper, and dried thyme. Cook 2 minutes until fragrant, then stir in the fresh garlic.
- Whisk the homemade coconut milk and additive-free homemade mustard together in a large glass measuring cup. Do not add tapioca or another starch.
- Add 2 cups chicken meat stock to the vegetables and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- Whisk the coconut-milk mixture again and pour it in. Stir through the vegetables, add another 2 cups stock, and return to a gentle simmer.
- Hold the optional fifth cup of stock to adjust the finished consistency rather than adding it automatically.
- Add the chicken or turkey, spaghetti squash, green-onion greens, and lemon juice. Stir gently until everything is very hot, keeping the squash strands intact. Taste and add the remaining salt as needed.
- Stir in most of the fresh thyme. Ladle into bowls and finish with the remaining thyme.
Notes
- Full GAPS: Use homemade meat stock, homemade coconut milk, homemade mustard, and pure single-ingredient seasonings.
- Photographed branch: The photos use mushrooms. For celery, replace the mushrooms with several chopped celery stalks and add them with the onions.
- No pasta or starch: Use cooked spaghetti squash and omit tapioca.
- Chicken or turkey: The cooked meat can be prepared separately from the meat stock.
- Leftovers: Add homemade stock as needed during reheating, up to 2 cups for a larger leftover batch.
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